On the Run: DEFF Unity Run 5K 2015

Three weeks ago I ran my first competitive race this season and did fairly well. I hadn't had a pacing plan, however, and was already looking forward to my next chance to run a faster race with even or negative splits.  

Just a few days later I received an email attachment at work about a 5K in Dearborn, just a mile and a half from my house.  The race was the DEFF Unity run, hosted by the three high schools in the school district - Dearborn High, Edsel Ford, and Fordson (DEFF).  The event is sponsored by the Anti-Bullying, Peer-to-Peer, and Diversity teams at the three schools. Proceeds for the event funded an annual Dearborn Public Schools Student Leadership Diversity Summit and a scholarship for students involved in the programs sponsoring the event.  It sounded like a great cause in my school district, the race was close to home, and I was looking for another chance to run a 5K.  Perfect!   I convinced Brian to run the race, too.

On race morning, I ran to the start for my warm-up (1.5 miles).  There were several events that morning - a 1-mile race for elementary students, a 2-mile race for middle schoolers, and 2 5K races (adult and high school age).  Ours didn't start until 10:30 so I was able to sleep in.  I hadn't gotten any information about the course beforehand and assumed it would be through the neighborhoods around Ford Field where the race started.  Well, we all know what happens when you assume.

The race was not on the roads at all.  Unbeknownst to us, Brian and I had just signed up for a trail race, which we found out at the grassy start line as the course was being explained to us.  I looked down at my Fasttwitch racing flats and thought, "Oh sh*t."  And then I laughed.  Because I had to.  Pacing plan went out the window.  This was my first trail race in almost two years.  Anything could happen.  Time to just go with it and have fun!

With an "On your mark, get set, GO!" we were off.  We started off on the grass, instructed to keep picnic tables to our left and the Rouge River to our right.  The beginning of the race was in Ford Field Park.  I was leading through the park until we hit the Rouge River Trail.  At this point I was passed by Don, another teacher in the district.  I was relieved to have someone to follow, considering I had no idea where we were going and the course wasn't all that well marked.  About a mile in I was itching to pass but the trail is narrow and I didn't see an opportunity to make my move.  

As we neared the halfway point we were instructed by a volunteer to turn left.  Don was still in the lead.  Suddenly we ran into another runner who'd been behind us.  We'd gone the wrong way!  We were in the turn-around loop so we just turned around and ran the other way.  This put me in the lead and allowed me to pick up the pace.  I knew where I was going this time, so that helped, as well.

As I exited the trail back into the park, I almost went the wrong way again.  At the last second two young volunteers noticed me (they'd just been lolly-gagging around instead of paying attention) and pointed me in the right direction.  From there the course took me up a steep grassy hill where I slowed down because there were no markings as to where to go next.  This is where Don caught up and passed me.  I chased him across the top of the hill to where the flags were (I didn't see them!).  Then it was down the hill, up and down a smaller hill (at this point I passed him again), and across a grassy stretch to the finish.  

After finishing, I cheered on the rest of the racers (of which there were only 18 total - it was a tiny race!).  Brian finished his first trail race in 27:29 and loved it.  One of the best parts is that the Rouge River Trail is just a mile and a half from our house and we didn't even know it was there!  Even though it wasn't what we expected for our race that day in some ways it was even better!

Time 

22:55

Pace 

7:23/mile

Fuel 

Banana

Tunes*

Get Ready / Mayer Hawthorne

Rattlesnake / St. Vincent

I Love It / Icona Pop

Cadillac, Cadillac / Train

The Feast and the Famine / Foo Fighters

Runaway Baby / Bruno Mars

Sabatoge / Beastie Boys

*I wouldn't normally listen to music for a trail race.  I didn't know it was a trail race and then when I realized it was the field was so small I figured it would be okay.

I actually received the wrong medal.  The back of mine says "One Mile Walk".  My first OA award and it was wrong.  (So just don't turn it over!)

After we got our awards I headed to the Rouge River Gateway Trail (paved) for the rest of my long run.  I needed another 6 miles to get 10 total for the day.  It was really hot by then but much of the trail is shaded, so that helped.  I usually prefer to run earlier in the day but wanted fresh legs for the race.  Had I known it was a trail race, however, I may have planned things a bit differently.

