Coming from Spruces, drove down early after campground sleep. Got there about 6 and did a wakeup upper body workout, warmup run and long time stretching. Course meandered thru neighborhoods and started in an L shape in the parking lot with a hard left turn at the start. People were lackadaisical about actually racing with everyone giving each other space, not a lot of competitive spirit, just participants.
Winner ran 17:30, then 18:40 then 19:30. I was pretty conservative in the first mile, found my group, a 50s male and a peer, I knew I just had to conserve til the last mile. Even the last mile goes down to the ending elevation before a turn back up the hill. I played it cool behind my group, but my peer was unwilling to be passed, which was fine with me. At the 2nd mile mark (course) thru the sidewalk jaunt thru park started to pick it up such as it was (passed peer on a turn just previously) and let the 50s guy pull me. Didn't pull ahead of him until I unchivalrously passed him with a sprint at the downhill end. Unchivalrous, but fist-bump worthy as I thanked him for the pull.
Afterwards saw Strickland girls with friend (Heidi & Christina?), went to awards and got 2nd, peer got 3rd, 1st place was ______. And all the while the swim team had been doing laps (for 2 1/2 hours-?). Then back to IBC Spruces for a coffee and double breakfast.
Hiked w Warhursts up to meadow of Days Fork trail, a little running, then some more back up to join Lucas' group. Then another evening hike w P to Blood Lake, never do I remember Guardsman pass but it's great. Stayed at the lake long enough to see its party atmosphere and a guy on the rope swing try try try to do a backflip with a failure to let go and the subsequent side body splash.
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