Really, I Did Run

That race? Remember that trail race I was so looking forward to over a week ago? I did make it to the starting line and found myself running on an incredible trail. The first lap was pleasant with rolling hills around the lake, the second loop added a tremendous hill in addition to the rolling ones already on the course and the third lap, well the third lap kicked my ass with a mountain that the race directors tried to call a hill on the race flyers. Liars! There was an older gentleman making the climb behind me and he kept shouting what he might have thought were helpful directions that consisted of warnings that what appears to be the end of the "hill" is not. We climbed, it would level for 10 yards, we climbed again, it leveled again, we climbed again... I seriously considered tucking into a ball and rolling down the other side. Note: for those of you that are non-runners going down a lengthy hill can be more difficult than climbing it because you have to keep yourself from toppling over and that uses very different muscles.

Anyway, I survived. As far as rating the race, I loved the course but there were no mile markers which also means no split-times. There was only one aid station so if you were running the 8.5 mile race there was lots of space in-between available hydration (I carried my hand-held bottle with me.) The awards, as you can see, are plaques and NOT mugs. Bummer, big bummer.

My biggest beef was actually the lack of beef, or at least some filling post-race food. They only had bananas and apples. I spend the days before a race training and eating well and the last thing I want to see upon landing at the finish line is another banana! I would like to see some type of muffin, cookie, or a cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera. You know, real food.



***These race directors were very economical in that they used numbers from The Crim that were leftover. I'm glad I got one that said 10 mile on it and not 1 Mile like some runners did.