Brian and I had a lot of fun with this race.  Hopefully next year - year 3 - they will make some improvements.  More volunteers on the course and/or better markings would be a huge help.  I got off course a few times!  (True, I am known for getting lost in races but still...)  Dearborn schools publicized the race within the schools but not much to runners outside of the district.  The trail is beautiful - like a mini, no-frills Flirt with Dirt - so hopefully next year it will attract more runners.  I offered to help and will do so again next year.

In the meantime, Brian and I will have to get back to the River Rouge Trail this summer to take a break from the pavement - especially since it's right in our own backyard!

For anyone familiar with the Dearborn area, you can see where the Rouge River Trail is located.  I only ran on a small portion of it for the race but will run the whole loop this summer.

Do you enjoy running or racing on trails?

On the Run: Stony Creek "Back to the Beach" 1/2 Marathon 2014

Last weekend I ran my first ever "Ultra" 1/2 Marathon!  Wait, an "Ultra" 1/2 Marathon, you say?  Never heard of one of these?  I'm sure you're wondering how I was lucky enough to find this event and get it on my racing calendar.  Well, you can actually turn any regular 1/2 marathon into an ultra!  Here's how it works: 

Step 1: Run the race well enough so that you hit a point where you are running by yourself.  You can't see any runners in front of you to follow; you can't see any runners behind you if you turn around.  You want that sweet spot where there is a nice isolating gap.  This point will likely come past the halfway point after you have worked hard to pick off many runners.  

Step 2: Try to hit that gap right where there is a crucial turn.  It would be preferable if that turn is not well marked and instead of taking the turn, you could easily keep going straight.  

Step 3: Once you keep going straight, be oblivious to the fact that you still don't see runners, volunteers, spectators, or any other indicators that you are on course.  Don't stop even when you see that you're in a parking lot.  

Step 4: When you finally sense a problem, PANIC!  Do not immediately turn back.  Run in circles for 30 seconds trying to figure out what to do while you waste precious time.  

Step 5: Run back and forth a little bit as you try to figure out what to do.  This is an ULTRA, damn it!  You're here for the miles!

Step 6: Tell yourself that enough is enough.  Run back to the point where you missed the turn. Rejoin the race and haul to the finish line.  And honestly, this is the fun part.  Remember all those runners you passed in the first half of the race?  You get to pass them all again!  And they'll wonder where you came from.  Shhh... it will be our little secret!

There you have it!  Now you too can run your very own Ultra 1/2 Marathon!

Despite my little, uh, detour, Back to the Beach was a fantastic race.  The weather was perfect - a little cool at the start but sunny.  I love this race for the mix of trails, dirt road, pavement, and hills.  It's definitely a tough course but I'm not one to shy away from a challenge!  

All in all, I raced this one well.  I was slower on the trails, not wanting to trip and twist an ankle.  All the tree roots were well marked with orange paint but it had been a long time since I've run on trails so I needed to find my footing again.  There are two sections of trails (with dirt roads and pavement in between) and by the time I got to part two I was moving a little quicker.  The trail portions are varied - part shady, wooded areas and part open, grassy areas with dirt lanes (a.k.a. trolley trails).  In the second section of trails - around mile 8 - there is a really big gravel hill that you really have to work at to power up.  I loved it!!  There was a decent crowd to cheer me on and I smiled and waved to them as I ran up.  Even though I was slower on the trails, I made up some time on the paved portions of the course.

At mile 3 I passed a woman, putting me in 3rd and held onto that spot until getting lost at mile 10.  At the halfway point I was 3.5 minutes ahead of 4th place but I spent so much time checking out that parking lot (so scenic!) that she ended up finishing 48 seconds ahead of me. 

On the bright side, I ran hard at the end to nearly catch her and passed a whole gaggle of women (plus chicked a ton of dudes!) to do it.  It was thrilling to be able to pour on the speed at the end, especially when normally I'm just trying to maintain in the final miles.

After the race I chatted with some other runners at the finish line.  My friend Bridget was with me and I loved being able to see her finish out her race.  She did an amazing job at her first Back to the Beach! 

And she was pretty lucky to be with me for my first "Ultra" 1/2 Marathon!

