Monkey race report- About 40 degrees at the start but with a “feels like” of about 36, so I wore the Lulu white puff jacket with the zipper vents. I kept it on the whole time. I got warm a couple of times, but then we would hit some wind and I was glad I had it. Thin tech shirt (Oiselle) under it. Fleecy tights from Gypsy Runner. Hoka Clifton 4s. I think I used 3 Humagels and drank the Sword electrolyte drink on the course and a couple of small cups of sugared Coke in the later miles.
The race is really hard, but I walked whenever I felt like I was pushing too hard, and that seemed to work. This was my second fastest Monkey, surprisingly. I ran a 4:18 (I think) in 2009 and have had 5:14 and 5:06 since. The course is a tad short, but we early starters, as a group, missed the first turn and added about 1/10 on our own! My husband was with me on the bike for a lot of the miles since he was a course cyclist. One of the big problems was that there were a lot of leaves, acorns and sticks/branches on the road since we had some heavy storms yesterday. I almost fell a couple of times and I felt like I wasn’t seeing well (retina swelling issue), so I was VERY careful. I could just see my wiping out on a steep downhill. It was really a beautiful day on the course and the park is gorgeous. I don’t want to see it again for awhile, but it’s gorgeous!
There was a race walker who nearly beat me. He was hauling ass. I was not thrilled that a walker was going to beat me, and I said something not very nice to my husband at one point about this very lovely gentleman. I think it was something like “Where is that bleeper who is race walking? Am I ahead of him?” I could lose him on the downhills, but he would get me back on the uphills when I walked. I did beat him. Yay, me.
I beat a lot of people I didn’t expect to beat, and won the 5 year age group but awards were in 10 year groups, so I didn’t get a sock monkey. Boo. I think my son could have won (if healthy) and I had been hoping he would give me his monkey.
Apparently the lead cyclist led the lead runner off course (not sure how that could happen with the course monitors) and the guy got pissed (understandably) and quit. So the 2nd guy won with a slow winning time of 3:14.
One nice thing about the early start ( 7 am instead of 8 am which is the regular start) was that the main start caught up with us and we got to see everyone. Normally we don’t- well, some of them who lap you but not as many as this way.
Fantastic pot luck food at the end- and craft beer.
Done!
Thanks 
Enjoy.