I started to really struggle on the gradual uphill on the second loop. Miles 35-45 were really hard. These were probably the hardest ten miles I’ve slogged through in a race. There weren’t many people around at this point and the solitude and difficulty of the uphill really got to me. I don’t think my mental facilities were terribly diminished but I don’t recall a lot of details of this section. Maybe I was hazier than I thought. It didn’t hurt but it was just so hard to keep pushing.