Time
1:38:03

Pace 

7:28/mile*

(*Based on official race results for 13.1 miles.  Because I ran 13.7 miles due to stupidity, my actual pace was a little faster!)

  

Fuel 

Vanilla Chia Pudding (this recipe, minus the cocoa), banana 

Tunes 

Beatnik Beach / The Go-Go's 

Summer of '69 / Bryan Adams  
Chop and Change / The Black Keys  
Beanbag Chair / Yo La Tengo

  Designer Drug / Mayer Hawthorne

Machu Picchu / The Strokes

I'm Shakin' / Jack White

Honey in the Sun / Camera Obscura

Bulletproof / La Roux

The Violet Hour / Sea Wolf

Never Wanted Your Love / She & Him

Do It Anyway /Ben Folds Five

Take Me Anywhere /Tegan & Sara

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) / Kelly Clarkson

  What Happened to the Sands / Pas/Cal

Sunshinin' / The Vines

Let's Get Out of This Country / Camera Obscura

Can't Hold Us / Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Mercy / Duffy

Miami / Will Smith
 Hell / Tegan & Sara

Love the Way You Lie (Ft. Rihanna) / Eminem

Never Go Back / Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

So Good / B.o.B.

Misery / Maroon 5

Gold on the Ceiling / The Black Keys

Bright Side / Otto Vector
E.T. / Katy Perry 

Race Day Swag - Backpack (1st place AG award), medal, pint glass, and sticker

On the Run: Flirt with Dirt 10k 2013

After tripping over a tree branch (oh who am I kidding, it was probably my own foot!) on the trails at Stonycreek a few weeks ago, I was a little nervous about Flirt with Dirt yesterday.  This race has a lot more trips hazards, switchbacks, and narrow trails and let's be honest, I am NOT the picture of grace.  Unlike when I fell at Stonycreek, this is pretty tight so if I fell here, I'd likely trip up someone else and piss off a whole bunch of people.  (Not to mention myself.)  SO, my anxiety level was a bit higher than in a road race and my eyes were glued to the ground as a I ran.  The thought crossed my mind that maybe I should have been wearing my glasses . . . But what fun would that be?

I'm still new to running trails and am not comfortable passing people, so there were a few times in the first half when I was stuck behind some slower runners.  With all the switchbacks, ups and downs, and roots in the first few miles on the narrow mountain bike trail, passing people was sometimes nearly impossible anyway.  I would have loved to get ahead and pick up the pace earlier on but alas, I did not.

I made up for lost time in the second half and finished strong - 1st in my age group, 4th female, and 34th overall.  And seriously, my goals in this race were to stay on course (unlike last year), stay on my feet, and have fun.  I had a couple of close calls but most definitely accomplished all three.  And leaving with some cool swag certainly didn't hurt!  Race day success!

Time
50:05 

Pace
8:04/mile 

Fuel
Banana 

Tunes*
 Somebody That I Used to Know / Gotye 
Little Talks / Of Monsters and Men 
Vertigo / U2 
Kiss with a Fist / Florence & the Machine 
Dear Rosemary / Foo Fighters 
Machu Picchu / The Strokes 
Sixteen Saltines / Jack White 
One Engine / The Decemberists 
From Now On / The Features 
Take the Heartland / Glen Hansard 
Supermassive Black Hole / Muse 
Mercy / Duffy 
Immigrant Song / Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Feat. Karen O. 
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground I / The White Stripes 
Chop and Change / The Black Keys 
E.T. / Katy Perry

* Same as last year - that's what happens when you forget to sync your new playlist.  Boo!

Upcoming Events:

Tough Mudder - June 29th

Warrior Dash - July 27th

Merrell Down & Dirty - August 25th

  

On the Run: Stony Creek "Back to the Beach" 1/2 Marathon 2013

Last Sunday I ran what turned out to be probably the most fun - and challenging - race I've ever run.  It was held out at Stony Creek Metropark, which is an absolutely beautiful park with beaches, biking and hiking trails, kayak rentals, etc.  It's about an hour drive from my house but I was drawn to the race because of the trails.  "Back to the Beach" isn't an all-out trail race - it's more of a mixed-media race with dirt, gravel, asphalt, grass, and paved city streets - but with Tough Mudder coming up at the end of June, I need any trail practice I can get!
 

