August 15, 2015 Marquette 50k Trail Race

Marquette 50k Trail Race

 

I went into this race with a goal to enjoy the day on the trail. I had no specific goal for time but did have an idea that it would take me about 9 hours to finish when I looked at last years finishers.

I decided to run this race based on conversations with runners that ran last years race and a video posted to the race website of someone running the race. After seeing the climb up and down Hogback  Mountain I knew this was a race I wanted to run.

The 50k course is one southern loop of 10.6 miles and a northern loop of 20 miles. We started the race at 5:30 am so it begins in the dark using headlamps.

Doug and I at the start line.

 LOOP 1: 10.6 miles

The first mile or so is run on the road (some gravel, some paved) to help spread out the runners before getting to the single track trail. This helps with the bottleneck situation once on the single track trail. It would be nice to run the front part of this section in the daylight as it was very nice trail even in the dark.

First Leg of the 10 mile loop still in the dark

I was able to turn off the headlamp by the time we hit the first aid station at five miles. I dropped my headlamp as they offered to take back to the start/finish line so we did not have to carry them. I was headed back to the start/finish line as this was our second aid station anyway but it is always nice to take it off when not needed.

To Aid Station 2 - start/finish (mile 10.6)
That next section of trail was very technical. I found myself in a congo line of runners and ended up falling down twice. After the second time I let the runners pass so that I could give myself more room on the trail. I have found that I fall the most when I am running too close to other runners on the trail. When 'trail gating' there is not enough reaction time available to make those evasive manueveurs to avoid tripping. Luckily these falls resulted in zero injuries.

Crossing the power lines to get to more single track trail

(Photo credit: Mike Madden)

I arrived at the second aid station which was the start/finish line in 2:32. About the last 2 to 3 miles were not very runnable due to the roots on the trail.

I had a drop bag at the start line and was glad I did as my braid had come undone and I was glad I did not have to run the entire race without fixing that situation. Nothing like dealing with long hair when the day is hot and humid. Oh did I mention that it was really humid during the race? Even at 8 am I was already sweating profusely. It was promising to be a very hot day.

LOOP 2: 20 miles

To Aid Station 3 (14.6 miles):
This next section included some nice rolling trails in the woods. Somehow I ended up missing a turn near Wetmore Pond and I found myself on a trail with no markers. A runner came up behind me and we commented on not seeing a trail marker for awhile. We kept running thinking a marker would show up soon. This was not to be as we hit a trail head and parking lot. We knew the aid station was on the road and we walked up to the road to see if we could see the aid station but the road curved. After wasting time trying to decide what to do and looking for some trail markers we decided we were going to have to backtrack to see where we went wrong. I was not too concerned as I had no goal time for finishing. So back we went and sure enough we saw the markers where we were suppose to turn right and had kept running straight instead. I still cannot figure out how I missed this turn as it was very clearly marked. After we found the trail again I determined that I had run an extra mile and probably added an extra 15 to 20 minutes of time. Oh well. Not much to do about it but keep moving forward. At some point on this section just prior to running into aid station 3 (which was suppose to be mile 14.6 but was 15.6 for me) I was stepping over a log and banged my left knee on a broken off branch on the log. It hurt. Like alot! I only barely scratched my skin but after saying a few choice words and rubbing my knee I made sure it still worked and continued on.

Great single track trail!

I arrived into aid station 3 and looked down and my knee was swelling. There was not any pain other than when I touched the area so I hoped nothing would develop as I still had over 17 miles before the day would be done. I took extra time in this aid station as the next section coming up would be 7 miles and was suppose to be mostly runnable after getting off Sugarloaf Mountain. And it was starting to get hot. I wanted to make sure I had enough water and added ice to my bladder to have cold water which always feels good during a hot and sunny race. The predicted high for the day was 84 degrees.

To Aid Station 4: (21.7 miles)
This section included the climb up Sugarloaf Mountain. I actually enjoyed this section and climb as it included stairs to the top. I don't mind stairs and powered my way to the top. At this point I started seeing more hikers on the trail and we were told that this might be the case as these trails were very popular in Marquette.

Wooden stairs to get to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain

Top of Sugarloaf Mountain

Top of Sugarloaf Mountain looking over Superior

Top of Sugarloaf Mountain overlooking Superior

Top of Sugarloaf Mountain

Top of Sugarloaf Mountain

Really bad selfie at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain

Talked to some hikers and we each took pictures of each other atop Sugarloaf Mountain

I spent entirely too much time at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain but my goal was to enjoy my time out on the trail so I took as much time as I needed to enjoy the view.

