I was excited for this year's Chuckanut since I missed last year's at the last minute due to my dog having a seizure. Now the dog is fine and Kris and I are cruizing up the freeway to Fairhaven runners to pick up our race stuff. We met Anna and Dugan Bates there (Anna tried to poison me at Cascade Crest)and went out to the Boundry Bay tavern for some great pre-race food. There we were joined with our hotel room mates, James and Warren from Winthrop. The Bates kept up their poisoning tradition with Dugan sending over a bedtime beer for me. I slept well and woke to sunny skies. I started the first flat 6 miles too fast as usual, but after 15 min, slowed down and recovered then sped back up and started passing people. On the first climb, all the people I passed went by me,I'm so slow on the ups! After the second aid station there is a long road uphill where even more passed me and Glen caught up to me. I managed to stay with him to the ridge and actually was spot on the time I was shooting for. But mother ultra raised her ugly head and my stomach started going south. I was real disappointed since the ridge trail is the funnest part of the race. I stayed with Glen till chin scraper but Kris went charging past, drats, chicked again! I hurried down the downhill as best I could, not knowing which end was going to cut loose first and hoping I would make it to the last aid station bathroom in time. After a satisfying 10 min. break at the last aid station, the last flat 6 miles were slow with more stomach pains so when I finally crossed the line, I headed straight for the bathroom. Sounds worse then it was, I actually had a good time and the weather was great.