The weather couldn't have been more perfect - 60's and sunny at race time without any wind to slow me down.  This was my first race of the season that I didn't have to over-analyze what I was wearing.  Shorts and a tank top?  Yes please!  And because so much of the terrain was trail I broke out my Brooks Adrenaline ASR trail shoes (for only the second time ever, haha).  These are some sweet *ss trail shoes!  

So I was all pumped up and ready to go, right?  Um, yeah except for some reason I was super nervous about the trails and had a terrible stomach ache.  Oh no!  By the time I was lined up and ready to start, however, I was feeling less nervous as I decided to just do the best I could do.  I had no expectations for myself and just wanted to enjoy the run.

I'd been warned to take it easy for the first 2 miles of the race and I quickly realized why.  We started out on the grass and than headed into the woods.  The first 2 miles were all trails, and hilly trails at that!  My time on those miles were slower than I'm used to running but I kept a pretty steady pace all in all.  It was beautiful in the woods and such a nice change from the city streets that I'm used to running on.

After that we broke out of the woods.  We were still in the park but on asphalt so I was able to pick up the pace and make up for lost time.  And yes, chick a few dudes.  The course actually left the park for a couple of miles and took us out through a neighboring city, along some city streets, down a long boardwalk, and eventually back into a wooded area of the park.  By this point it was about halfway through the race.  I remember because I passed some race volunteers (a.k.a. Beach Bums) who let me know that I was the 6th woman.  This is when I went from having no expectations for myself to vowing to pass at least one woman to come in 5th.  The odds of me getting an age-group award were pretty good at that point!  But I still had 6 miles to go and I knew there was a big hill at mile 8.  Still I picked up the pace a little. 

And that's when I bit the dust.  I tripped on a tree branch and dove face first on the ground.  Luckily it was on the wood chips so it was soft and no one was right behind me to trample me.  In fact, I was up and running again before anyone could pass me.  But it cost me precious seconds and I had to catch my breath while trying to get running again.  But there was no time to rest.  No time to survey the damage.  I stop for nothing.  On I went.  And before I knew it I was passing the 5th place woman!  I felt unstoppable!

Soon I came upon what has been dubbed the 8-Mile Holler. This is a very steep gravel hill that is a prime cheering area for family and friends - hence the "holler".  It was a tough hill, especially because of the gravel, but I just put my head down and pushed up it.  Cold wet towels were being passed out and I used them to clean off my dirty hands from my fall.  Going down the other side was sweet relief and I knew the worst was over, even though I still had 5 more miles to run.

After this we ran on paved bike trails, which was smooth sailing for me.  I chicked a few more dudes and could see two more woman up ahead of me.  In the last 2 miles I was starting to get pretty tired, though, and didn't think there was any way I could catch them.  At some point I should have stopped for water or Gatorade and was wishing I had something with me to eat.  Too bad bananas aren't easier to carry with you!  I was bonking.  But I was almost done.  I pushed myself a little harder.

I managed to pick up the pace in the last mile.  It helped that more people were around cheering me on.  Someone handed me a lei.  Next thing I knew there was Brian.  And then I saw the finish line!  I finished strong and was told I was the 3rd woman.  I couldn't believe it!  I've never done so well in a race.  I talked to another girl who said she was told the same thing.  I figured she was the 2nd or 4th.  Then I saw the results.  She was 3rd.  I was 4th.  She beat me by a TENTH of a SECOND!  She was 1st in our age group.  I was 2nd.  She beat me by a TENTH of a SECOND!  Remember how I said my fall cost me precious seconds?  Yep, there ya go!  Oh well.  I'd be more upset if this was the Olympic trials.

I was so pleased with my time and most importantly, I HAD FUN!  This race is amazing.  It's a beautiful course and it's well-organized from start to finish.  Everybody who runs gets tech shirts, medals, and pint glasses.  Along the course volunteers were passing out water, Gatorade, Gu, and cold wet towels.  Afterwards there were oranges, bananas, bagels, granola bars, and Pop Tarts (I snagged one for Brian).  The age-group award is actually useful - it's a lunch bag!

