I'm sore. My quads hurt. I bled through the heels of both my shoes.
It was snowing. The ground was wet and muddy.
I ran slower than my Ironman pace (though, to qualify...my second Ironman pace. I as faster than at Placid :-P)
The run was started with a simple "go!".
The water stop was filled with cookies, m&ms, fig newtons, and happy, non pushing, chatty runners.
The scenery was beautiful.
There were trees in the middle of the trail.
Some of the hills were ....mountains (I think so, anyways!)
And I finished with mud running down my legs...with little fanfare, a cup of soup, and a warm fire.
And I'm in love.
Road running, we're always gonna be buddies. But there's a new kind of sport that I'm pretty sure I may just have to cheat on you with....trail running.
I had a freaking blast at the Mendon Trail race today....the hills were tough, it was snowing and cold, and the terrain was rocky (literally).
But I felt free.
I had my watch, but I barely glanced at it....I just didn't care. The trails were breathtaking, the race full of people who love love love to run and aren't afraid to help you out along the way (one guy i ran with stated so well...in a 5k, you run over your opponents. in a trail run, you help them up.)
There was so much happy to be alive-ness that it made me burst.
But that's next year :-)
A few things I need to work on:
1. Ascending: There are so many steep hills, that I need to work on the climbing. I'm used to running hills, but these hills are the non-runnable kind (that even the winner walked up). I think I can be much faster at this).
2. Steep downhills: Again, much different than road racing. My quads are f-in killing me, because you can't really get momentum running downhill-you have to watch out for roots, rocks and sticks, but there's a few neat ways to descend faster I saw some of the fasties doing. Need to learn this one!
Full race report coming soon-unofficial race results: 2:14:07 for 12.6 miles (it was officially a 20k, but there was a stretch to start loop 2)...and 3rd overall female.
Not bad for my first trail race! (And um, second trail run...ever.)
Oh, great, another addiction. And I'm so very thankful to be addicted to such a beautiful thing!!!
It was snowing. The ground was wet and muddy.
I ran slower than my Ironman pace (though, to qualify...my second Ironman pace. I as faster than at Placid :-P)
The run was started with a simple "go!".
The water stop was filled with cookies, m&ms, fig newtons, and happy, non pushing, chatty runners.
The scenery was beautiful.
There were trees in the middle of the trail.
Some of the hills were ....mountains (I think so, anyways!)
And I finished with mud running down my legs...with little fanfare, a cup of soup, and a warm fire.
And I'm in love.
Road running, we're always gonna be buddies. But there's a new kind of sport that I'm pretty sure I may just have to cheat on you with....trail running.
I had a freaking blast at the Mendon Trail race today....the hills were tough, it was snowing and cold, and the terrain was rocky (literally).
But I felt free.
I had my watch, but I barely glanced at it....I just didn't care. The trails were breathtaking, the race full of people who love love love to run and aren't afraid to help you out along the way (one guy i ran with stated so well...in a 5k, you run over your opponents. in a trail run, you help them up.)
There was so much happy to be alive-ness that it made me burst.
(yeah-just like that)
And want to do the 50k.But that's next year :-)
A few things I need to work on:
1. Ascending: There are so many steep hills, that I need to work on the climbing. I'm used to running hills, but these hills are the non-runnable kind (that even the winner walked up). I think I can be much faster at this).
2. Steep downhills: Again, much different than road racing. My quads are f-in killing me, because you can't really get momentum running downhill-you have to watch out for roots, rocks and sticks, but there's a few neat ways to descend faster I saw some of the fasties doing. Need to learn this one!
Not bad for my first trail race! (And um, second trail run...ever.)
Oh, great, another addiction. And I'm so very thankful to be addicted to such a beautiful thing!!!
Congrats!! Trail running does beat up those legs alot more!! Glad you had fun!
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