FIBARK 10k Trail Run Race Report

Pre-Race:
My husband decided to do the 10k trail run too, so we got up early, dropped our boys off at my sister/brother in-laws house (we were staying in a hotel) and headed to downtown Salida.  The weather was absolutely beautiful and was probably in the mid 50s when we got to town.  We got to town about 30min. before the race start, registered my husband, and headed to a local cafe so my husband could get a cup of coffee.  He's pretty addicted to the stuff...ha ha!
Check out our race swag:

We dropped our stuff off back at the car, grabbed our hydration belts, and headed back to the start.   This was a pretty low key event, and the announcer said there were 77 registered runners, so it just made for a really relaxed atmosphere.  I was a little nervous, but more excited than anything.  I had decided that I was just running this for fun, but part of me really wanted to know what I could do (that's my competitive side..ha ha).

Before we knew it, it was time to line up at the start line.  The race director went over some rules (follow the flour arrows, pay attention to the signs, etc..) then said that we would be following the "expert" mountain bike course!  WHAT??  EXPERT mountain bike course??  That is the first time I got a little nervous.  Then, she said that there were no aid stations on the course.  I looked around and noticed that hardly anyone had water with them.  WHAT??  Now, I could probably run a 10k without water on a treadmill, but on the trails where there's no shade?!  NO WAY!  I was sooo glad that I had my Nathan waist belt with me. Finally, it was time to start!

The Race:
Or, what I like to call a story of ups, ups, more ups, and a SWEET downhill!

We took off, crossed some railroad tracks, then turned onto a dirt road that went straight up.  In the first half mile I was already sucking wind!  The road just kept going up and up and I wondered if it would ever end.  I knew that we had to go up in order to get to the actual trails, and I just kept hoping that the end would be soon.  I actually passed a lot of people on that road, which was nice because once we got on the trail, there wasn't really any room to pass without stopping and getting out of the way.    

Those are the train tracks we crossed and the road we ran on before going UP the mountain.  You  can see in this picture how far up we will go!!

Once we got on the trails, it would level out, then go up, then level off, then go up some more.  There was some little downhill sections, but I swear we just kept going up.  But, here's the thing, I LOVED IT!  I was having so much fun even though I was totally sucking wind!  It was soo beautiful running on the trails.  A couple of times I wanted to stop and take pictures, but then my competitive side would kick in and I'd keep going.  :)

I was able to run the entire race with the exception of one part.  We came to this section of the trail that was literally straight up and totally sandy/rocky.  There was no way to run up it.  I had to pretty much use my hands to climb up it.  That part totally zapped my legs and when I started running again I could feel my  QUADS!  OUCH!  But, then there was this nice little downhill section that totally made up for it.  Except, I tripped on a little rock and fell.  It could have been worse, but I caught myself with my hand and escaped with just this:  Phew!!

Finally, I came across a volunteer directing the runners and she said, "It's all downhill from here to the finish!"  I said, "Woohoo!" At first I was a little afraid of going fast on the downhill because of my little fall, and the little fact that I'm training for an IM and don't want to jeopardize that.  But then, I found my footing, found my groove, and just started booking it!  It was AWESOME!!

This was part of the trail heading back to town.  It was all downhill from this point on!

Finally, I could see the finish line!  I was so happy to have done my first trail run!!  I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face!  Woohoo!

I got some oranges, talked to some runners, and waited for my husband to finish.  He was really nervous about this race because he hasn't run more than 4miles since his marathon in Jan, but he did awesome!

Here are our stats:

For Me:

Trail 10k Time: 1:03

Division Place: 3rd in AG!! :)

For My Husband:

Time: 1:20  (I'm so proud of him!) :)

So, what shoes did I end up wearing???

An old pair of my trusty racing flats!  I am sooo glad I wore these because 1) The VFF Bikilas and the Merrell Pace Glove trail shoes are both minimalist shoes.  I was only up to 4.5miles on those and I just didn't want to risk getting an injury.  2)  The terrain wasn't bad at all.  We ran on a dirt road, and the trails were basically packed dirt with big rocks.  

My shoes did awesome, even on the downhill!  :)

But, look how dirty my feet got, even with socks on:  BLAH!

 And, check out my lovely salt stains from my visor.  Usually, they look like rocky mountain peaks, but after that race, it's just disgusting!:

Geez, sweat much??  YUCK!!  

All in all, it was an awesome race!  I am so glad I decided to do it.  If anything, it was just really nice to do something different-ya know?  I've gotten so used to running my same routes, that this race kind of made me fall in love with running again.  I foresee A LOT more trail running in my future! And who knows, maybe after IMAZ that will be my new focus?!  :)