WOW!! This was one of the hardest and most fun races I have ever done! So, it rained all night last night and into the start of the men's race (first they ran the men's race and the women were the second race - they alternate every year, mainly because the second race is much harder because they tear up the course); there were about 1200 people total between the two races. The course was a double loop, with only two hard hills but two hay bale jumps on the backside (so you hit them each twice) and then a double hay bale jump + two water jumps of about 5 ft over about 50 yards directly on the bottom of a steep up and down hill (you hit this twice too) and there was on "rock jump" (you had to jump on a rock to cross a creek. The course probably would have been "moderately hard" course if it had been dry - because of the rain we had *3* calf-level creek crossings (one ended being about 25 yards in the creek) -- again, we hit this twice -- but what made it so slow was the mud!!! It was so slippery up the hill (and down actually) before the double hay bale and double water jump that even when I was warming up I fell going up, after the guys were done with it the mud was ankle deep -- even 1" spikes wouldn't have helped! It was soooooo fun - I was soaking wet since it had poured during my warm-up and then I ran around the course cheering Dean and then did some strides before my race ... my shoes were soaked even before we started - so when we hit the first couple creek crossings I did not care at all. The creek crossings were actually great the second lap because the mud was packed on my shoes and they were really heavy, I was glad to wash it off!! Anyway -- I did not run as well as I would have liked, it was slow and I did not seem to have enough confidence and I did not take off at the start the way I should have - there were only a few places where it was easy to pass people and I got stuck for the first 1/2 mile. In the end, I did finish pretty strong - I passed about 25 woman the last 1.5 miles, but the big mud hill slowed everyone down (and actually coming down was even worse, people were sliding all over the place). I have to vent -- a woman who beat me (by probably at least 20 seconds - she was faster than me) cut the course - actually a bunch of woman in front of my ran around the back course hay bales and then cut corners! I was ticked off actually, I followed the line and actually hurdled every bale! I actually ran through one of the water jumps because my shoes were so slippery I was afraid I was going to fall -- but that is not cheating -- but passing hay bales and cutting corners I feel is cheating!! It did not really matter, my splits were slow and I did not come close to throwing up -- I am disappointed in that -- but, it was fun -- I have only run a few cross-country races and this one was by far the hardest and just loved it! splits: (7:38, 7:44, 7:43 +?? I somehow missed stopping my watch in the finishing shoot -- my time was in the high 23's, i will change it when the results are posted). Dean ran about 1 min slower (so he thought) than he would have if the course were dry, so I guess I am somewhat vindicated by that logic ;-). I did win a pie.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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