February 23, 2013
I had the pleasure of participating in the inaugural running
of the Elephant Mountain Trail Runs. I LOVED this race. It was super fun. I
chose the 35K. I thought this would be a fun distance. About 22 miles…so just about
the point in a marathon distance where you’d maybe “hit the wall”, I’d be done!
It started out up hill from the get go. This was kind of
rough but I just found a manageable pace. My racing strategy is to start out
conservative and enjoy a long warm-up and then when I’m half way done, I look
for a faster gear. Sometimes I’ve got it, sometimes there is no faster gear.
But today was one of those magical days when there was plenty in the tank at
the half way.
I really loved the course. It was all very runnable. It had
a “WOW” moment. Where I turned a corner around the side of a mountain and a
stunning view opened up. I said “WOW” out loud. I love when a race makes me say
wow out loud.
I was running behind a girl from Vegas area for quite
awhile. We chatted a little bit. It was an out-and-back course. She lingered
longer at the turn-around station. This is where I found my faster gear for the
way back. I passed several people after the turn around.
Even though the course was very runnable, it was still
plenty technical. I kept thinking I was going to fall. On the way back I was
running behind a woman who took a nasty fall. Right in front of my eyes. You
feel so helpless. I stopped to make sure she was okay. It looked like a full
body fall- like every bit of her hit the ground. She fell to the side of the
trail onto a rock. I could tell that she didn’t tuck her chin, and her neck hit
the rock. When she stood up she was covering her neck with her hand and I was
worried that when she moved her hand, blood would be spewing out. But when she
moved her hand there was just a bruise forming. I made her talk. She seemed
pretty shaken up, but I decided she was okay and I left. I told them at the
next aid station to watch for her. Falling is the part of this sport that we
just accept. Eventually it is gonna happen. It happens to everyone. One of the
funnest things about trail running is to fly along the trail, jumping and
weaving and soaring. But this does involve the risk of falling!
Along the course there was one section that was kind of
foresty. We don’t get allot of forest in Arizona .
At least not this part of Arizona .
It wasn’t thick forest. It was almost cartoony forest. But it was fun. I had in
my head the song from a Care Bear movie…”Forest
of feelings and care-allot are the things that we all share…” This is what I
get since the bulk of my television/movie viewing is with children. And mostly
animated.
Everything was really green thanks to the recent rain and
even SNOW storms in Phoenix .
Yes snow. Not a common event for us.
At the half way turn around my average was 9:38. By the end
my watch said my average was 9:22. I was happy with this negative split. True
the course lended itself to a negative split by starting out up hill and ending
down hill. But there was plenty of up and down for both ways.
A downhill finish is fun because it feels good to be able to
cruise it in at the end.
I ended up 4th girl. 16th over all.
Such a beautiful course. Loved it.
I would seriously block out my
calendar for this one. I’m a sucker for
the Elephant theme too. The shirts had an elephant on them and I had to buy
one, even though I hadn’t prepaid for one. Our family has kind of a thing for
elephants…Noah specifically…but it’s
rubbed off on all of us!
Nick and Jamil always do a great job
and this race was a keeper!!!
