The Pumpkin Push 5k is a favorite of mine. The challenge every year is to find a good (read clever and cheap) costume that I can race in and not overheat. K was game this year so we went as The Wonder Twins. Instantly recognizable to a certain generation (ours). This ended up being a great costume to run in. What made the costume work was K wearing a hilarious black wig. I raced and finished the run and then immediately jogged back to K and we came through the finish line together doing the "wonder twin powers activate" pose. it got a good laugh. k was recovering from a cold and running easily. This would not have worked if he was racing as he's gotten much faster. I would not have been able to get back to him in time!
The race itself was fantastic. After a longer warm up, I made it back to the start with just a minute or two to spare. This race always starts a bit late though so that works. Coach Lesley was lined up ahead of me but I thought it would be better to go back a bit and that was smart. We started and immediately I was at a good pace, not too fast or slow. First mile in 7:10 and that's what I'd hoped for.
I can never remember where that dang hill comes in and soon enough we were there. My goal was just to stay with it and concentrate on form. And it worked! I stayed right with people around me and didn't get passed. And I could recover once over the top. I stayed steady in the rollers and didn't go too crazy on the downhill section. Truthfully I was a bit nervous about that last flat bit into the wind.
However, I held it and finished well. I think that is the best I've ever run this course. 23:14 and I was second in my age group. "That was a good run" as Lesley said as I came in after her. yes it was! Typically it takes me a bit to get in the 5k racing mentality so this was excellent. Strangely not all the fast people showed up so I was second in my age group. I'll take it!
The next day I was mildly sore in my quads for my efforts but ready for the next challenge. Northwest Trail Runs was hosting a first time 50k on Cougar Mountain. Now I wasn't up to the 50k on such crazy trails but they'd asked for volunteers to "sweep" a section of the course and I was happy to do it. It turns out I'd be sweeping a section on Squak Mountain that I'd never been on before. Perfect!
I got there around 11:00 am and waited until I could go. Since I could not leave until the last runner had been through the aid station, I wasn't sure when this would be. turns out no one else did either. They had the count of runners at the start but no one had good enough cell phone coverage to relay this information. Eventually a race director showed up and after a bit of a think about timing for when the entire course would close, he sent me on my way.
I had a rope loop over my shoulder to pick up clothes pin confidence streamers (easily visible by runners as a check that yes they are on the right trail) and a pvc tube used to carry the pin flags and turn signs. Evidently you can get the tube to fit into your running backpack and just stick out the top. This makes for easy access and carrying. Well that didn't work for me so I tucked it under my arm and through my backpack strap. Not the easiest way to carry things but it worked. And I ran.
It was wet and drippy but not too cold. The trails are just starting to soften up with rain so it was muddy and slippery with newly downed fall leaves. I wanted to stay moving but I really wasn't in any hurry. The run starts with a mile climb and eventually turns onto the East trail which I've been on before. Then onto some different trails I'd never been on before. I never saw anyone and just enjoyed the trails. Steeper and narrower than on cougar and obviously less traveled.
After a long and easily runnable access road, I came to the next aid station and let them know they were done! That was welcome news for them as it was just starting to rain more. And then I started back up the mountain. I felt like I was just hiking so much that I had to figure out a way to do more running.
It took forever to get down off the mountain as they'd put up a lot more tags and tied them to branches. Sorry about all the twig trimming but i could not get them off any other way. I was told it would probably be around 9 miles and it turned out to be more like 11 but that was just fine. I'd do this again especially given the chance to explore some new trails. And I learned a new running trick. Yep, it was an excellent running weekend!
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