Garland Mountain 10K Trail Race

 

So soft and comfy ... the Vuori of race T's

Initially I had signed up for the 1/2 marathon distance, but a nagging patellar ligament injury led me to drop down to the 10k.  I had raced the 1/2 last year for the first time and had a blast.  Rolling into the venue at 7 am after a 2 hour drive, I was happy to be racing the shorter distance.  Old Man Winter is not giving up too easily this spring and the temperature was 32 degrees with 10mph winds.

After doing half of my warm up from inside the cab of my truck (when you are small, the passenger area of Biggie G is perfect for some glute/hip activation exercises and dynamic stretching), I hopped out and ran a few laps around the parking lot.

My warm up view from inside the truck

The race started with me hitting the single track in the top 5.  Wait?  What am I doing up here?  I was going way too fast ... slow down greyhound!  It was hard to settle in at first since the beginning was a steady descent.  When the trail began to rise, I slowed down as my breathing started to become ragged.  Yes, it was only 6+ miles, but I did not need to implode in the first half.

Yesterday, Lisa had messaged me and said to expect sloppy muddy trails, as she was signing the course in a steady rain.  However, the winds during the night must have helped because it was not as bad as I was anticipating.  Last night had me worried about the integrity of my ligaments if I were to experience a slip n slide (think torn ACL or hip labrum).  Within that first mile, I knew I was going to be ok.  While wet and muddy in spots, overall it was in good shape.  And my Hoka Speedgoats never once lost grip.

As I made my way through miles 2 and 3, I was passed by a few racers.  I was running comfortably hard and knew there were just 2 women ahead of me.  As fast as they had gone out, I wasn't expecting to catch them, but wanting to try to hold 3rd.  

At the point in the race where the 2 distances split (4.5 mile mark), the 10k'rs were sent up this steep ass climb.  This segment was 1/4 mile long at an average grade of 12% ... ouch.  I just kept telling myself at least I was not pushing a bike, just myself.  My running went to power hiking in the middle, but once I saw the crest, I began running again.

The next mile rolled and I was able to recover a little.  The final mile included a long steep descent followed by a gut punch 1/2 mile climb to the finish.  The descent was technical, what with loose rock as well as some deep muddy spots.  For whatever reason, I felt confident sending it.  My footwork has definitely improved over the past year or two.  

The final climb was a challenge to not slow down.  My monkey brain was all about "let's just enjoy this finish and take it easy."  Well, FU monkey!  I pushed through the pain of ragged breathing and heavy legs, wanting to  achieve my goal of a sub 1 hour finish.  So ... stinkin' ... close ... 1:01:21.

I ended up 1st AG and 2nd O/A, so extremely satisfied.  Even though my heart longs for the longer distances, my body quite likes the "fast and furious" short stuff.  Wisdom is telling me that not every competition has to be "big and dumb."  So I am going to take this to heart and rethink the remainder of this season.