After we dropped our stuff off, we walked over to the race packet pick-up. We got our numbers and shirts, and decided to stay for the pasta dinner, since the only other restaurant in town boasted “Italian-Mexican-American Fare” on the sign. A little sketchy if you ask me. The pasta was good, and we headed back to “Santina’s Delight” for some R&R. We did have a very nice balcony overlooking Fischer Lake, so we lounged around for a bit before hitting the hay.
5am came pretty quickly, and I got up and started my pre-race ritual. Canned coffee from Whole Foods (no I don’t usually drink canned coffee, but you gotta do what you gotta do), peanut butter bread, and a banana. Here I am all ready to go:
Steve drove me to the race, which had a 7:00 start, and then headed back to get ready for his 10k race that started at 8:30. There was a pre-race meeting to go over course markings and the river crossing and such.
Photo Credit: Bill Flaws
Let me back up here. The week before the race we got an email from the race director that said this:
“Bring two pairs of running shoes if you have them. There is a stream crossing at 17 miles, just before the aid station, and we will drop off a fresh pair of shoes for you if you want them. About a month ago I saw two deer cross and they made big splashes but made it across gracefully - barely broke stride.”
Ok, no biggie. I packed my road running shoes to change into since I don’t have an extra pair of trail shoes. During the pre-race meeting we found out that this was to be a little more than a stream. In fact, it is actually a river big enough for boats.
The race started, and all 38 runners were off. The start/finish area was at Keyes Peak Ski Lodge, so naturally the area was quite hilly. I settled into a very comfortable pace. My goal for this race was not to run fast, but to run comfortably and really enjoy myself. Here I am around mile 3:
Photo Credit: Bill Flaws
One requirement of the race was that everyone had to carry a 20 oz water bottle or other hydration system. The race was all very environmentally friendly, so this eliminated any cup waste. I didn’t have a water belt, so I purchased a handheld water bottle with a strap. I thought it was going to annoy me to no end, but it actually worked out fine. A lot of times there were 5 miles or so between aid stations, so it was nice to be able to constantly have water available. I tried to remember to take a sip every couple of minutes to stay hydrated. Mile 9:
Photo Credit: Bill Flaws
As you can see, I was just enjoying myself. The trails were beautiful, and I was just trying to pay attention to my surroundings (and the trail markers!) and take it all in. Right around mile 18 I came to the river crossing. There was a sign marked “swim,” which just pointed straight to the water. Then there was a sign marked “run,” which pointed to a little trail leading down to the water. There was a rope strung across the river to hold onto, and a guy in the middle to help people across. Here’s how it went down:
Photo Credit: Bill Flaws
Photo Credit: Bill Flaws
Here my feet got swept out from under me by the current:
Photo Credit: Bill Flaws
Making it out the other side:
Photo Credit: Bill Flaws
Photo Credit: Bill Flaws
Right after this there was an aid station where I changed into my dry road shoes. It felt nice to have dry feet, but this may have been a bit of a mistake, as some of the trails after this point were a little more technical, and I was wishing for my trail shoes. The water was cold but very refreshing, and my legs felt great for the next few miles due to the impromptu ice bath.
I passed a few people in the last 5 miles, and because I had been taking it easy, I still felt really good. The biggest hills were around miles 24-25, because we had to come up the back of the ski hill and then down the front to the finish. Here I am coming down the final stretch:
That guy came out of nowhere and passed me right at the end. And crossing the finish line:
I finished in 4:21:13, which I was really happy with for my first trail marathon. Steve also finished his first trail run ever, which ended up being a little more than a 10k due to some poor course markings. Here we are after the races (yes, Steve ran the race in his Vibrams):
I ended up winning my age group, only to find out the next day that I was actually last in my age group (there were only 3 of us). The other two took second and third overall (I was 4th), so by default I was the only one left for the age group award. No matter, I’ll take it! I won a sweet Mountain Hardwear hoody:
Steve took 3rd in his age group and won the cutest little bottle of local maple syrup. Here we are with our goods:
Afterwards I was too lazy to take a shower, so I just lounged around covered in mud:
My poor road shoes didn’t fare so well:
Once I mustered the energy to get cleaned up, it was time for…what else?
Mint fudge in a waffle cone. Holy yum!
So there you have it. I think I may be addicted to trail running now, it was so much fun! I may have mentioned to Steve that Boston next year may be my last road marathon (gasp!). Of course he didn’t believe me, but we’ll see. 
