Trail Marathon 04/27/08

We signed up for this race because it looked like it would be a lot of fun as well as a challenge. It was both. It was certainly a challenging course for flatlanders-I have never seen so many hills!! As soon as you were over one, there was another (often bigger) one to conquer.

When we arrived at the start line it was in the 30s. That would be considered just about perfect for most runners, but it is a little chilly for me. The weather was supposed to "warm" up to the high 50s later in the race. I tried very hard not to wear too many clothes at the beginning and I think that I was just about right for most of the race. I was ready for a short sleeved shirt by the end, but the Sunmart shirt was lightweight and was a real conversation starter.

Bruce opted for the half, since he is still battling tendonitis. It was a difficult decision for him, because he really wanted to run the full. I am glad that he decided to go with the half- I want him to recover fully so we can run together this fall. The half marathoners started an hour later at 8:30. He braved the cold and saw me off at the start before heading back to the car to warm up. :-)

As we took off for the first loop, there is a big hill that you have to traverse. I thought "wow, this IS going to be tough." As usual, there is the joking, getting to know your fellow runner, talking about races, and introductions going on. I was in the middle of a "pack" of runners and we stayed together for many miles of this race. There was "John" from New Mexico, "Pink Gaiters", and two women who run street marathons and a few other people in this group. I was amazed how long we all stayed together and talked. Amusingly, we would run along and then you would hear a "thump" followed immediately by "I'm Ok, I'm Ok." Lots of falls, but no injuries. Thank goodness no falls for me.

The miles ticked by. I usually take walk breaks, but I was having a great time and did not want to drop out of the group. I decided to just keep running until I felt I "needed" a walk break. I was really hoping that this decision would not come back to haunt me.

So, there we are, running along in the beautiful Michigan forest. It was truly a lovely course. It was almost exclusively single track with rolling hills, lots of roots and a few rocks thrown in for good measure. You also ran by several lakes and small streams.

Slowly but surely our group began to dissipate. Before I knew it, New Mexico had gone ahead, the road marathoners were behind us, and it was me and "Pink Gaitors." He told me that he wears the pink gaitors and a pink bandana in honor of his wife who is a cancer survivor. Very sweet. We were together until the end of the first loop, he stopped for a restroom break. I did not see him again until the finish line.

I decided once I got past the 13 mile mark I would start my walk breaks. Mile 13 came and went, so my next decision was to start walk breaks at mile 15. Later I decided to start them at mile 18, then mile 20. By the time I got to the 20 mile mark I only had 6.2 miles to go. I never really felt that I needed my walk breaks, so I did not take them. I guess it was because I was going at a slower rate than normal due to the terrain. At any rate, I was able to keep a consistent pace. I passed many people in the last loop, including “New Mexico.” I did the first ½ in 2:28 and I finished in 4:58. It was an awesome race and I would not have done anything any different.