The Muddy Sneaker 20k Trail Race
April 24, 2009Hello blogging friends! It’s been a very long time since I’ve written. No excuses – just haven’t sat down long enough to write. But last weekend I ran a race that I just need to say a few words about: the Muddy Sneaker 20k trail race.
Without question, this was one of the most difficult races I’ve ever run but I do love a challenge. It takes place in picturesque Naples, NY where the views are spectacular. Here’s the low down on the race.
Elevation: Over 4,000 feet of climbing up very steep hills.
Distance: 20k or 12.4 miles
Time: 2:20 (I know, S-L-O-W!!!)
Description: A kick A***, mother of all that’s difficult course. In otherwords, IT’S A KILLER!
As I was driving to the race with my friends, I felt the familiar pang of pre-race jitters charging through my belly. When I arrived and saw the monster hill I had to immediately climb at the start of the race, I felt nauseous. When I started my second mile and realized that the course was incredibly technical with tons of single track, I began to relax. Afterall, I’m not going to win the race, why not just enjoy it and soak in the surrounding beauty? That’s just what I did.
Welcome back!
Trail races such as the one you ran, with crazy elevations, are notorious for frustrating me – how can I run so slow (10-13min/miles), when on the road 8-8:30 is comfortable? I’ve learned not to focus on my pace at all, even leave my Garmin at home, and just focus on having fun and enjoying the race. Sounds like that’s what you did, too! Congrats! Ana-Maria