Run, Run, Run, Run, Run, Run, Run Away

Okay. So, last Saturday was finally the day of my 25K trail run. I was way more nervous than I thought I'd be. This was the 4th time I've done this race and the third time I finished it.

We had a couple of friends also racing. One of them was even 5 months pregnant. She normally wins the 50K, but since she was halfway through her pregnancy, she only ran the 25K and still did amazingly well. Amazing.

Thanks for the picture, Chelsea Bilskemper.

I know I mentioned that the weather plays a huge part in times for this race and the 3 years before, the weather has been difficult. My goal was to run this in 3 hours. the last 2 times I ran it in 3:05 and 3:04. Since the weather was great, I was hoping that was doable. After the first couple of years, I finally got the fueling and hydrating down. I ate oatmeal for breakfast about an hour or so before the race and then had 3 salted caramel Gu's in my jersey pocket, along with 3 small bottles of water on my belt.

The big thing I was going to try this year, was working on my pacing. I noticed that during our pre-run, we went out slowly and took a break here and there and I still got done before the last two times I raced. I wondered if going out too hard, made me bonk so hard by the end, that I slowed myself down. So, I set my Map My Run when we went off and after the first mile, it told me I ran it in 8:21, so I slowed my pace down. A lot of people passed me and that made me nervous, but I told myself I wasn't racing them, I was racing myself. During the first few miles, that were on a crushed gravel path, I kept my pace between 9:00 and 9:30 minute miles.

Thanks for the photo, Hawkeye 50 photographer.

I got to the Spillway Crossing and I felt pretty good. My feet didn't hurt too badly, I had taken my first Gu and drank about a bottle of water and I was just a little oxygen deprived...

Thanks for the photo Hawkeye 50 photographer.

:

apparently, I was so oxygen deprived here that I thought I was afraid to get my feet wet, even though it feels really good after a long run...Or maybe I thought I'd do some yoga? Eegads! Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I did make it across the spillway, even though I didn't escape getting a photo taken of my most ungraceful moment of the race. Ha ha.

Anyway, I made it to the finish line at 2:38, having beaten my goal time by 22 minutes and my best time by 26 minutes. I was 60th out of 136 overall and 20th out of 61 women, I will take it. I guess, pacing was the key.

John, unfortunately didn't meet his goal time, but don't feel too sorry for him. he was 10th overall and 1st for the mens master's 40+ division. Very impressive.

After the race, we went to Big Grove Brewery for lunch and celebratory beer. We couldn't eat that much, we split an order of olives and brussel sprouts. When we ordered beer, we were told it was half price for all race participants. We couldn't lose for winning that day.