Before I get into what happened at the race, I wanted to take a minute to "introduce myself" to new readers. For the next two weeks, I am participating in a Blog Hop with health and fitness bloggers from all over the country. The blog hop is organized by the Runaway Bridal Planner. I participated in a blog hop with her earlier this year and it was great fun! It's a great way to not only get my blog in front of new readers, but for me to see other blogs I haven't yet visited! So, for those of you joining through the blog hop, welcome!! You can read a little about me in the section to the right but basically, I'm a mom, wife, runner, running coach, personal trainer and nutritionist and my blog reflects that. It's a way to share my personal experiences with others, showcase things I care about and connect with people in far away places that I may never have the opportunity to meet in person. Thanks so much for reading!
Back to the race! Man, what a day. This particular trail event had 4 races: a 50K, 15K, 5K and a kids 1-mile race. I trained a small group of runners for the 15K and 5K races. This was the first trail race for everyone but one runner, and for her, it was her first race here in the San Diego area. So it was a big deal for everyone. Over the course of our programs, we talked about anything and everything related to trail running: trail shoes, running form, nutrition, strength training, hydration, trail running etiquette, how to prevent and manage falling on the trails and so much more. Our 5K group was held in the evenings and several of our runs were actually on the trails at night. That brought another level of excitement to the program. Running trails at night is pretty invigorating!
A run on the trails at night is a feeling like no other! |
Before too long, it was time for our 15K runners to get started. It was already warming up and the sun was in full force. I was a little worried about the elements for the runners, but we trained for 10 weeks in some pretty hot weather, so I knew they would ultimately be ok. And ok they were!! Everyone finished really strong and one of our runners, Debie, even placed 2nd in her age group. It was a really strong showing for our runners!!
The 15K runners about to start! |
Debie placing 2nd in her age group!! |
The 5K runners began and finished while the 15K runners were out there. They weren't as familiar with the course as the 15K runners were but that didn't seem to deter them! Our runners did amazingly well and one of our girls, Sue, even finished 2nd among the female runners. It was a great day for all of us!! Saying I'm proud of them doesn't seem like enough. I am ecstatic at how well they ALL did, in the heat and on trails. They are amazing!!
The 5K finishers! |
Sue with her 2nd place award! |
To see all of our photos from race day, check out the album on our Facebook page.
I can't even put into words the bittersweet feelings I have when a program ends. Spending weeks with these runners is very special to me and to be a part of their goals is even more special. They trust me to help them, to guide them and support them and seeing them cross the finish line of their race is like watching your children walk for the first time (or other monumental milestone). It's one of the main reasons why I coach: to be a part of someone's dreams and hopes is an important job. I take it very seriously and feel honored to be able to help someone in this way. But knowing the program is over is sad to me. I become very attached to my runners and we spend a lot of time together! Not seeing them anymore makes me sad!! Thank goodness for email, text and social media :)
I would definitely recommend this race to others interested in trail running. It's a pretty manageable in terms of terrain with some hilly and rocky sections. The course is well marked and the aid stations are well managed. The race director is also quite helpful and supportive as he's a fellow ultra runner and knows what runners need out on the trails.
I typically do my own long run on Saturday mornings but because this was a Saturday race, I ran Sunday with a good friend. We're both training for the San Diego 50-miler in January so we have some long, long, long runs ahead of us. We did 24 this Sunday and it was good. We both had our moments of wanting to be done with running, but overall it was a great run with even better company. And right around mile 10, we were treated to the most amazing sunrise I've ever seen! We are lucky girls!
Man! Amazing sunrise! |
Panoramic view of the sunrise. |
How was your weekend? What were some of the highlights?