Race Day - Folsom Lake Trail Run 1/2 marathon

So yea... another day and about the zillionth time someone has written about a half marathon.  This was not my first and guaranteed not to be my last, but it was only my second half marathon and it was my VERY first Trail Marathon.  I will keep it brief.




I had anxiety on being on the trails alone, not due to the isolation, but I knew from mile 3.2 to 6 to 9 there would be a lot of time on my feet and not a lot of familiar faces.

I was pretty serious at the start.



The race began with the long mile levee.  I didn't mind it so much, it is just all those in my group were soon gone and off the levee and I had a pretty good idea of how slow I was going.  So what right?  Nice day... beautiful lake and I did train for this.

The anxiety ended up being for nothing...(as sometimes worry is like that) The runners cheered for me like they knew me  forever and I felt all the love.   There is a great sense of community out there, I get chocked up thinking about it.   I saw a friend on the trail as I was approaching mile 6 and her high five on her way back was MEDICINE - Thank you Karen.





Spring was everywhere.



My daughter came trekking towards me from the mile  3 aid station and she was a happy energizer bunny and a bright ray of sunshine. "how are you doing momma?"  "I am weepy" She said, "your allergies?"  I said, "no allergies are great."  She said, "in your soul?"  I said, "yeah." 

Being a great athlete and person, she knows this is not the time to let the emotional over take your race.  She stayed up beat and very cheerful. So we just went into the aid station.
I felt pretty good -  I drank tailwind and a little cup of coke.

The ascent from the mile three aid station is a bit on the cruel side, ha ha, but it was not the most cruel section of the trail that I would encounter. And I have to say I attacked EVERY DAMN hill, that is in the way that I attack hills.....(see chart below).

I felt pretty good from 3 -6 and back to mile 9.  Hanging out at the aid station with family, made
me want to be done and stay with them. It was with a heavy heart that I left the mile10 aid station.  And by mile 11 I was sending whining posts to my daughter... who offered to run  it in with me.  And told me that the end was 30-40 minutes away and to concentrate on the beauty around me.  I was GROUCHY at this point. 

The picture guy caught me off guard, but I found a smile for him as he has a pretty great smile and attitude.

The beginning of Mile 13 looks like this.  They called it the "levee of doom"  My thoughts. "hello flat land..!!!! "  Levee's are my jam!    I put on some Downton Abby music and then Depeche mode and I chugajogged in!               I LOVE THAT LEVEE!!!!


I got a medal, a great shirt and the trophy for Dead Last Finish in the 1/2 marathon. IT is a
Finisher trophy.  And that's all I am saying about that.



Endorphins, a bit of sunshine and an accomplishment.  I feel on my
way to being a real "ultra" runner.



I like to look at the journey where my feet took me.


I love to see the ups and downs of the course..there were some tough stuff  from miles three to 9.  I grew strong,  I hurt and I completed that course. What is next?


Thanks for reading.   The insight to this race is that I have to have fuel to jog 13 miles on the trails. (nuff said about that).    I have another trail story to share next week that is not my story...and it is EPIC.

Cheers Friends.