Race report: Trail Mix 25K

My second trail race ever!  My longest trail race ever!  Done!

As I wrote about last weekend, my 10-minute trail adventure at Sabino Canyon last month reminded me how much fun trail running can be. I ran the City of Lakes Trail Loppet half-marathon a couple of years ago with Molly, but that's the extent of my trail running experience. I wanted to try another one, so with a little nudge from Molly, I signed up for the 25K at the Trail Mix, a race at Hyland Lake Park Reserve southwest of Minneapolis with 25K and 50K options.

And then this week I thought to myself, 15 miles is kind of a long way on trails. I was nervous, but I think it was the right balance of scared-excited that my friend Sara and I have discussed often comes before activities that end up being really worthwhile or formative.  I knew covering that much ground on trails would be a new challenge for me, but also that I would be doing the race with a good friend - and on trails, which can be tougher but also so much more fun than roads. It's not like we were trying to make course records fall, either.  We made the game plan to start out nice and easy and treat the whole thing like a relaxed long run, and if the nerves I'd felt the night before the race hadn't faded away already, they did then.

This race made me think of the phrase "stay on your mat." Did I hear that at yoga class?  Did I read it in another blog? To me, it means basically to focus on your experience (yoga or otherwise) and what your body is doing and needing, not looking around and comparing what everyone else can do.  That was how Molly and I approached this race: to have fun, to honor the experience of running out on the trails instead of on city concrete, to enjoy spending time with a good friend. I realized when we were on the road that I hadn't even thought to bring my Garmin to monitor my pace.  Even more fun?  I didn't care a bit!

Then, when we pulled into the parking lot, I saw this sign. 

And I kept mentally inserting "own" into the message, so in my head, I kept seeing "Trails...at your own pace!" Either way: an apt message!

Molly and I got to the park and had about half an hour to pick up our bibs and race chips and settle on an outfit before heading to the start line. That last task might sound silly to some readers, who might suggest picking out an outfit before getting to the race.  Not me! The weather forecast was up in the air: it might pour rain, it might be sunny, it could be overcast, it could be 40 or it could be 50. Those possibilities introduced a huge range of wardrobe options. I've never heard so much verbal uncertainty from the race field in the parking lot pre-race: "Are you wearing gloves?" and so on. I went back and forth about jacket versus vest - I'm realizing right now how mundane and totally boring this paragraph sounds, but at the moment it was very dramatic - and settled on a vest over 3/4 tights and a  quarter-zip top. I grabbed my little hat, too, in case the rain did roll in.

This was the view, walking to the start line.

And the sun kept rising, as it is wont to do:

And then we realized it was, like, 7:28, and we did a little dash to the start line. The 50K runners had started 30 minutes before our start, and I would estimate there were maybe 200 runners in the 25K. (If you know me, you know this careful estimate means the total field was anywhere between 50 and 2,000.) And we were off!

I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't drawn to the race in the least by its cute name.  Who can't get behind trail mix? What's even sweeter, and I didn't even put the pieces together until right now, guess what volunteers served at every aid station besides water and Powerade?  That's right.  TRAIL MIX!  Ha!

The 25K was two loops, and the runners spread out pretty quickly, on trails that were wider than some sections we covered at Wirth last weekend.  The course wove all over the park reserve, and it was just beautiful.  The trails were either wood chip or grass, and there were some sections that were so bouncy and cozy and soft that it felt like I was running along a fun little trampoline (in a good way).  My legs were loving it.  The weather turned out to be perfect race weather - about 45 and cloudy, with a light breeze - and I am grateful to Molly for reminding me that I would get hot with a jacket.

We motored along, chatting almost the whole time. I think there were three water stops per loop, which we appreciated. One fun fact about trail racing: it is totally cool (and even smart) to walk up big hills instead of running them, because it manages your heart rate and energy more efficiently over the long haul.  (I was really into that.) I also really like that at the start of each loop, the people running the longer race put coolers in the "drop area" stocked with their very favorite treats.  We finished the first loop, and the second loop's kilometers clicked by really quickly.  The whole race went by really quickly. I got a little burst of energy with a couple of miles left, but then by the time we approached the finish line, I was ready to be done. I saw the clock twice, once after each loop, and when we crossed the line, I realized that we had run almost exactly even splits for each loop. Nice!!

The finish line was stacked with more trail mix, which I finally tried after bypassing it at every water stop. That was amazing. I've also heard runners wax poetic about how fantastic flat Coca-Cola tastes after a long run, and I never quite understood.  Listen, Reader, they had Coke at the finish line, and now I get it. Oh! It was great.

I also felt surprisingly good, probably thanks to the forgiving trail surface. The 25K distance was undoubtedly a challenge -and I'm guessing I'll still be sore tomorrow - but it felt like I had run about five miles, not 15.

Thanks to Molly for encouraging me to sign up with her. This was one of the most fun races I've ever run. I loved the challenge and the experience, I loved running with a friend, and I loved spending a Saturday morning trotting around out in the woods.

I think I love trail running.