Started out toward the back of the pack for once, which worked out well. I went out at a good pace. I was able to run well, maneuvering around puddles and muddy spots, for most of the first lap. I have long suspected that I'm a pretty good hill runner and this was borne out when I passed one woman pretty strongly on the steepest spot on the whole route. Jeff helped me out by placing our stuff (quite inadvertently) right near the start line, so I was able to grab my Vitamin Water and drink another mouthful before starting the second lap. I was pretty dehydrated during the fourth mile, though, and it didn't help that the sun came out briefly during that portion. I did a lot of walking from 40 minutes on, going as few as two minutes before walking again. My legs totally turned to bricks - I actually felt like I was getting closer to the ground, because they wouldn't extend normally. Cardio-wise, I still felt ok, but it was definitely hard to keep those legs moving. I was able to kick it into a pretty strong sprint finish, though (thank you, fartlek runs!).

Hydration. I lost a ton of salt and was dehydrated on the second lap. By the time I finished, I had salt deposits across my face and my eyes burned when sweat dripped into them. Choosing a better electrolyte drink would help significantly.

Obviously, resting my legs would have led to better performance, too, but that wasn't in my training schedule at this point. That 25 mile bike on Friday really wiped them out.

Walked around the festival a bit, sat and watched the awards, then went home.


Hydration, the point I'm at in my training schedule, and the extra weight I'm carrying.


It was a very nice little race. The trails were well-marked, the race was well-staffed, and everything went off smoothly. My only complaint was the single water station. It would have been nice to have two on the course. I was dehydrated on the second lap of the 10K and could have used some extra water.