A DNF :/

last week (10/1) - 6,4,5,3 was hoping to do a long run but didn't have time since we had family in town, and i was also thinking of running a marathon the following saturday. so...

this week (10/7) - 6 mile hard run monday. and i ran it hard! since i missed a long run that weekend, i really wanted to run hard. and i was leaning more to not signing up for the 26.2 trail race this saturday since i missed online registration. but then i got an email that said i could register at packet pickup on thursday. so, i decided to go for it. thanks wendy. :)

rested all week-  from running.

saturday (10/13) - got up early and headed to a town a little over 2 hours away with my oldest. i signed up to run my 2nd trail marathon in the north face endurance challenge.  the temps at the 9am start were low 60's with a terrific breeze. it quickly warmed up to 80 by the end. the trail was the hardest trail i've been on yet (even for hiking). the chart didn't lie - just up and down the whole time. no flat stretches!!


there were so many, many rocks. roots everywhere. hills galore! i tripped a few times on a root and each time slammed my toes (which hurts so much!) but thankfully never fell. i started off too fast and knew it within the first 2 miles that i had to run my own race. so i looked down and picked my feet up - rock after rock after rock! sadly, i got sick at mile 8 and again around mile 12. that was a first timer for me.

the stretch between aid station 2 and 3 was 7.5 miles. i recalled helping the girl i ran with at the 50k and how she got sick and what i learned from that. i couldn't keep much down and started to feel a little dizzy here and there. my electrolytes were thrown off. so when i finally reached that station, i dropped at mile 17.5. it wasn't a hard decision since i knew it was the best thing. first dnf. great lesson.

it was a fun experience. trail runners are some really nice runners!  at one point, our paths crossed with the 50 mile and 50K runners, and each time i'd pass one, they'd say something really encouraging. so i caught on and tried to say it first when another would pass by. i mean, really, they're going twice as far! dean karnazes passed by and said "good job, keep it up!" :)

this race is the the same trail where a 40 miler is taking place in december  which i was considering. emphasize was... it's a very technical one to go that far on and honestly, i won't be ready for it in less than 8 weeks! and that's ok!