My brother Rory and I had a rewarding JFK 50 this year - it was terribly cold out there - about 19 degrees at the start and with some nice winds to make it all that much more enjoyable - but both of us completed the race -  Rory in just over 10:14 and me with a PR at just under 10:59 - tough day to do it though. Besides the biting cold Rory had some contentious issues with rocks on the AT and managed to take three falls altogether - some slight swelling around his right knee attested to the fun on the AT. We did come out at Weaverton Cliffs at about 3:20 into the run - I really had a rough patch going from 34.4 to the 38.1 stations - I did seriously think about withdrawing - my hip flexors were just killing me (in fact I came very close to pulling out of both the MCM and the JFK this year) - I walked the four miles between the stations and managed about 17 minute miles while Rory and Mike Sullivan plowed forward towards the finish line - quick mental calculations brought me to the realization that I could do that same pace and manage to finish a tad under the twelve hour cutoff - but by the time I got to the 38.5 station I was feeling somewhat better and began to push out twelve minute miles for all but two of those last miles.  I think I really surprised Rory since he thought I did pull myself out of the race - but heck - that's the way these ultras go ? Really glad I hung in there to finish and share the race with my brother!