For the last several weeks leading up to this race, I knew I
wouldn't be in the same condition I was last year, so my expectations were realistic
concerning my performance. I tried to
make myself feel better about this by planning to run this as any other long
run—take it easy and just enjoy my time out there. However, there is a nagging little
competitive side to me that always takes over when the horn/whistle blows. After the first set of hills, I managed to
pass a couple of folks. And then a
couple more.
Unfortunately, in front of me was a man
new to trail racing, and I watched as he began to get smaller and smaller in the
distance. That always plays with me
mentally because when I can’t see anyone in front of me, I don’t have the same
motivation to keep pushing.
Fortunately, however, I had a new buddy (Buddy K) on my
heels. We ran most of the race together
and chatted the entire time. It’s funny—her
presence (and the fact that we were talking and that she was terrified of
getting lost) kept me from pushing too hard and tiring myself out, but also
made me push a little harder in some aspects because I knew she was right
behind me.
The trails were muddy and wet, which is what made today’s run
more fun to me. Throughout the run, I gave
Buddy K some tips to do well—my most important piece of advice being, “Commit—commit
to the puddles, commit to the mud, commit to the creek crossings. Just commit.”
Too often, trail runners go out and try to go around a puddle, or tip-toe
across a creek. If it’s feasible and the
rest of the trail is dry, fine. Go for
it. But when the trails are a sludge
fest, what’s the point in avoiding bigger mud puddles when there’s mud
everywhere anyway? It’s trail running—get
wet, get dirty, have fun! (Besides,
going around puddles instead of through them widens the trails and deteriorates
the surrounding area.)
I was totally spent throughout mile 3, but knowing the trail system
so well, I knew what was ahead and I just tried to keep pushing with what little
energy I had left. I informed Buddy K
that it was time to kick it into gear! I
picked up the pace a bit and just focused on finishing as fast as I could. I peeked behind me at a turn and saw that Buddy K had fallen behind a little bit. I felt bad for going on, but I knew she wouldn't get lost because the trails were well marked. There were some mountain bikers out, and a
few people to navigate around, but it was fun to pick up the pace and get to
the finish—finally.
My splits for this race (don’t laugh, just be proud of me
for getting out there!):
Mile 1: 14:04
Mile 2: 13:38
Mile 3: 14:13
Mile 4: 14:15
Mile 5: 11:50
Finish was 1:08--a whopping 10 minutes slower than last
year’s finish. This race lit a fire
under me to never run so slowly again. (Unless I have no choice.) Speedwork and hill repeats begin next week.
Crossing the finish, I was happy to see friendly faces still
there! These races always make me so
happy because no matter how long it takes you to finish, you never feel
lame. There is always someone genuinely encouraging
you, and there’s always food available.
They always execute these races well and really make it a fun experience
all around. I was fortunate to get a $10
gift certificate to Blue Mile, as well.
Just a great day with a great bunch of people!
