Race Report: Trail Mix 25k

The Movie Geek

Before I started training for the marathon I had wanted to run this race. I saw that it fell on the day I was supposed to run 15 miles as a long run and I figured that would be perfect. Then I realized that it would be my first time running 15 miles and maybe that isn't so perfect. So I scratched that idea and signed up for a half marathon on May 1. But two weeks ago when I turned a 13 mile run into 15 miles I started thinking that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. I had been running shorter runs in the Hyland Lake Park Reserve where the race was to be held. It's rather nice running in there, if a bit hilly at times. This past week, before the race I finally decide that I'll do the Trail Mix and still do the half marathon I already paid for. I'll just treat it as a glorified training run. I had an idea of what time I could expect to run. Around 3:10 would be reasonable, but with it being so hilly maybe 3:30. That's fine. I'm not trying to race the distance. There is also a 50k ultra and a 50k team race today.

I get to Hyland, which is pretty much in my backyard, and register for the race. I make my way to where the starting line should be and chat with a guy I've never met about the race. I didn't know exactly where the starting line was, so I asked him. He's a friendly talkative guy. A bunch of folks mill about until we hear a duck call. There is no duck, that just happens to be the signal to line up for the race. It's a decently large field, though it'll turn out to have 80 fewer runners than last year. Before the starting gun doesn't go off, I hear a lady tell somebody that a friend told her last year when she was training for Grandma's Marathon that if she could do this 25k, because of all the hills, she could easily do a marathon. That's reassuring for the marathon, but not so much for this race. The gun doesn't go off and the pack starts running.

I've positioned myself comfortably at the back of the field because I know my place. I'm running nice and easy. I keep getting the urge to push the pace and move faster and race but I know that there is still 13 miles to go now. I'm going along, and we've hit some rolling hills but now there is a pretty steep hill and lots of folks are walking up. I do a little springing walk/jog up the hill that seems to put no stress on my legs. We keep going and I get the sneaking suspicion that I'll be seeing the people around me for a long time. We wind our way up some trails and now we're on what can only be called a goat path. Why? It's about as wide as a small goat with trees and brush along each side. It's rather steep with on occasional level section to run. Lots of walking here. Get to the top and I see why it's so steep. We're at the top of the ski slope after coming up the back way. Next we have to go down the ski slope. I'd rather go uphill another half mile, but I don't really have that choice. Up and down and up and down, the race is scenic and hilly and nobody has a problem walking up the steeper hills. Neither do I.

I finish the first loop after stopping at every water stop (2.5 miles apart) along with my group of racers. I really have to use the restroom and I'm getting this pain on the top of my right pinky toe. There is a port-o-pot around 8 or 9 miles so I stop there, do my business, and when I'm out I take off my shoe. The sock isn't bunched nor is there a woodchip in my shoe. There is a big ol blister, though. Guess I'll have to suck this one up. I get back in and struggle to find my rhythm. It takes a couple miles. When i I hit the 10 mile mark I have a pain about my right achilles. It's all tight and stuff, which is slowing me down a bit cause it kind of really hurts. I suck it up and struggle through the last five miles. It bugs me because I know I could shave 5 minutes or more off of my final time if it didn't hurt. The rest of me feels great.

My first loop was in 1:20, which was 15 minutes faster than I planned on going.

My final time ended up being 2:50:53. I felt great except for the pain. It was a hard course, but not as bad as I thought. I'm not sure how fast I could have raced it, though.

Place 288/353 (overall).

That's my first 25k, first run over 15 miles (by a half mile). When I did the 15 miles two weeks ago I ended up doing it on a flat route in 2:54.

Somebody's getting stronger!