The cross country 5k was this weekend. It was fun but in a way kind of a let down. The organizers were great. The Mighty Bluebirds organization were great hosts. I tried not to have preconceieved ideas but still had certain expectations. We ran around a cowpasture. It was well maintained and well marked. I don't know what I was expecting but that wasn't it.
I was disappointed in myself. Whether it was the heat, humidity or use of new muscles I was disappointed mostly in myself. I'm used to running in roads or the occasional soccer field so I found the extra stability needed to run in a pockmarked field wore my calves out quickly. Really quickly.
Regardless of my poor performance I still got an award!
I didn't deserve it. I was beat my a 9 year old girl and a 67 year old woman. Granted, I think the 9 year old was a juicing. She had that roid rage look in her eyes and she was muscled like midget body builder. The old lady was a marathon veteran. She had her compression gear on, a Garmin GPS and a "Toenails are for sissies" shirt. I was kidding about the 9 year old I'm dead serious about the old broad. She was hard core. A machine. So maybe I did deserve it. After the overall winners got their awards my time such as it was earned the award. I'll take it. Why not.
After the 5k I went over to Pinnacle Mountain Park and ran on the Jackfork Mountain Biking Trail. I've really been interested in trail running lately. It worked out well because my lovely wife would be in class for a couple more hours. I could go the few miles to the park run for an hour or so and then go pick her up and head home.
After a search to actually find the trail head, I'm off armed with my windows phone, my Garmin GPS watch and my camelbak full of col sweet H2O.
The trail starts off easy enough and I'm just behind a maountain biker. The trail gradually becomes more difficult but is still fun. Before the first ile is over I pass the mountain biker whiole he's stopped on the side of the trail. I never see him again.
One mile in the trail splits and I see this.
I've already run a 5k (3.1 miles) and now I'm 1 mile into my first trail run. I take hard. They were not exaggerating I manage to walk/run another mile of twists, turns, hills, valleys, rock and roots before deciding that it was time to turn around. I was doing more walking than running so I knew I was done. So I walked /ran the 2 miles back out for a total of 7.24 miles on the day.
The timing was near perfect. As I emerged from the trailto the parking lot I get word from my lovely wife that class is done early. So I pick her her up and we go help Krysta move.
