Oh, where to start. Does anyone else start their race report in their head while racing?

We started on the road so we could space ourselves out because as soon as we got in the woods it was single file. We looped around the gravel road (I hate running on gravel) before entering the woods. We got back around to where we entered the woods and there was a water table where we could pick up a bottle of water or Gatorade. I had my water belt and we'd just started so I didn't take any. The path started as a fire road and then entered the path. A series of ups, downs, roots, rocks and leaves. Way more technical than running on the mountain bike paths that I usually run on. The RD warned us not to overdress because once we got in the woods the trees would block the wind. I was cold to start in my long sleeve tech tee and shorts but knew from experience that I'd soon warm up.

The first couple of miles went okay, except for the Chatty Cathy group of women behind me. There were 4 moms in their 40's running together. I know they were having a great time and I'm glad they were together but I really like running alone in the woods with just the rustling leaves as noise. Finally, I just let them pass me so I wouldn't be with them anymore. On the first loop we had 2 creek crossings, one was rock hopping and the other was jumping over some water praying not to get stuck in the mud or get my shoes wet. I did get the edge of my foot and my last 2 toes wet but it wasn't an issue for long, my running socks made them dry out fairly quickly. There was a steep climb between miles 3 and 4 that everyone by me had to walk up, it was that steep and rocky. We finally came out and picked up another service road to leave the woods to run on the gravel road again. I finished the first 10k in 1:18, definitely not fast but only 7 minutes slower than my slowest 10k on the road, and this was way harder.

The second loop was definitely harder. I passed the water table again and didn't take more water. I didn't check to see how much I had left, I just assumed I had enough. (mistake) We had to run the first 4 miles on the same path we had just run, same big hill and 2 more creek crossings. I walked alot of mile 7, I had a terrible cramp on my right side. The only thing I can attribute it to is the GU I took.

It started raining almost as soon as we got back in the woods for the second loop. Not a hard rain (yet) but still raining. I think between mile 8 and 9 my left knee started bothering me. I might have twisted it, I'm not sure. All I knew was that it hurt to run up any hills and it wasn't a whole lot better going down. By this time the rain was coming down steady. And then it poured for about 10 minutes, then it let up to a steady drizzle. The path was covered with wet leaves which made some spots very slippery. I got to the mile 9 mile marker and all I could think was "Oh man, I still have 4 more miles, this sucks." I was cold and wet and ready to see the finish. Miles 9-12 are a bit blurry. We didn't have any mile markers at this point so I wasn't sure where I was until I got to mile 12. My knee still hurt so I'd run when it was sort of level and walk up and down the hills. During this whole part there was a girl with me the whole time. She was pretty much doing the same thing I was, when I ran she ran, when I walked she walked. I do like to run alone but I was tired, cold, wet and lonely....I was glad she was nearby. (she had music playing so she didn't talk much) My hands were so cold. I tried to keep them in my sleeve but that didn't protect them much. I tried to get a bottle out of my belt and I could barely pop it out, then I had a helluva time getting it back in.

My hands felt like when I was a kid and it snowed and I played outside in the snow too long with crappy gloves so when I came inside they were wet and red and swollen and freezing...it felt like that. I didn't drink enough. I didn't do a very good job of keeping track of the water I had with me. I didn't want to drink too much and risk running out. I would drink a little here and there but definitely not enough.

I finally made it to mile 12 and there was a Marine there who asked me if I'd seen the mile marker. (it was spray painted on the ground) I told him I did and I said something about it being really cold, he was friendly and agreed the rain made it tough. I ran/walked the path and finally we exited the woods near the road and the fence along the border of the park. There were cones marking the way, sort of. I got to the end of the fence and thankfully somebody pulled in a driveway and yelled at me which way to go, I had to run around a cone and follow the fence in the grass back to the entrance to the park. Running on the grass was difficult because the clumps of grass were lumpy. We hit the road and then we didn't know where to go. (by this time there were 4 of us together) A volunteer ran across the field to tell us to follow the road around to the finish. I managed to run down the road but not that last hill. I made it up and heard Dan yelling at me and ran the last 50 yards to the finish. I got my finisher's card and could barely write my name, my hands were so cold. I was so glad to be done, glad there were still a few folks waiting around and glad there was still food and water left. Got my medal and hobbled to the car.

I don't know. I felt prepared because my last long run was 11 miles on trails. It wasn't raining on the first lap and I was warm enough, but once it started raining I was definitely chilly. I think it got colder when it was raining, or maybe it just seemed so because I was wet.

None. Got to the car, changed in to my warm dry clothes and tried to warm up my hands. Dan said I should get out and stretch and I told him no way was I getting out in that cold rain again. I didn't care if it would mean I was sore, no way was I getting out of that car.


Cold, wet conditions on a technical trail, a twisted knee. To give a better perspective as far as time, the winning female finished with a time of 1:50, pretty slow as far as 1/2 marathons go.


I don't know if this course was too hard for my ability or if the conditions made everything seem worse. The only way I could have trained better would have been to actually run on that trail. They host a 10k there in the Fall that I should have run if I'd planned my race schedule better. Dan and I were both in agreement that this trail was much harder than running at Yargo.