Lesson for the day: I thought I had done trail runs because I run along the High Line Canal but ... NO ... dirt roads and heavily traveled well kept paths are not trails. This was miles of crude single track in a wooded area. The person responsible for this course must have found it by making a wrong turn and getting lost. I would still be out there if it wasn't for the little red flags guiding the way. I never took my eyes off the ground. The terrain was uneven and ever changing. There were fallen branches to jump over, loose rocks to balance on, huge roots to step around, and horse manure to dodge (lots of horse manure). I quit worrying about my time around mile 5. I started hoping I would survive without a strain or sprain around mile 6. We were running in sand around mile 8. And last but not least, at mile 8.5, when all the port-a-potties were well behind me, I got hit with urgent GI issues. I held on TIGHT since there was nothing else I could do and suffered through the last mile and a half. It was a blast. I loved it.

Note: GU gel 45 minutes into the run and another one at 1:15, Gatorade Endurance and water.

Sheesh ... I would definitely train on trails. This was a new experience for me and much tougher than running on a dirt path or paved road. I can see where it can make your legs stronger. I think I like it? Yep. I'm going to do more of it. But I'd always want a running partner for this type of training because it would be too easy to get lost or hurt and I wouldn't want to be out there alone.

The first thing I did was find the potty. Then I walked around and looked for the BT crowd but couldn't find them. It was a small race so where the heck were they hiding. There wasn't anything to snack on except cookies so I stuck with water.


I ran this just as my coach suggested and it worked well. I took the first 3 miles at a slower pace than I thought I should so I could get warmed up. I finally found some kick somewhere on mile 3. I ran miles 4-8 faster. She said 9 and 10 would be tough but just hang in there and I did just that. The last two miles weren't quite as fast as I'd hoped (due to stomach issues) but they were still a decent pace for me.

The Colorado Masters Running Association puts on 12-14 races a year. They are low key without the frills. It sounds like they do a lot of trail runs so I may join in when my schedule allows for it. My goal was to come in somewhere between 1:35-1:45. I had tossed that idea out the window when I realized the course was tougher than I expected so I was thrilled to see 1:38:30 when I hit the finish line. I don't know how many runners were there (or the rankings) but I was first in my age group. I think the overall winner finished in 64 minutes. Unbelieveable.