This is always one race that I absolutely love, yet dread at the same time. Since I help put the race on, I'm on my feet all day & don't each anything the day before and morning of, never get to warm up & am just drained by the time I get to the starting line from sprinting to it after doing finishing touches for during the race. I decided a few years ago though, that if I didn't run, no matter the results, I wouldn't get a run in that day and then I'd be even more angry than if I ran and did poorly. So, I run it every year, regardless of the poor preparation for racing it & just know that I can't expect much...
So, this year, as usual, I sprint to the start line, we start less than 30 seconds later, and my legs are already dead even going down hill the first few 100 meters! Teammate & sister, Summer Harper, is in the lead, so I stick with her up the next 1/4 mile hill and through the long uphill meadow until about 3/4 mile into the race. I decide if I'm going to TRY to win, I might as well go for the lead when I feel I am usually the strongest (while climbing.) I pass her and a few other guys before the mile and just push it through the next 1/2 mile of climbing and then down into the next meadow. I can see Rory (Sojourners teammate, male leader & eventual winner) about 150 meters ahead of me... What the crap?!? I AM GOING TO DIE... BIG TIME! I should never be that close to him. Yet, I keep going the same pace, thinking I'm not dying yet, I'm hurting but ok, and Summer is only about 125 meters behind me. Just before mile 2, I run into a group of 4-5 horseman coming up the hill at me. I came around a corner so fast and didn't see them, so ran right into the first horse, jumped up on the side of the trail and half bushwhacked, half held onto the horses to scramble my way through them. I'm sure it took off a pretty 15-30 seconds, but not sure. The next 1.5 miles as we keep rolling uphill, a few smaller downhills, and the big steep climb up the Big Springs, I just keep thinking that if I can't see Summer behind me when I make a sharp turn then I can make it to the downhill and I'll be good for the win. I'm hurting a little, but just more exhausted than anything. My stomach is totally empty and growling, my legs feel drained and I'm struggling up the last steep climb. As I pushed through the top and onto some flat (finally!) I know I can make it to the finish in the lead. I come through the river and back close to where we passed over a mile ago, and someone cheers "Rory's not that far ahead of you!" We have 2 miles left- all twisty, narrow, rocky, trees hanging into the trail, sharp turns into bridges over the creek, awesome dirt under my feet.
I fly down the technical trail, loving the scenery and the speed together, watching my footing carefully. Although I feel that I'm pushing it, I also feel so choppy and heavy. I want to go faster, but my drained body just won't let me. I look down at my watch and it says 5:05 pace. How the crap am I doing this? When I get to another long meadow that I know is about a mile out, I can finally see Rory again, about 150 meters ahead still. But this time he looks like he's taking it easy, not pounding out the uphill like earlier. He's still moving quick, but not his usual crazy quick. As we head into the trees again, he gets closer and closer. I'm thinking he must be just taking it easier because he knows he's got the win and won't get the record because of the run-in with the horses or something. We wind towards the finish, come out of the trees and into the finishing field and he's RIGHT THERE! I start sprinting to catch him, but then realize what I'm doing and back off a bit, thinking it'd be weird to be the overall winner and make him (of all people) feel dumb. So you're welcome, Rory! j/k. Then I was off to work on the results! No cool down, no river soak, no chocolate milk right after (eventually got some,) but finished putting on the race. And man did I want/need that ice bath & chocolate milk! Turns out on Rory's end, that he rolled his ankle way bad, probably sprained it, with about a mile left, (when I thought I saw him taking it easier.) So it all fell into place why I was so close to him. Luckily, he's healing fast! You should read his story about his experience on the blog too.
I ended up finding out at the awards that I ran a way faster time than I expected and broke a 4 year old course record...
Ummmm, can someone tell me how that happened? Cause I have NO idea. :)
Don't miss out on the next CTS race, August 30th- Gruesome Grizzly 8k.
www.cascadiatrailseries.com
Place: 1st
Time: 34:53 (New Course Record)
Elevation Gain & Loss: about 1000 ft.
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