I started leg four with my fast female friend. With the stair training I’m doing, I felt pretty good going up Mount Hamel. In previous years, I would have had to take breaks. But this year, I kept going without stopping, and even had the energy to run in the few areas where it was flat. I left my friend behind soon after the uphill started and I don’t think I ever saw her again until I was on top of the mountain looking way down.
I passed the next checkpoint on the way up. It had a cutoff time of 10:15, and I passed it at 9:15. The end of Leg 3 cutoff doesn’t make sense if I’m going past the next checkpoint with an hour to spare.
Over the mountain and down the other side. Of course, this would be where I twisted my ankle the first time. I don’t think it was too bad, or I was past the point of caring. I yelled, swore in Danish, and I kept going.
I caught of with Rod at the Ambler loop aid station. Nutrition was still negligible there, but I was sick of my protein balls at this point, so I had a couple of cookies. I headed off to do the 5km loop, convinced that Rod was right behind me. If he caught me, he would tell me to go faster, and I didn’t want to give him the opportunity.
Beaver Dam road was next, 7km on a gentle slope down. I ran it, passing a lot of people walking. They were also several dumb people on it; when I announced I was passing, they would look behind themselves with their headlamps right in my eyes. I was instantly blinded. I’m surprised I didn’t run into anyone. I think I twisted my ankle again on the 3km to the end of the leg.