The race went fairly well. I started out in the middle, right where I hoped to be. First mile or so was on the park road, pavement, then we cut into the woods. Single track. I got in line with a group that was right on my pace, so it was good. A bit of this, then we popped out onto Jeep trail. Some people passed, I passed a couple, then back into single track. This continued throughout the race. About mile 7 my right hip and glute started whining. I also stubbed a toe about here as well, but I didn't go down. (Suck it up, buttercup!) Behind me were a few quicker runners, so I stepped out of the way where I could and let them pass. Mile 8 was an aid station, so I knew where I was and what I had in the tank. I started to push a bit more, but it wasn't there today. I kept pushing and finally came out onto pavement. I knew I had a little bit more to go, so I tried to pick it up and finish strong.

Honey in place of the Gu. Actually, it doesn't matter, whatever I would have had would be a solid in those temps :)
My training does not include any single track. It is a bit different to run on, given the snakelike nature through the trees and the roots. I'd LOVE to get more training on this sort of stuff.

Stand around the finishers area with Ann. Drink Gatorade and listen to the trivia questions. Had half a bagel, then went to the van to change, dry off, and get coffee.


I'm not fast. It isn't a limitation, it is a pre existing condition. I'll keep running and getting faster.


The vibe at trail races is always enjoyable. Laid back, mellow, call it what it is, just nice. People are always kind to one another, no one is uppity. This event had that in spades. The only oddity was the placement of the aid stations, but I was carrying, so it didn't matter to me.