Getting down off Sugarloaf Mountain was interesting and I almost lost the trail down as it was hidden between some very large rocks. But I was smarter about it this time and did not go far without first looking for the markers down the trail. Going down there are many large rocks and sometimes the markers would be in rock cairns as there was no dirt to put the markers into. The trail was very well marked and as long as you were very conscious of where they were in front of you it was hard to get lost.

After getting off Sugarloaf Mountain the trail became mostly flat and ran along the shoreline of the Superior. This was a very nice section with lots of pines. It was somewhat rolling and there were rocks and roots to navigate but it was a very runnable section. I was pretty much by myself on the trail and had been for a long time. I was enjoying being out on the trail by myself. It was a confidence booster for me to be out there running alone.

Running along Lake Superior

To Aid Station 5 (26.2 miles)
This next section included the climb up Bareback Mountain and ran by Harlow lake. This section was not very memorable for me but included rocks, rocks and more rocks. This trail reminded me of running in Duluth on the Superior Hiking trail and in some sections reminded me specifically of the trail in Jay Cooke State Park with its rocks and roots and also parts of Wild Duluth with the running over the large rocks in the trail.

I am happy to say that I did not hit any lows during this run at all. In hindsight this is very surprising as I almost always seem to hit those low spots. I think I was enjoying being out on the trail so much with no pressure for a finishing time that I was living in the moment and enjoying myself immensely.

To the Finish (31 miles)
The last section included the climb to the Top of the World and the famous Hogback Mountain.

When I arrived at the top of the Top of the World there were some tents set up. Apparently some hikers had decided that it was a good camping spot. They must have been hiking as no one was around while I was there.

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Next up was the climb to Hogback. I started to see or catch up with other runners at this point. I actually ran across some 100k runners on their backwards loops. I saw Rob Henderson, Travis Theide and Anjannette Arnold while still several miles out from Hogback Mountain. They all looked great and had been out on the trail for many more hours than I had been at that point.

Mild section of the Hogback climb

So how do you describe climbing up Hogback Mountain. Not sure there are really words for it. It is a very steep climb that continues for what feels like several miles but in reality is only about 1/2 mile. I was warned that there was a false summit and indeed there was. This climb was one where I actually had to stop to catch my breathe a few times. I found myself climbing this with four other ladies from a running group called Coyotes out of Illinois. I know one of their members(not present), Karol, and she had mentioned to me they would be there.  I also caught up with Rick Bothwell on this climb which I had not expected. As we were climbing there were others coming down on their backward loop.

Mild section of the Hogback Mountain climb

After hitting the top of Hogback the next challenge was climbing back down! This was not a runnable descent but rather a hike back down figuring out your best foot placings so that you would not end up tumbling down the large rocks.

By the time I was done ascending and descending Hogback I was ready to be done with hills but this was not to be the case as there were many small climbs on that last two miles. About the time I just wanted to run to the finish I found myself needing to walk. I was happy to be done at 32 miles (remember that bonus mile as a result of getting off trail?).

This race was very warm and humid similar to Black Hills in late June but I did much better overall during this race.  I did not experience any lows and had a really great time out on the trail.

Results:
9/21 Age group (40+)
18/36 Overall Female
Time 9:23:54 with an average of 18:11(my average pace was 17:37 min/mile for the 32 miles)

Black Hills 50

 Black Hills 100

50 Mile Trail Race

Sturgis, SD on the Centennial Trail

July 27, 2015

This was my goal race for the year and all my training and prior races were in preparation for this race.

The preparation included:

• 50k group run at Afton State Park in March with friends

• 34 mile pacing at Zumbro in April

• 50k at Chippewa Trail races in April

• 50k at Ice Age in May

• 48 miles in the 12 hour run at Fans in St. Paul in early June

After the pacing at Zumbro I dealt with an issue with my left quad and hip which affected about a month of my running but by the time Fans rolled around I was feeling great again and my running was going well.

I was ready for Black Hills. The week before the race I started getting very anxious and just wanted this run to get started.

I ran a lot of my weekend training runs with Meredith O'Neil who I was planning on running Black Hills with. I was under the misconception that we were the same pace but as we got closer to the race I was realizing that she was a little faster than me on our long runs. This started getting me nervous about running the race with her and her friend Tiffany as I was beginning to think I would be holding them back. With only 14 hours to run the 50 miles with approximately 9,000 in elevation climb in about 6 or 7 major climbs I knew it was going to be close.

