I may have started a bit too fast as the first 8 miles felt like they flew by. The next 10 seemed to get progressively more difficult, with the miles between 11 and 13 being the hardest for me. We went through a long (half mile?) stretch of soft sand right before the half marathon mark and then again right before the finish. I kept reminding myself that this was just a long training run and to treat it as such. The goal was not time, but to get through it intact and feeling good. It was quite warm, and we had long stretches in the direct sun, so I am sure that had some effect. But, when I finished, although I was tired, and I had a blister on one of my toes, I felt I could have struggled through another 7 miles for a full marathon (on the pavement, though; not trails).

Start out slower and a bit more controlled.

Long walk back to the car.


Mostly, a bit of over confidence. Need to treat trail running with respect...always.


I thought this race was very well run, nice long-sleeve tech shirt, top 10 men/women got a finisher's award (a glass bottle that I'm not sure what it is for, but it's nice to have something different than a medal). Heard a few folks thought the trail wasn't well marked, but that's ridiculous. It was exceptionally well marked. The smaller crowd was a nice change from the typical over-hyped road race. I would definitely do it again.