My gear was laid out meticulously in steps to allow me to streamline my morning and allow for optimum sleep time. Shorts and running pants close to the bed for a quick transition from PJ's to run-wear. Then downstairs to put on socks, then compression sleeves, then shoes. Pin on my "cancer badge" on the back of my singlet and put on my long sleeve. The longer the run, the more important the prep, and this was my longest race since my marathon. And getting ready at home, not a hotel, was a little weird. So many options available vs a preset packed bag. Luckily I made list (obviously) and could keep focused. Despite the rain, the temp was still around 60 so I stuck with my original plan and after a quick protein shake, Maura and I were out the door.
Maura and I had planned to make a weekend of this race, with camping after the race at Davidson River with some friends after the race. However that plan was quickly in jeopardy after determining that we'd maxed out the windshield wiper setting a few miles down the road.
Once we arrived and checked in we met up with Dan and Amanda inside and waited for the race to start and hopefully for the rain to stop.....or slow at this point. It didn't slow, in fact, it started to pick up. We also saw Carlos and Scott from work and it was their first ever 5K, which was great to be a part of. The race was close to starting and the rain was actually becoming a great distraction from the 18.6 miles of off road terrain and one really large hill that the race official was not candy-coating during the pre-race announcements.
The group quickly gathered outside in the rain and before we knew it the gun (literally a gun, which startled the crap out of me) went off. We started down and around the forestry center, and were soon on to some muddy single track. I was with a pack of 5-6 ppl, a few I knew, a few I didn't. The trail was narrow and the puddles abundant. At first, instinct was to avoid the water, but realizing we were all already soaked, it wasn't long before we were all 5 years old splashing through puddles without a care. One off the girls around me said she called these "Fuck-It-Puddles" because that's the mindset you need to get through them. Made sense to me.
Having never run a trail race, this was all new to me, and I was loving it. We were muddy and wet, running over roots and trees and running through streams that were now shin/knee deep due to the rain. It was so fun. The group was slightly more spaced out due to the terrain and all I could hear was the river, the rain, and my breathing and footsteps. I remember feeling like this is what our ancestors must have felt like, running through the woods chasing dinner, it was spiritual in a way. Must have been the runners high.
I was running with Mikey, a guy from track workouts, for a while but he stopped to tie his shoe and never caught back up. Around mile 6 an older local caught up to me and we chatted for a while. Always nice to make a new friend during a race. We ran together for a couple miles, until we hit "The Hill". I had no idea what to expect so I just plodded along behind my new friend on the single track terrain, trying to keep a conversation whilst navigating the roots and battling fatigue. Soon...we were walking. It was a calculated decision. The pace of running straight up wasn't much faster than a strong walk and it was less intense. I walked, then I'd run, then I'd walk, then I'd run. I decided I could pass my friend so I did. I was a alone again and now getting high enough that I actually felt my ears pop and I was getting into a low hanging cloud. The trail was narrow, in some spots I was ducking while I ran and brushing leaves out of my way. All I could think was "Gorillas in the mist, if I came up on Dan right now, he'd look like a gorilla in the mist". I almost laughed out loud and then noticed a flash of a white shirt up ahead. It was the girl that had passed me around mile 3. I could catch her.....maybe. I kept my run/walk thing going on and didn't realize that a younger cross country kid was between us. I came up on him while he was walking and I walked with him for a few and chatted before passing on. Always feels good to pass someone that's younger and seemingly more fit than you :)
The hill seemed to last forever, but I knew I had to be getting close. Soon, the uphills turned to downhills and there was enough downhill in a row to give me confidence the death march was over. Another good sign, I had finally caught the girl in front of me. The downhill section was treacherous. Trying to keep a solid pace while jumping between rocks and roots was tough on my quads but it was also very fun and I was again making a new friend so I was very content with my situation. We made it out of the forest and back on to the fire roads. We were 6 miles from the finish and we'd heard we were in the top 10. There were people still going out, most walking. We exchanged "great job, looking good" and kept moving. I have a lot of respect for those that walk a race like this. They look at us and say "wow, that's fast" and we look at them and say "wow, they're gonna be out here for a while, good for them". It's a mutual respect for each others position and skill that I love about a race like this.
When we turned to get back on the single track with 3 miles left I started to pull away from Alycia. I knew at this point that staying healthy was the only important factor. I couldn't see anyone in front of me and I was far enough ahead of Alycia that I didn't think she'd catch me. The route back was slightly different than the way out, and not for the better. I felt like I was running tire drills for the last 1.5 miles. So many roots and rocks. My legs were getting more and more wobbly with each step and at one point my ankle rolled just enough to freak me out, but no damage done. Just make it back safely. The stream crossings I thought I'd be jumping over like a badass on the way back I was now gingerly stepping through. Oh, what a difference 12 miles makes :)
Soon I was seeing a parking lot and other runners. "30K Finish =>" never looked so good! I nearly made a wrong turn but was quickly guided back to the right trail and I could see the finish line. I picked up pace a little, not much, my legs were far to unstable for much of a boost. I highfived a volunteer as I crossed and pumped my fist victoriously. I saw Maura and Kali there and my heart was full. I felt great. I just completed my first trail race, and my second longest race ever. Alycia crossed soon after and we exchanged congratulations. I was 10th overall, and 3rd in my age group (30-39). A solid finish, one I'm very proud of.
We hung out for a bit despite a cranky dog and some rain. Carlos and Scott both placed in their age groups which I thought was awesome. They tried to play it off as nothing but I think they still enjoyed things. I even heard Scott say "yeah, just gotta keep at it, and keep improving" which almost made me tear up. You hear about people "getting the bug" about running but not too many to get be around someone as they get it.....and they might not even know it yet, but you see it. Pretty good stuff. We waited for Dan and Amanda as well, both finished strong with great stories of their day. This was their longest run ever, a big deal for any runner and I'm glad we got to share that with them as well.
The rain was still around so we bailed on our camping plans and headed home. Maybe not the plans we made, but we made the best of it. A good life lesson I guess, you can't control everything so it's best to just say "Fuck it" and jump right in and get muddy.
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