Saturday morning I accomplished something I had never done before.
I put on my running gear, and ran up a mountain. I had completed six races prior to this one, all ranging between 3-6 miles. The mileage varied, but the terrain was always similar. Road runs with inclines and declines. It was time for something new.
Before starting this race my only concern were the slugs. I hate slugs, in fact I loathe slugs. Most people are afraid of spiders and heights..well I am afraid of slugs. I don’t exactly live in an area that accommodates this fear. By the end of the run I could have shared a Snuggie with all the mountain slimers. They were the last thing on my mind.
The weather was decent upon arrival. It wasn’t raining, but it wasn’t sunny. Typical weather for a Washington day.
I love my hot pants.
I am a big fat weenie when it comes to running up hills. I would rather donate blood. The hills I normally run up are tough, but don’t last more than a mile. This mountain had over three miles of straight incline. We climbed and climbed with a few small teasers of rest. I might have whined.. OK I whined. The run was 5.3miles total and 3+ miles were STRAIGHT uphill. My time was sLOooOwww, but I finished. The run looked something like this.
Obviously 3rd grade paid off when all I could draw was one type of NW native tree. This is what the trail looked like..I think. I didn’t see much trail because my slug radar was on, and by the time I got to mile 3 I stopped caring about the slugs and started thinking about where on this mountain I wanted to die. I was sure my heart was going to give out at any moment. I was comforted by the amount of people I saw walking up the hills. Including the marathoners. These hills were NO joke. “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”
5.34 miles later I was done. The decline was great, though it wasn’t enough. I don’t know how it was possible to climb up more than we came down..but I swear that’s how it worked out. I am proud of my accomplishment, and can now add “trail runner” to my resume..maybe. I partied with the trail runners, these people are a different breed. I tried to fit in by getting muddy, but I am sure they laughed at my rookie attempt.
After the run it was all about refueling.
My first trip to Chipotle. A veggie bowl with rice and beans. Swoon. I must admit the run was enjoyable when the terrain was flatter, and the views were of mountains and tops of trees. I don’t see another trail run anytime soon in my future, though someday I will give it another go. For now..my focus continues to be on the Disneyland half-marathon training!! 2 weeks down, 10 weeks to go!
Q: Who out there has completed a trail run? Did you hate/like/love it? I hated the hills, liked the decline, and loved when it was over! I’d like to give a big fat thank you to my boyfriend for putting up with my complaints and pushing me to keep going.
Blissfulbritt 