Coldwater Rumble Trail Run Race Report

Even though I know this does not sound like me, I did go to the race with any competitive intention. The race was 12 miles, and I only have ran that distance once since November. And, it was on difficult (hilly and rocky) trails: (photo courtesy of race website)

Trail miles are harder than road miles and I did not feel prepared. But I love trail running, as you guys know, so I was excited for the opportunity to do something a little different.

It was a chilly morning - we got to the race early and sat in the car awhile. Finally we braved our way and huddled around a space heater:


You see those mountains in the background? Yeah...we ran up those!

The race started on a dirt path and it started fast.
I was a little concerned about starting a race that fast, but at the same time, it felt good and almost natural. After the first 400 meters, I was the 2nd female and I maintained that position for the first half of the race.

The trails were curvy and sometimes you could get a good glance at those in front of you, and those behind you. Instead of chasing the number one woman, I decided simply to make sure that I stayed ahead of the number three woman. I was okay with second place and in fact, it sounded rather nice.

The number one girl maintained her lead. I could tell she was a serious runner because she had very fancy sunglasses.

At around mile 4, we entered a wash. I was expecting this and I was told running in sand was very hard. But it didn't feel hard to me at all - and by the time we were at Mile 5, that number one girl wasn't very far ahead. I considered catching her, but it was too early in the race to make a move.

By the time we reached the aide station a little past Mile 6, she was probably around three seconds ahead of me. It was tempting to catch her but we were already moving pretty fast - I knew that if I increased my speed, I would get tired and she would just pass me back. Also, I didn't want to lead the race. The trail was marked by orange markers, but it was a lot easier just to follow someone rather than pay close attention.

However, Mile 7 was uphill and I had no choice but to pass. Maybe she got a cramp, or felt light headed...maybe it was just a bad day.

I was having a great day though! My legs felt light, my muscles felt loose and I was so happy to be trail running. And I just kept trail running, all the way to the finish for an unexpected win!



I lucked out with this race because instead of going to my mother's house on Friday, they went to the zoo with my Dad. So, Mom didnt mind watching them so that I could do this race instead.

The kids had fun at the zoo:


But preferred the fake animals over the real animals:


However, please note that Brenna is wearing pants. Lately, I have found that I can actually reason with her but I don't want to talk about that too much yet so that I don't jinx it.