~32 mi @ ~14.3 min/mi

"And as First Runner-Up, I pledge to serve if the DFL Winner is unable to fulfill her duties!" promises Roadkill at the end of yesterday's trail run. (DFL = "Dead ... Last", the slowest official finisher.) Today's "Ran It with Janet 50k" is a tough, happy trek in which Roadkill makes the critical mile 21 noon cutoff with ~15 minutes to spare, thanks largely to the help of kind comrades. Michael Hart pushes the pace smartly for lap 1 (~2:20), with bonus Civil War historical commentary along the way. In lap 2 (~2:25) Stephanie Fonda (and her dear daughter Haven) serve as escorts for the middle miles, share tips on hill techniques, and lead the way across field and stream.

The final circuit (~2:50) is solo, accelerated by efficient aid station captain Jon Jester and others who provide ice, pickle juice, salty snacks, and endless encouragement. Son Merle Zimmermann flies a photography drone at the start/finish and plays keyboard music mid-course near the Stone Bridge — shades of the famous Pacific coast pianist in the Big Sur Marathon!

"Two slices of greasy pepperoni pizza and a Big Gulp!" Roadkill's nutritional experiments on race day morning turn out OK. Clouds of insects rise up as the trail passes through shaded groves. A pair of lovely horses and riders canter past, then pause at a fork in the pathway. Milk thistles attract sachem butterflies that pose for photos. At the end of the race, eponymous RD Janet awards RIwJ commemorative cups. Fellow runners Sirisha and Sean, paced by ultra-Jennifer, offer friendly hugs and fist-bumps. A feisty tick seeks to acquire superpowers from Roadkill, who carefully detaches it and returns it to a grassy homeland.

(trackfile; cf 2015-06-06 - Ran It with Janet 50k-ish, 2016-06-04 - Ran It with Janet 50k 2016, 2017-06-03 - Ran It with Janet 50k, 2018-06-02 - Ran It with Janet 50k, ...) - ^z - 2019-06-23