Okay, let's get this out of the way: There were some major, major hills on this. At least three big ones, and maybe one or two small ones. This is the ninth annual running of this event, and evidently they've all been pretty major trail runs, though this is the first year on this newly-laid out course.

The big hills were big not just in grade, but in distance -- first and second big hills were easily half mile from bottom to top. Hill four was so steep that you wanted to start climbing it like a hiker -- put one hand on your knee to help push yourself up.

I had been warned about the hills, and wanted to play it conservative anyway. So I started out well back from the line in the mass 5K and 10K start. This was maybe not the best idea; I was running with all the weekend warrior 5Kers, and there was a mighty big pack of them. So the first mile I was in with them, until they split off onto their own course and the 10kers continued on to the first big hill.

I'd never run a trail before -- not really even in training. In the first mile, I had a few missteps on the soft dirt under the grass. It took some getting used to, and I spent more time concentrating on my footing than I normally would.

So, after mile 1 we came to the first big hill, and I chugged up it, freewheeling down the back side. Impressive, not a killer. Then we got to the second big hill, which was pretty large, though there was a water station at the top. Okay. I had run a fairly conservative 8:22 in the first mile, and I wanted to get that closer to 8 min/mile for the rest of the course. No way, Jose. Everything after the first mile was either uphill or downhill, and my splits started going the wrong way.

Got to the mile 3 and knew that there was one big hill left, according to inside information, and that after that "everything got easier". And that hill after mile 3 was a killer. A-maze-ing. It went on for ever, and I had a choice . . . walk it, as some were doing, and save my strength for the flat bits, or continue to chug up it, and try to pick up time that way. I chose to run to keep my cadence, but damn was it hard.

Finished that, and walked the water station after mile 4, pleased in the knowledge that although my split for that mile had been slower, it hadn't been TOO slow, and I'd negotiated a pretty major hill . . . and that's when I saw it. ONE MORE BIG HILL. Damn thing seemed to go on forever.

After that, I threw out all thoughts of keeping to my target pace, and just struggled along. I tried to long alongside some folks who seemed to have a good pace, but a few of them dropped out, and a few of them dropped me.

Finished off on the flat, but by this point I was hothothot and took off my t-shirt for the lastmile in.

Train on a trail someplace? With hills? Perhaps the Alps, or the Pyrrennees?

I think my time was as good as could be expected on that course. I gave it everything I had at the moment, without going to the point of injury.

Went through the food line, ate everything they had, was back at the finish line to cheer in some of the walkers and another 10ker who was taking it easy. Stuck around for a bit to stretch out, eat more bananas, listen as the AG awards were read out -- I'm fairly certain that a few of my (older AG) running compadres picked up some hardware, but I most certainly did not. Not only for the fact that I was struggling to finish and the winners were 10 minutes or more ahead of me, but also because the race organizers didn't have me in the computer for the start, so I don't think I was eligible for either door prizes or AG wins. Phooey.


Gravity, and the existence of plate tectonics and alluvial geomorphology.


Well, first off, it should be said that this is a great and unique race. Next year will be it's tenth year, there's clearly great community support, and I was really surprised at the crowds of folks running. They had good amounts of food and drink at the end, and all in all it's well organized if you take into account that you're literally in the middle of nowhere. It's a hell of a hilly course, though.

They offer you a free tour of their rhino and giraffe and various other wildlife enclosures after the race. We exchanged our tickets for rain checks -- maybe some other time.

They could have really used an aid/encouragement station past the mile 5 marker. It was hot and lonely out there, and after I survived the hills, I needed something to keep me going. A gu, maybe, or some gatorade, or Bruce Springsteen. Something, people, something.