I convinced my family to come out with me and sandwich the run with some family vacation time. Not so sure that was the best idea as they felt this trip was all about the trail race. Admittedly the race was on my mind.

We arrived in Silver City, SD at our Camping Cabin on Thursday evening and went a few miles down the road for some Pizza at Cousins Easy Glider bar. It was a good choice as the pizza and company were good.  Friday's plans were to see the 100 milers off and then do some sightseeing and finally pick up my packet in Sturgis at the Start/Finish line.

We were able to have dinner Friday evening with some other runners, Meredith and her Mom, Tiffany and her family and Wendi. We had a good time but called it an early night. My husband was quite surprised as he thought with the live music starting that the evening was just beginning. But being the night before the race us runners just needed to make final preparations and get to bed for that early morning rising.

I was able to sleep in some as Terry would drive me to the start line in Silver City just 7 miles down the road. Race start was 6 am and I got to the start around 5:15 am.

Race morning had finally arrived and the goal for the day was to get to that finish line 14 hours later. The morning weather was not bad at around 60 degrees. Temps were expected to get up to the mid 80's so we knew we were in for a very hot run.

We were off with the usual Ultra fan fair. Ready, Set, Go! Terry actually stayed to watch start. This was the first time in the last three years of running he has seen me start one of my races.

Tiffany, Meredith and Wendi

50 Mile Start Line

We hit the water and mud as soon as we hit the trail. Well mostly the water. South Dakota has been getting tons of rain this spring and everything was wet. This created monster mud on some parts of the trail and some very fast flowing creek crossings around mile 32 for us 50 milers.

Lots of Mud!

Almost lost my shoe!

 Rocks, rocks and more rocks! Even the single track was filled with rocks. Admittedly in the first half of the race these rocks were pretty quartz in all different colors but by midrace I did not want to see another rock for the rest of my life. My feet were already sore before I hit that midpoint but there was nothing to be done about that.

Very rocky Trail with lots of inclines!

I kept up with Meredith and Tiffany (or they stayed back with me) for the first 20 miles or so. We ran together and were at the aid stations for the first three. The aid stations were approximately 7 miles apart give or take some. After that third aid station Meredith looked at me and said that in order to finish the race we were going to have to pick up the pace somewhat. I had already been giving it my all up to this point. We were under the 16:48 pace even with the aid stations (they were always waiting for me on these, not sure why I was taking so long). I had been experiencing a side ache for most of the run up to this point. I am pretty sure this was due to my pace and might even have had something to do with the elevation. All I know is that I felt like I was constantly trying to breathe. I often had to remind myself to take deep breathes as I know I ended up breathing shallow.

Coming into Dalton Lake Aid Station #3

Is that a tree? Oh, wait this is a cell phone tower.

Trying to keep up with Meredith and Tiffany

Gorgeous Views

I started to fall behind and hit the fourth aid station (Crooked Tree) about 5 minutes behind Meredith and Tiffany. They ran on ahead and at this point I was ok with that. The pressure of trying to keep up with them was getting too stressful and I was not enjoying the run or the trail like I wanted to. I was maintaining the course cutoff's at this point but was starting to realize that I probably would not make that final 6:30 cutoff at the final aid station. I was going to give it my all though and I did.

The next section was going to include the creek crossings (mile 27.5 to 33)  and it dawned on me that I now would be crossing them alone. I got out my mp3 player thinking maybe it was time to zone out somewhat. I ran most of this 7 mile section on my own and was actually starting to enjoy myself again when I came up behind another runner just before the creek crossings. I was happy about this as I would now not need to tackle the creeks on my own.

Creek Crossing with Judy

I hit that first creek crossing (at mile 32 on the legs) and really started to get nervous. The creek was flowing very fast. I grabbed the rope and just started across. I quickly realized that this was going to be a slow shuffle across the creek and my goal was to stay upright. I am happy to report that I did not fall on any of the creek crossings. I did, however, help the runner behind me, Judy, as she fell over and was hanging onto the rope hoping not to be swept down the creek. I know these creek crossings ended up taking an extra 15 minutes or more that I really could not afford. I was suppose to hit Elk Creek Aid Station by 3:14 in order to be on pace. Before hitting the creeks I thought I could at least make it by 3:30 but I watched this goal slip away as I navigated the crossings and also did not want to leave Judy behind. I needed to get into Elk Creek at 3:45 for the official cutoff but made it in at about 3:55. I was told Meredith had left 30 minutes ahead of me.  I had to make a very quick decision to continue on or be cut.  I was not ready to quit for the day and the aid station volunteer said he would let me continue on if I left by 4:00. I made the snap decision to continue on and try to keep up with another runner that was also leaving the aid station. I grabbed some things out of my crew bag knowing I would not see the crew again, grabbed some food for the trail and headed out. About a half a mile out of the aid station I slightly panicked and almost thought about turning around and going back. I had to run 7 more miles and there was the possibility that the aid station would be shut down and vacated already. I was warned that there was no possibility of getting a ride from that aid station and I would be on my own. I figured I would just call Terry and have him come pick me up.

