The run ended up going fairly well... I'd even say the 1st half (which was down hill) was fun. The kicker comes in upon realizing that what goes down must come up. The way back had a 2 mile uphill section. I did what I could... walking on and off for those 2 miles of the journey (miles 7 to 9).
Regardless of performance, our dear Julie likes to repeat that mantra that "each run is an opportunity to experiment and learn". This week I learned:
- A Cliff Bar pre-run is solid sustenance.
- Aaron's Oatmeal, chocolate protein powder and almond butter is DELICIOUS!
- 30 minutes pre-run is the best time to take sustenance in the morning prior to running.
- My hiking waist pack can be used for running, despite its bulk and weight.
- A banana bouncing around with a cell phone and a point and shoot camera results in banana mush all over the contents of said pack by mile 5.5
- Keys bouncing in the same pouch as a Ziploc bag full of vitamins and advil results in a broken ziplock bag with spilled 7-Keto all over contents of said pack by mile 5.5
- Susan is a mountain goat who, I'm certain, could RUN up Mt. Everest. She's an ANIMAL when it comes to those hills.
- Julie looks at ease no matter what she's running... hills, flat, etc. The girl makes running look easy AND fun.
- I need to find a down hill marathon. 1 to 2% grade is my friend! :)
- Jesus answers running prayers, in this case "Please, Lord, don't let any cars come flying around this curve and squash us!!!" Thank you, Jesus!
It ended up, in retrospect, being a very fun run and breakfast afterward was MORE than worth it. Now that I know what to expect, I look forward to the challenge of this trail again.