If you're looking for a fun and challenging half-marathon, I'd definitely recommend this one.  I already can't wait to run it again next year.  My expectations for that race?  1st place, baby!  By at least a tenth of a second!

Time 
1:37:34

Pace 

7:27/mile 
  
Fuel 

Vanilla Chia Pudding (this recipe, minus the cocoa), banana 

Tunes 

Beatnik Beach / The Go-Go's 

Summer of '69 / Bryan Adams  
Chop and Change / The Black Keys  
Beanbag Chair / Yo La Tengo

  Designer Drug / Mayer Hawthorne

Machu Picchu / The Strokes

I'm Shakin' / Jack White

Honey in the Sun / Camera Obscura

Bulletproof / La Roux

The Violet Hour / Sea Wolf

Never Wanted Your Love / She & Him

Do It Anyway /Ben Folds Five

Take Me Anywhere /Tegan & Sara

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) / Kelly Clarkson

  What Happened to the Sands / Pas/Cal

Sunshinin' / The Vines

Let's Get Out of This Country / Camera Obscura

Can't Hold Us / Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Mercy / Duffy

Miami / Will Smith
 Hell / Tegan & Sara

Love the Way You Lie (Ft. Rihanna) / Eminem

Never Go Back / Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

So Good / B.o.B.

Misery / Maroon 5

Gold on the Ceiling / The Black Keys

Bright Side / Otto Vector
E.T. / Katy Perry

Upcoming races:  

Novi Memorial Day 10k - May 27th 

Dexter-Ann Arbor 1/2 Marathon - June 2nd

Flirt with Dirt 10k - June 8th 
 

On the Run: Merrell Down & Dirty 10K

Ever since doing Tough Mudder at the beginning of the summer I've been itching to do another obstacle/mud run so when I found out about the Merrell Down & Dirty National Mud and Obstacle Series, I signed up right away for the 10K.  (If you haven't heard of it before it may be because this was the first year it's been in Detroit.)  I didn't sign up with anyone but hoped that maybe I could convince a friend to join me in the fun.  If not I'd just go it alone.  Unlike Tough Mudder, none of the obstacles are difficult enough to need a team and with it only being 6.2 miles, I wouldn't get too lonely before it was over.  As it turned out, however, friend and fellow Tough Mudder Andy signed up, so we went on the adventure together.  We took his Subaru, which got us free VIP parking and lots of great Subaru swag - tee shirts, sun screen, and lip balm.  So we had to get a picture with the Subaru.  (Shhh, don't tell my Ford husband!  Although I suspect he may see this post.)

The event was held at Kensington Metropark, which turned out to be a great location.  There was a nice open area for the start, finish, showers, bag check, etc. and the trails were beautiful for the course.  There was also a nice lake for the water obstacle.  And it only took us about 40 minutes to get there so as I said, a great location!

The 10K started at 7:30 and was organized into waves that were 4 minutes apart.  It wasn't too busy of a race but that definitely helped keep the trail and obstacles less crowded.  We started in the first wave that wasn't military and safety personnel (that wave only had a few runners in it) so we were right up at the front.  Andy took off like a shot as I struggled up the first damp grassy hill.  It was at this point that I remembered my plan to do more trail running this summer.  oops.  Because that's all this race was - trail running.  But once I got warmed up I felt great!  I love running on the trails, up and down the hills, through the trees, over sand one moment and grass the next, not knowing what's coming next.  It's such a different sensation than what I'm used to with road running!  

Although I was a little behind at the beginning, I quickly gained speed and momentum and started to pass one person after another during the first 3 miles.  To steal a Scott Jurek term, I "chicked a lot of dudes."  haha!  I noted that many people slowed down a bit after completing an obstacle; I just kept right on going.  They would scale a wall and then stop for a drink.  I would hop down and keep right on running.  It was awesome!  

As I mentioned, all of the obstacles were easy enough to complete without help.  Up to this point they were the Monkey Cross, Cargo Net Climb, Balance Beams, Marine Hurdles, Tires, Ladder Walls, Low Walls, 5' Walls, Sand Bag Carry, and Pushups.  Funny story about the pushups.  I read ahead of time that we were going to have to do 20 of them but when we got to that part the military guy was telling us we had to do 10.  I said, "10 pushups?  I thought it was 20?"  He shrugged and said, "Okay, 20 pushups!"  I know everyone hated me.

