Alright, alright, I'll elaborate. I have never really been much of a trail runner. My experience on trails is very limited. I have run down in Virginia Beach through First Landing State Park, and ate it. I have run on Belle Isle in Richmond, and survived. Somehow I was TRICKED into signing up for a 10 mile trail run. By tricked, I mean most of my team was running this race in honor of our teammate, Amy. She is an inspiration to us all. I don't know if I would be as strong as she is through all of this.
The run was out in Cumberland, VA. Being a native Virginian, I was shocked to hear of a place I had never been, let alone heard of. The trail was mostly single track with a short portion on a fire road. Lots of mud. Good thing I bought some trail runners on a whim last year. I had used them to hike in Colorado, but I had never really run in them. Oops.
My right knee started bothering me around mile 4. Not excruciating pain, but enough to let me know it was there. I told my coaches I would stop if it acted up. Another oops. The pigheadedness kicked in and I kept running. Also, a teammate of mine, aka rival, was running with me and we were pacing together so I couldn't just stop. I kept truckin' and the IT band was feeling ok, not good, but ok.
We made it to the turn around. No fluids for me as I was running with my awesome camel back hydration belt. Yes, it is pink. If you have to ask, you obviously don't know me. On the ay to the turn around I saw a stump sticking up about 5 inches and noted it and hopping over. On the way back I nailed it; GU in hand, laid out on the trail. Great. Now I have more scars. Sorry, Billy.
Anyways, we kept running. I passed some more people and my teammate was still with me which was awesome. He was such a great motivator. One, because I didn't want to get destroyed by him, and two, because he really kept me going. I fell one more time in the last mile. Oops. 1:44:36. Go me.
The run was brutal. Twelve creek crossings? What on earth did I sign up for! All in all, I finished 4th overall and 1st in my age group. I am totally okay with the results considering I am still nursing Mr. IT Band back to health. And by nursing, I really mean that I am doing a horrible job at resting. I am a triathlete, afterall. We are all out of minds, or maybe, it's just me :-)
Endorphin Fitness Rocks!!
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