Another goal reached!

Well all done! Had a pretty good race. The virus I've had all week made it hard though.
I camped at Katoomba falls caravan pk for Fri & Sat night. Was feeling okish fri night but still felt like crap. To make things even more fun the weather decided to go crazy around 8:30pm....lighting....wind....more lighting & even more wind. Holy hell I thought my tent was gouing to go off into the heavens. It must be my amazing talent of pitching it up it stayed stable:) The wind only lasted for an hour but the lighting went all night.
Still managed to get a good night's sleep.
Woke up just after 5am & had some cornflakes. It's amazing how such a simple breakfast can work wonders on the day!
Just after 6:30am I strolled over to get on the shuttle bus that takes us to the start line. I was less than 1km from that.
The race got started at 8am & we got to the start around 7:20am. The weather was just perfect for this! No rain now & nice cool (not cold conditions)
I saw alot of other trotters at the start & other runners that I know. Also meet some new people. Thats the great thing about this sport...it's competitive but mostly against yourself. You meet some amazing great people!
Had a bit of a light jog to see how my body felt & it wasn't feeling crash hot.

Anyway off we go. I kinda kept back because the start of this race is just madness! After around 500myou go down Nellies Glen...(a very steep & slippery stair & rocks) it travels for around 2km & it would be quite easy to get injured with a busted ankle.
Well got down that in around 13min then off to cox's river. I was feeling heavy in the legs from the moment the gun went & by the time I got to Megalong (8k) I was suffering. Then I go through this feel good/feel crap stage all the way to the cox's river. I just dived in & got across that in a little over 1:13. Caught up with Greg Love here but had to stop & get a stone out of my shoe. I had tied my shoelases up in triple knots so they wouldn't come undone & I couldn't undo them. Just ripped off the shoe got the thing back on & off I go again.
Now this is the bit where the hills start. Last year I ran all the hills but there was no way I could do it this year so I did what most other people did & walked/ran them.
Got to the top of that in 2:28 & finally started to feel a bit better.
Anyway 21km to go & went pretty good from here. Started to pass a heap of other runners who flew past me going up pluvi. Saw a sign saying 10km to go....Now I felt Mabye I could break 4:10...."only 10k to go Darren" I was telling myself...(yes I was talking to myself. I figure I'm mad anyway for racing this so I might aswell talk to myself!) Saw another sign saying 4.4km to go & soon the down hill was about to start.
I love the downhills so when I got to this bit I went like a bat out of hell!. I can do this I can do this was the words coming out of my mouth.
Very soon I could here the crowds at the finish line.....I looked at my watch & it said 4:08.......BANG! Off I go again. I set this goal of sub 4:10 & damn if I wasn't going to make it now. Down the stairs I go to the finish in 4:09:21!!!! 30th place.

Now let's work on my next goal shall we? I reckon Canberra 50km but this will be different as I want to race the 10km the day before & back it up with the ultra!