I actually caught up with Andy again, I think around mile 5, heading up the steepest hill in the race toward the inflatable slide.  I had been running with another girl who, too, had passed a lot of guys and then the three of us sort of stuck together for a bit - through the Tunnels, the Water Crossing, and the first Mud Pit.  Then Andy and I pulled ahead.  We were almost to the end.  Three obstacles remained - the High Wall, Slippery Mountain, and the final Mud Pit.  High Wall?  Not so high, really, and with hand and footholds it was a cinch.  Slippery Mountain?  Well, they were not kidding about it being slippery!  It was a huge slanted wall coated with shampoo and you had pull yourself up by a rope.  I managed it in one attempt but it was definitely a challenge.  The most difficult obstacle by far!  Poor Andy didn't have such an easy time.  He completed the obstacle but it took him a few more attempts.  Don't ever say he's not a fighter!  

Then there was the final Mud Pit before you ran across the finish line.  I finished in 57:33 and placed 3rd in my age group.  Wahoo!  That's only 2:30 slower than my than my slowest non-obstacle 10K!  I didn't realize that I get a bronze medal but I supposedly have it coming in the mail.  I'll be sure to show you that when I get it.  Andy was just a few minutes behind me.  I was so proud of him!  This was only his second timed race and his first 10K.  He rocked!  (If only it weren't for that damn soap wall!)

After getting properly photographed, we hosed off and changed before heading over to the Burger Bash.  I gotta say that Down & Dirty knows how to do a Burger Bash right!  You ordered ahead of time and could choose either a meat burger, veggie burger, or fruit salad.  Yay for fruit salad!  It was pretty good quality fruit, too.  We just hung out on the grass enjoying our food, listening to the live music, and soaking up the sun. 

Then Andy got a haircut.  (It was for charity.  And he needed a haircut.)

Did I mention that there was a human hamster wheel?  I still regret not going in the it but we'd already been at Kensington for the entire morning so we figured it was time to get going.  And once you get in that thing there's no telling how long you'll stay in it.  Next year I'm definitely going in the human hamster wheel!  Maybe while Andy is getting his hair cut.

This race was so much fun.  I can't wait to do it again next year!


Anyone else get Down & Dirty?

On the Run: Flirt with Dirt 10K 2012

 

In preparation for next week's Tough Mudder challenge, I ran the Flirt with Dirt 10K yesterday morning.  It was my first ever trail race so I really had no idea what to expect in terms of pace, timing, or trail-running etiquette.  (The Mudders ran at Maybury a few weeks ago but that was a lot of stopping and starting, wondering where to go, getting lost on horse trails, etc.  Plus there were only 6 of us so etiquette was hardly an issue.)

The race was at Lakeshore Park in Novi, a place I never knew existed until this weekend.  It's a beautiful park with rolling hills, grassy fields, picnic and playground areas, and lots and lots of trees.  Because it's a small area and parking is limited, I got there early.  An hour and a half early, to be exact.  Better early than late.  It gave me plenty of time to have some water and my banana, use the bathroom (a REAL one, not even a Port-a-Pottie - SCORE!), and catch up on my Zynga games.

So the race started right on time, without much fanfare.  Who needs that anyway?  They just informally asked us to line up by pace times and that was that.  We ran down a slightly sloping hill, through a field, down a dirt road, and into the woods.  And we were off!  

I quickly realized that this was going to be like no race I'd run before.  And that it would be nothing like Maybury.  Those were hiking trails.  These were bike trails.  In most places the path was just narrow enough for your two feet, with sloping grass embankments on either side of you.  To get around someone you had to run up onto the grass.  I was nervous about twisting an ankle and I wasn't that hell-bent on a certain finishing time.  But sometimes I got stuck behind people who were really slow and then something had to be done.  Usually I would let people know I was passing them so they could sort of scoot over a little but it was pretty tight in spots for the first couple of miles.  Later on there were some clearings that made it easier to get around and ahead of people.

I was watching the ground constantly for tree roots.  The ground was relatively flat but there were spots where the roots created steps so there were some ups and downs from those.  There were some slight inclines but nothing too challenging.  

