As soon as I started my warm up, I threw all expectations for this race out the window. I have never run this trail before and I ran my warm up with a school parent. I had already done a bit on my own, but we ran 2 miles along the trail. You know that a race is going to be interesting when the explanations of the trail along certain miles call them "butt kickers" (except they used the other term). I knew from running along the first mile of the trail that it was rough. I started off too slow--I was running with a school friend and I didn't know her pace. After about 1/2 mile I said my goodbyes and sped up a little bit. But even at a good effort, the trail kept my pace in check. Lots of rough terrain, mud, hills, etc. But it was a great time. The trails were narrow, but I was still able to do a lot of passing and was only passed twice.
The last 1.5 miles was flat and open, so I was able to go faster. At the end I kicked it because I had just passed a couple of women and I didn't want to be overtaken by anyone. It was a good workout and now that I know the conditions a bit better, I'll have expectations for next year.
| 