This was a very difficult section in that the sun and heat was really starting to make me not feel so well. I was starting to hurt everywhere but did not want to take any ibuprofen due to the heat. I was never nauseous at any time but I was tired of eating and my skin started to feel funny. I can't describe the feeling but it was a weird feeling. The last time I went to the bathroom was at mile 20 and although I was trying to drink plenty I knew the hydration may not have been keeping up with the amount of sweating I was doing.  I walked most of this section with Ryan and his unofficial pacer. When we hit the downhill I passed them up and started to run/shuffle down the hill. Again there were tons of rocks on this section.

I ended up getting some cell phone signal and knew that at this point I would not be able to make that final aid station before the 6:30 cutoff so figured I better just call Terry to ask him to go to the finish line and get directions to pick me up. This ended up taking a good part of 5 minutes as once I had the signal I had to stop moving or feared I would lose it again.

I hit the Bull Dog aid station at 6:30. Although I had pretty much made the decision I was done before Ryan came in and declared he was also dropping I could not fathom the idea of going back out on the trail by myself. There was no one left behind me as those runners would have dropped. I chickened out and did not want to be in the woods with no cell phone reception all by myself. I had it in my head that the next aid station was 7 miles away when it was really only 4.60 miles away. I also believed I would have a DNF anyway so all these factors played into my decision to be done. It turns out this aid station is very hard to get to and Terry would not be able to get to me but they sent a volunteer to get Ryan and I in a pickup truck and drove us to the finish line.

Waiting for our ride at Bull Dog Aid Station

So there you have it. My first attempt at a 50 mile trail race and my first DNF. I do not regret starting this race and although I am thinking I may not attempt it again as it is very far away it was overall a good day on the trail. The weather was fabulous, albeit very hot at 86 degrees.

Zumbro Pacing

This year instead of running Zumbro as part of my racing schedule I decided to pace a 100 mile runner. I had considered registering for the 50 mile race but with the race so early in the season I was hesitant to commit to that so running 2 loops as a pacer gave the opportunity to run farther than the 17 miles I did last year.

I arrived at Zumbro River Bottoms at around 4:30 after leaving work about 2 hours early and thought I might see my runner coming in after her second loop but I missed her by about 15 minutes. I hung out at the race start by the fire chatting with many trail running friends to unwind some before heading back to the minivan to try to sleep. It is difficult going to bed that early but imperative to get some sleep before starting to run around 2 am.

I went to the minivan to catch some zz's and set my alarm for 8:30 planning to head back out to the start to see my runner finishing up her third loop. She had another pacer planned for her fourth loop which left me with pacing the 5th and 6th loop with her. There was some confusion at first when her "coach" told me that he and his girlfriend were running two loops with her. I was surprised as our initial plan was for me to run the final two loops. I had to remember that this race was not about me and indicated that I had planned on running those final two loops but that it was ultimately up to Janet as to what she wanted. Mike, her husband and excellent crew, decided that I would take the 5th and 6th loop and the other two could split the 4th loop. This was excellent news for me as I really wanted to run those two loops. This was something I had been looking forward to do doing (and was training for to be ready) since about January when Janet and I connected and agreed to have me pace her.

After seeing Janet and her pacer's off on their 4th loop I hung out at the fire for a short while and then headed back to my bed in the minivan for another cat nap. I am liking the "car" sleeping set up I have going in the minivan. Both of the back seats are removed and I lay out two cushioned pads with my sleeping bag and pillow. It is almost just as comfortable as my bed at home. Well maybe not that comfortable!

This time trying to get to sleep was more difficult. I set the alarm for 1:30. Getting back to sleep took longer knowing I had to be up again in a matter of hours. I also kept hearing car doors slamming for what seemed like constantly. It felt like a musical of door slamming! I was getting quite angry thinking why in the world is everyone slamming their car doors! I know it was not as many as I thought but when you are trying to sleep it sure felt like it.