The trails were full of constant twists and turns and switchbacks.  You were always guessing at what was coming next; never knowing what was going to be around the next turn.  That made it was more interesting than a road race and it made the whole thing go by really fast.  I was amazed by how quickly the miles passed!  

Unfortunately, those twists and turns also made it a little difficult to stay on the correct path.  Just before mile 5 I passed up a few people, including a kid who was walking.  Then a few minutes later I came around a bend and all of a sudden all those people were ahead of me again, including the kid who was walking!  Clearly I had gone the wrong way.  Not to be left behind, I put on a burst of speed and passed all of them and then some.  I hightailed it through the last mile of the course and up the final sledding hill to the finish line.  I finished strong, with a chip time of 58:19.  Like I said, I didn't have any expectations going into it but was happy to have finished in under an hour.  I must note, however, that my Nike+ shows that it was 7.1 miles, not 6.2 so I actually did even better than my time shows! 

I talked to a few people after the race who noted the same thing about the mile 5 mix-up, so I wasn't the only one who went the wrong way.  And there were a few other spots where I'd passed people and then somehow they'd be ahead of me again . . . without passing me.  I don't know how they got ahead.  Did they know shortcuts?  Were they cheating?  Or were they vampires?  (Nah, too sunny.)  I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to a poorly marked course - even more so than I realized, I suppose.  Oh well.  More running for me!  Because like I said, it was all about the experience today for me.  And I LOVED it!!  I can't wait to do more trail-running!

This is one that I'll add to my list for next year.  It was small (I think only 600 people total between both the 5K and 10K), the location was great, the tee shirts are super cute, and their post-race bananas were ripened to perfection.  Plus it was just enough of a challenge without being too difficult and it felt completely exhilarating to be out on the trails - such a nice change from a traditional road race!  

 

Time 

58:19

Pace 

9:24/mile*

Fuel 

Whole Soy & Co. vanilla yogurt, banana

Tunes

Somebody That I Used to Know / Gotye

Little Talks / Of Monsters and Men

Vertigo / U2

Kiss with a Fist / Florence & the Machine

Dear Rosemary / Foo Fighters

Machu Picchu / The Strokes

Sixteen Saltines / Jack White

One Engine / The Decemberists

From Now On / The Features

Take the Heartland / Glen Hansard

Supermassive Black Hole / Muse

Mercy / Duffy

Immigrant Song / Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Feat. Karen O.

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground I / The White Stripes

Chop and Change / The Black Keys

E.T. / Katy Perry

Love the Way You Lie (Ft. Rihanna) / Eminem

Paradise / Coldplay

*But if I really ran 7.1 miles (as indicated by my Nike+), my pace would be 8:12/mile.  Just sayin' . . .

Have you run a trail race before?  Do you prefer trail running or road running?

Countdown to Tough Mudder - 19 Days

The team hit the trails at Maybury State Park for an early morning Memorial Day run.  Believe it or not, this was my first experience running on trails.  It was amazing!!  I loved the hills, the bumpy terrain, the unexpected twists and turns, and the general beauty of running through a forest.  It wasn't too hot and humid and with the exception of one evil fly, the bugs weren't too bad.  We ran 4.25 miles of trails - mostly hiking, some horse.  We figured the horse trails gave us better training experience for some of the muddier parts of the Tough Mudder (although there wasn't really much mud today but the trails required a little more stabilization, as well as avoidance of certain, um, obstacles in our path).

So the trails were a lot of fun and better training than paved roads.  And no Tough Mudder training session would be complete without a playground workout!  We found a small playground at the end of our run and did some climbing practice and pullups.  Nothing really new or exciting.  I definitely got some new bruises.  Because of course, no Tough Mudder training session would be complete without new bruises, either!

Then we headed back to Dearborn to (finally) make our travel arrangements, narrow down our uniforms, and plan our next training session.  Not a bad day, Mudders.  Not a bad day.  

Shoot!  Except that I forgot to take pictures again!  Next time - when we're throwing tires - I will take pictures.  (Ooooh, how's that for a teaser?)

Read previous "Countdown to Tough Mudder" posts - 34 Days, 30 Days, 22 Days

Do you run on trails?