Sunday was a great day for a trail race, my first of the year - The Mountain Man Challenge.
The race was a local one; just down the street from my house. The trail is one of my favorites; one I run regularly. Small race; under 200 people. And the time was perfect; 10a.m. start. It has been warm but raining intermittently all week; the trail was nice and mucky. Put it all together, and you've got the perfect conditions for a trail race.
We got there early because the Tees were limited, received our stuff, and proceeded to stand by the fire to keep warm (mid 30s) and chat with the other runners.
I do think that talking to other runners before a race must be the easiest thing to do. Everyone seems eager to talk and laugh. There must be different reasons for each of us - I know for me, it’s to meet new people, take the edge off from knowing I plan on throwing myself down a trail, and to learn some folks names - I do this to cheer them on at the finish if I get there before them.
Anywho. The race went off without a hitch. It started on time, the route was well marked, they had enough water stations, the timing was accurate, the awards were timely, and best of all, they had great bananas at the end (I had two).
I finished strong, coming in tenth overall (with my wife on my heels) and my PR for the trail. I even got cheered in by some of the faster runners - and then cheered in some of the slower folks I had met earlier. Big smiles all around.
Even the weather didn't feel too bad on the trail - just a lot of mud, but that’s the fun part. When else do we get to play in the mud anymore?
P.S. I should mention that nothing motivates you more than your wife catching up to you without your knowledge and screaming through the woods, "Go Matty!!!".
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