A Great Race and a Challenge for Next Year.

First off, HAPPY 100th POSTING!!  I started this blog in the hopes that it would help me stick with running.  It’s been a long and struggling haul to get to the pivotal 100th post but I made it!  Now on to push for the 1 year mark.

Today’s run was great!  The course takes you winding through hill country up and down rocky trails and along several river banks.  The scenery was amazing.  Apparently it is considered the 5th best 10K trail run in the country.  That being said, I also heard it was the 4th toughest!  Yeah, I was totally not prepared for this race.  A lack of running for the last month, no hill workouts, and not knowing it was really a trail run, I’m just glad I finished the race!

It was such an amazing race though, I’ve already told Jen that this will be one of next years challenges.  So now what everyone is waiting for…… THE RACE REPORT!

To begin with, I have to start of with yesterday.  It was a full travel day home from Phoenix.  a 4 hour flight, 20 minute lay over, then a 1:15 flight.  Getting me back to Baltimore at 9:15.  I finally made it home around 10:30.  Then I couldn’t sleep because of the time difference and anxious about the race.  I didn’t fall asleep until after 1:00.

Then we were up at 6:00.  I knew I needed a pick me up so we stopped at Dunkin Donuts and got our coffee/sugar fix then on to the race.  It took place at this cool ranch in up state Maryland settled in some rolling hills.  There was a western theme to the area.  We grabbed the registration packet and got ready to go.  Here are my splits:

1 Mile - 11:03 - Feeling pretty good, started with the 4/1 intervals but the first big hill I had to walk more, It was an extremely steep incline that lasted about 1/4 mile. I was very winded and had a stitch in my side (which I rarely ever get).

2 Mile - 14:20 - Lots of hills, the beginning of the rough terrain, but with rolling elevations.  Still struggling with being winded.

3 Mile - 14:19 - Finally got to some plateaus, mostly exhausted from the climbs.  Dropped my interval down to a 2/1.

4 Mile - 15:08 - The beginning had rocky inclines and declines from hell, actually had to use my hands to help get up.  This leg of the race was PURE EVIL!!!!  I wasn’t as exhausted/winded but the trails made for extremely slow moving with lose rocks and steep inclines.

5 Mile - 14:20 - Along the river, two river crossings, the first one was a narrow bridge, the second had two options, narrow bridge or a cut across the river.  I took the river and it was about 20 feet across with water over my calves.  It felt great but now my socks and shoes were soaked and I still had about 1.5 miles left.

6 Mile - 12:22 - Finally some flat areas!   I was able to catch my second wind and kept it steady with intermingled walking (gave up on the interval timing a few miles back). About midway through this, the kids 1 mile race started and as we merged I thought it would be awesome to run with Paige. I slowed and actually backtracked about 50 feet to meet up with her.  She was thrilled! 

6.2 Mile - 2:33 – We made the last turn and it was a straight away through the frontier town with a finish coming across a covered bridge.  We ran it in hand in hand.  A great way to finish a race!!!

Even with the lack of sleep/running, I felt great at the end, better than some of my previous 5K’s.  I was totally exhausted but not in any pain.  My feet are feeling good, but I took some ibuprofen just in case.  Now it’s nap time then off to do something with the family.

I’m glad to finally be home after two long work trips!!!!

Here are a couple of pictures of the race.