Eventually the alarm rang and I got up and started getting ready for many hours on the trail. It was dark, of course, and I headed out to the fire to wait. The wait was longer than I expected as she came in about 3 am. Not much time is spent at aid stations as it is better to keep moving at all times. Way too tempting to not get moving again if too much time is spent in the aid stations. We were off around 3 am. We were mostly walking at this point as Janet had already completed 67 miles when I started out with her. The trails were muddy on the first loop but were in quite good shape even then. Only a few spots of needing to go through the mud. I know Janet's shoes were wet and muddy but mine stayed relatively dry or dried out quickly when they got a little wet.

Our pace was around 21 minute miles or so. Janet was moving very well for what she had already completed up to this point. I did most of the talking and hoped that I did not talk too much. I definitely had more energy at that point. I guess that is the point of pacing, hey? To be able to run with someone that is alert, awake and running(or walking) with fresh legs. I hear the night hours are the slowest and often a 100 milers lowest point. Once the sun comes up they seem to get energized once again.

My goal was to keep Janet moving and not hold her up at aid stations as I know she liked to get in and out of aid stations quickly.

We watched the sunrise during that 5th loop and arrived back at the start/finish line aid station in about 6:25 hours. I hurriedly changed out clothing as I knew it would be warmer on this second loop. I decided to change my shoes but regretted this decision as my toes seem to hurt in my new pair of Altra's. I ended up asking Mike if he would get my shoes that I had been wearing to change back, which he did. I was able to change back at aid station 2 I think.

We continued on and were moving at a very fast power hike with very little shuffling or running down the hills. It was my job to make sure that Janet was drinking enough and I took this job very seriously. I had set my watch to give an alert every 10 minutes to remind her to drink. She did not always listen to me but I told her to be mad at the watch and not me. Every aid station we went into Mike was waiting there for us and checking her bottles to see how much she was drinking. I often heard she was not drinking enough. I joked with Janet that if she did not drink more Mike was going to fire me as her pacer.

I was quite impressed with Janet's perserverance in finishing her race. Her goal was 30 hours and we finished in 31 1/2 hours which was quite an improvement over last years time which had been over the cutoff by about 4 minutes. There was even a few times when Janet would leave the aid station ahead of me and I needed to catch up.

I know that Janet was struggling with stomach issues and actually felt guilty for feeling so well. I was out on the trail for 12:21:06 which was a new time record for me. I covered a total of 33.79 miles. Not a new distance for me but definitely new time on my feet record. I was definitely exhausted after I was finished. I changed and sat at the finish line watching other runners finish their races and once I sat down I got tired immediately. Had to take a nap in the minivan before driving home as I was afraid the drive home would put me to sleep. All in all I had a great time pacing and would definitely consider pacing more in the future. It is good practice for me to help someone else achieve their goals and do something that is not "all about me".

Garmin Stats:
Miles: 33.79
Time: 12:21:06
Elevation Gain: 4,870
Avg Pace: 21:56
Moving time: 11:18:54
Avg. moving pace: 20:05
Calories: 2, 569

2015 Goals and Aspirations

It was so easy picking what races to run in 2014 once I decided my goal was to "Shoot the Moon" with UMTR trail series. This year has been a struggle choosing my running goals.

At this point I have registered for a few races (Ice Age 50k and Black Hills) and have committed to pace a 100 mile runner at Zumbro 100 in April.

My main goal for this racing season will be centered on completing my first 50 mile race. I have chosen the Black Hills trail race the end of June.

Shoot the Moon Accomplished!

http://www.umtr.net

The UMTR annual Banquet is held in November every year. This is their annual meeting along with the celebration recognizing the various Trail Series achievements. This was the culmination of my season of racing and being recognized for completing all 17 trail races in the series. I went expecting to receive this award along with earning the Overall Women's for the series. This was earned as a result of running in so many races (they only count 8 races, but going to all races I often came in first as no one else in the group was running that race). I am definitely a back of the pack runner and in a large field of competitors will often come in almost last place.What I did not expect was to receive the Trail Runner of the Year award. This I do not feel I deserved any more than many of the other members.

Being presented the "Shoot the Moon" plaque made by Julio

Really Cool plaque including all the races I ran in order to earn it.

This award came with a check by a very generous sponsor, Bill Pomeranke Realty

Being presented with the Trail Runner of the Year Cowbell

Awesome Cowbell award

Plaques were made by Larry

Was actually feeling rather embarrassed at this point. Guess I don't deal with attention so well.

