InStep Trail Races - 7 miler

InStep Trail Races, 7 miler - September 16, 2017
time = 1:09:06
pace = 9:53
placed 3 in my age group (40-44) out of 4
placed 5 in women out of 29
placed 19 overall out of 57
link to strava data


to say i haven't been running is an understatement.

i have been, however, going to crossfit instead which has been a blessing. 3xs a week for 1 hour. consumes so much less of my life than running does which has also been a welcome change of pace. yesterday i went into this race not really wanting to run it.  my leg has been bothering me all week as we ran in crossfit all 3 days.  not long distances by any means... 2001meters, 1200 meters, and 400 meters respectively.  all that running caused my leg to be uncomfortable as i had also run the black loop last sunday.  

so going into this race i did so with no heart.  i just wanted to go and enjoy the course and worst comes to worst... i knew i could pull out a 1:10 or so finish.  it's what i've been running it at with no running so there's that.  it's still a respectable time with no training or cardiovascular fitness.

funnily... that's exactly what i did.

i ran the first mile conservatively but with some push.  i wanted to make it up some of gut buster without walking right away.  i ended up walking right away.  i didn't even make it to the end of mile 1 without walking.  *sigh*

so i took gut buster conservatively too... alternating the walking/running.  got to the top and zoomed down the other side.  that is, after all, my best... the descents.  there is very little i love more than running downhill with abandon.

so i took my time, ran hard, and walked when i had to.  i finished painfully strong, commenced eating about 4 handfuls of watermelon chunks, and waited around with dave's daughter for him to finish the 1/2.

i have only great things to say about this race.  it is near and dear to my heart as lapham peak is my favorite place to run and lose myself in the woods.  it is home.

now... i'm done running for a bit.  it's bittersweet tho' because i had zero pain running yesterday.  i am so very sore today but the race went off without a hitch.  if i had any sort of cardiovascular fitness i could have smoked that course.  maybe next year...