So we met Robin at 6am, picked up Jerry and 6:45 and drove to Olympia. Icy roads made us late for the start- about 2 minutes after we parked the whole pack ran past the car....oops. Not a big deal though, we weren't there to win or anything. So we quickly registered and started to chase the main group up the trail. The first 6 miles were uphill (who starts a race on an uphill??), and unfortunately within a few miles Robin's previously-injured ankle was acting up again. Eric told Jerry and I go on ahead if we were feeling OK. Jerry and I ran ahead, with the trail getting progressively steeper on the way to Capitol Peak. Eventually we slowed to a walk because the climb was too steep and snowy. We passed up several people on that hill climb alone. I wasn't planning on being competitive at all but it sure was fun to pass people! At the aid station we hung a right and continued up the iced-over trail to the radio towers. The cold wind was brutal! After that we eased into some rolling hills and then finally a nice downhill section. I am glad that Jerry had the course map so I knew exactly how far we had gone. The last 4.7 miles were extremely tough for me-including the long downhill part on wet clay. I managed to tough it out for most part and 5 minutes from the end we saw Shannon and dog Buddy cheering us on. The finish line was a very welcome sight.
We finished in 4:04, which was great considering the trail was complely covered in snow, ice or mud (only a couple dry sections on the entire course) and the fact that I rarely run. Eric and Robin came in a hour or so later. I had a great time and am looking forward to my next race!
Here's a photo courtesy of Shannon (click for larger image):
1 comment:
Kind of addicting, aren't they?
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