 

Icebox480

This was the final race of 2014 and I considered this to be a "bonus" race as it was not part of the Upper Midwest Trail Runners Trail Series. This was the second year running this event. 8 hours of running on Whitetail Ridge Bike Trail in River Falls, MN. I have a love/hate relationship with this trail. The course was expanded this year to a 7 mile loop from the 10K loop of last year. This is maintained by a off road bike club and they have done an excellent job both creating and maintaining the single track trail.

My goal for the day? Run a new to me distance of 35 miles without pain. Last years race involved several loops of outside knee pain and I was not very happy when I was done. Last year's goal had been 50k and I completed that but with much pain. So with 7 mile loops my goal was to be able to start that 5th loop by the 2 pm cutoff time.

Refueling at the Break the Stigma Aid Station

With Julio, founder of Break the Stigma Project

Photo Credit: Todd Rowe, I believe this was at the main aid station

The first three loops felt great. The fourth loop however was where I hit my wall without recognizing that it was happening. When I ran past the Break the Stigma aid station at about 4 miles into the loop I was questioning my sanity and why in the world I thought I liked to run long distances. I was so mired in these thoughts that I did not recognize that I was hitting the wall. As I ran past Julio and the other volunteers all I could say was that I was no longer having fun! I had huge doubts as to whether I could manage a 5th loop and at that point I did not even want to.

I came into the first aid station around 1:40 or so. I had plenty of time to refuel and head back out. I questioned the race director should I go? What if I did not make it to the finish line by the 8 hour cutoff? Would any of that loop be counted. I was told no. None of that loop would be counted. Now what? After wasting time trying to decide I finally thought, "what do I have to lose". Even if I don't make it I will still know that I completed the distance just not in the allotted time. I threw caution to the wind and headed out on loop #5.

I obviously broke through the wall because all of a sudden running did not feel so bad anymore and I started having fun again. (well as much fun as you can from miles 28-35!). I was actually running faster and I started to close the gap with another gal that I had been behind for awhile. This was a runner that I had also been running near at last years race.

I believe I caught up with her about two miles out from the finish and we decided to run each other in. I was running behind her and after the race was finished I wondered to myself if I should have asked to pass her. I just might have run slightly faster were I in front. I finished the 35 miles under the cutoff. My time on the Garmin was 7:52:01. (You can see my Garmin info HERE) I had achieved my goal of a new distance beyond the 50k. 35 miles and done in less than 8 hours!

Race #17/17 The Great Pumpkin Chase 10k

This was the last and final race in the Upper Midwest Trail Runners Association Trail series. This was my 17th race completed in the series. If you have been following my race reports you will see the first one started with Zumbro 17 mile in mid April and ended on October 25th with this nice and easy distance of a 10k trail race in Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

I arrived at the race early for packet pickup. One nice thing about fall races is that they start later in the morning so I can get more sleep! The weather was nice with no rain. This fall has turned out to have some really good weather on race days for me.

We gathered UMTR members and took our trail series race group photo. Smaller turnout at the race than some of the larger races but still a good representation of members. I am sure there were other members that were not in the picture.

Janet, Stephanie, Mike, Rick and Nora

Our course was to be two loops of the cross country ski trails. The second loop was actually a reverse of the first loop which was nice as we were able to see other runners, both in front of and behind us.

I really had no goals for this race but to run it at my best pace of the day. With 17 races this spring/summer/fall I did not want to push myself too hard. I was able to maintain a good overall pace for a  trail. There were very few hills and they were more like rolling hills. After having run this course I would like to come back to do some classical cross county skiing on it this winter. I did walk some of the steeper hills but ran the majority of this race.

The finish was a nice downhill sprint to the end. Much better than an uphill finish! Being the last race of the series I found myself thinking too much about how many miles I had left to go. Knowing that this finished my goal of "Shooting the Moon" I found myself counting down the miles to completing that goal. As Mike mentioned sometimes running these shorter races seems harder than a 50k race. I can agree with this as it takes my body a good 3 - 4 miles to really warm up and by then the race is just about over! I also run at a much faster pace in the shorter races as is to be expected.

Down one more hill and it is done!

Sprinting to the finish line. Well it felt like a sprint to me!

Finished!

Waiting for Nora to come in. Happy to have accomplished my goal for the season!

Traditional Nora and Janet picture at trail series races.

Even though I set out with no goals for this race I managed to set a new 10k PR. My finishing time was 1:04:50. My previous PR for a 10k road race was 1:06:39 set in October 2012 which was actually my second 10k race.