I did this run last Sunday! It was my first run with my new Garmin Forerunner 645 watch and one that I forgot that I signed up for...so that's why there was no running during the Illinois trip. 𝩀
I actually signed up for the half-marathon, but I was able to switch to the 10k after doing some assessment (i.e. running as 10 miles just to see how far I could actually go -- 8.5 running, 1.5 walking). I'm not sure if I'll sign up again (I'll explain why later), but it was a fun way to donate money to the Fresno County Search And Rescue team.
B, Ro, and I left to drive to Shaver Lake around 0620 for the event. The flyer said that the runner needed to be ready at 0730, but we figured we'd be fine. B and Ro dropped me off at the trail head on time around 0730 just after the half-marathoners started. I had just enough time to use the bathroom and stand around for a bit trying to fiddle with my phone to try to get the RaceJoy app to work so B would know when I finished the race. It ended up not working and my Garmin Connect app didn't work either. I did have cell reception to give B a heads up on when I would be ready to leave.
Everyone started the race very strong, but too many people gassed out and started walking up the narrow trail too quickly. Anyone else stuck behind them (like me) lost any momentum that we started out with. Because the first few miles were downhill, coming back up was difficult, but not impossible. I think I would train for this run using Wellbarn Road near Prather in the future.
The barbecued cheeseburgers, ice cream sandwiches, potato salad, and banana at the end tasted good. Tioga Sequoia even brewed a special Wild Run rice lager (eh.) for the event. I managed to finish eating and walked back to the trail head for B and Ro to pick me up. I saw a dude with an awesome shirt walking back that said, "This seems like a lot of work for a free banana."
Random thought: we're always taught at work to not eat bananas before going outside to avoid getting stung by bees, so why do runners eat bananas before runs? Fun fact: banana scent is similar to the bee gunk exuded by a bee after a bee sting. That's why bees swarm a person who has already been stung once. I guess bananas are good for replacing glycogen stores after a run though when the runner is safely in a bee free area.
All in all, I didn't do too badly on the actual run. I ran as much as I could and held off from walking as much as I could. The team must have done the best they could laying out the trails without widening the paths too much for the increased traffic. I love the idea of trail running, but I doubt the damage done to trails and scenery is worth it. I think these races will be the only time that I go trail running if I do go again. How can anyone live with accidentally stepping on a newt on their conscience?
My next race will be the Clovis half-marathon part of Two Cities Marathon & Half in November. I will hopefully have a better plan in place before then...or collapse trying. 𝨾
Everyone started the race very strong, but too many people gassed out and started walking up the narrow trail too quickly. Anyone else stuck behind them (like me) lost any momentum that we started out with. Because the first few miles were downhill, coming back up was difficult, but not impossible. I think I would train for this run using Wellbarn Road near Prather in the future.
The barbecued cheeseburgers, ice cream sandwiches, potato salad, and banana at the end tasted good. Tioga Sequoia even brewed a special Wild Run rice lager (eh.) for the event. I managed to finish eating and walked back to the trail head for B and Ro to pick me up. I saw a dude with an awesome shirt walking back that said, "This seems like a lot of work for a free banana."
Random thought: we're always taught at work to not eat bananas before going outside to avoid getting stung by bees, so why do runners eat bananas before runs? Fun fact: banana scent is similar to the bee gunk exuded by a bee after a bee sting. That's why bees swarm a person who has already been stung once. I guess bananas are good for replacing glycogen stores after a run though when the runner is safely in a bee free area.
All in all, I didn't do too badly on the actual run. I ran as much as I could and held off from walking as much as I could. The team must have done the best they could laying out the trails without widening the paths too much for the increased traffic. I love the idea of trail running, but I doubt the damage done to trails and scenery is worth it. I think these races will be the only time that I go trail running if I do go again. How can anyone live with accidentally stepping on a newt on their conscience?
My next race will be the Clovis half-marathon part of Two Cities Marathon & Half in November. I will hopefully have a better plan in place before then...or collapse trying. 𝨾
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