CT has been predicting it for as long as I've known her. Doubt she'd admit for every race, but there have been a few races where she's been bold enough to come out and outright say it "I'm gonna beat you". I know her well enough to know that any race we enter, even if she doesn't say it, she's THINKING it. I'm sure she'd disagree with this statement too, but there's only ever really one race where she had a chance. It was extremely hot, I was over heating like crazy, and she at least gave me a chance, yelling out "I'm coming for you!" in the final stretch. Just seeing her closing on me, was enough to motivate me, how embarrassing it would be to get beat by a girl! (Actually, it's not. Doubt there's been a race yet where I haven't beat all the women, but it's far different losing to CT!)
This weekend was really a unique experience. It's our first trail race. It's also the first race where all the Superstars got to not only race, but offered the opportunity for us to camp and hang out together. Well, almost all of us. As it turned out one Superstar was injured and another one had some kind of lame excuse and couldn't make it, something about getting remarried, seriously? Anyway, it made for a really good weekend.
Because we are serious, professional, runners, the whole reason we decided to do the North Country Trial Run was for the challenge! Got ya! Really, it's all about the finisher medal. The thing is the size of your face and weighs as much as a limb. How could we pass up the opportunity to add it to our collection? So, we run for the prize, not the health of it, don't judge us!
How did we prepare for this? One of our Superstars practice by running on the shoulder of the road. After all, it is gravel! CT and I stuck with our normal road training, but we did do one run a week with Gazelle's Dirty Herd on trails. Personally, I thought we did a great job, bring it!
Bang goes the gun. The first mile of the course is on a paved road. Suddenly, I felt silly for even bothering trying to run on trails, clearly running on the gravel on the side of the road was even over training. Mile two, the hell started. Suddenly, we are in the woods. Shit, is there even a trail here? Civilization disappeared and in an instant it felt like I was the Last of the Mohicans. I bet the bears love this race! The mile tour of the parking lot, became much more clear. The purpose was to thin us out, much easier for the taking....or eating. Passing people became an instant challenge, picking the exact moment to fit between those two trees, while judging if the four inches of trail was wide enough....oh root!
Three miles in, I started walking. Oh man, what is going on here? Who put this huge hill here? To say walking at this point was a big kick in the ego, understatement. But by mile five, I already concluded walking up the hills might be the single best decision I've ever made. Mile eight, is where I needed this race to finish. Whatever I had to start the race was gone, get the sticks, hopefully I can make a fire, because it was pure survival mode from this point on. Curious how CT was doing, I happened to look back at one point and through the trees I could see this bright pink shirt rounding up the trail up this mountain. All thoughts of running my race were gone. With her so close, I figured might as well run with her and finish together.
One mile into that thought and it was already obvious to me that there was no way I could even keep up with CT. She was running superhuman at this point and wasn't effected like I was by these Kryptonite coated hills. Told her there was no way I could keep up, finish strong, and I'd see her at the end. Bummed about my ankle bothering me, bummed about struggling, bummed about not being able to hang with CT, at this point the only positive I had going for me, at least I hadn't fallen!
Did I mention that's what I was thinking at mile ten? At mile ten and one tenth, can you guess what happened? Two barrel rolls later, my pride got the last kick in the shorts. Sand sticks to you when you're all sweaty. As I sat there in my dirty clump, the thought did enter my mind "why". I've had some terrible runs, but I also don't ever remember having that thought, and actually meaning it. Though, I can't say at any point in time having a screaming charlie horse in my calf at the time either. Three miles to go, really unsure if my leg would even work. After some self massage, it did relax. No point in dusting off, this race beat me up, might as well wear the dirt.
It officially happened, CT beat me. I want her tested for steroids! I honestly don't know how she did it. That was by far one of the most difficult courses I could ever imagine. We only did the half marathon, people who did the full or the ultra on that, get major recognition from me. Suddenly, I understand why the medals are so big, they deserve to be that big based on what is required to finish that damn course.
My ankles may never be the same and I probably won't be able to walk right for a week. I felt defeated crossing the finish line today. Those thoughts didn't last long once the rest of our friends finished. Impossible to be bummed with this group of girls. I think each one crosses the line more excited than the next. Thirteen of the hardest miles, huge one pound medals around our necks, and they come up with this for our "team photo". Yeah, I'll be back next year to remove the monkey.
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