Trail Run Extreme Race Recap

Every Memorial Day Imagination Glen Park in Portage, Indiana plays host to the Extreme Trail Run. For me I have a love/hate relationship with this race. I look forward to it every year but at the same time I know it is going to be tough. So I set out for race number two of this long week. This year I even convinced a couple of my favorite runners; Tim and Sue to come check it out for the first time. I wasn't sure if we would be friends afterward...

So Sue and I lined up together. While Tim set out to find a runner to run with. Several other of our friends lined up with us also. I told Sue lets just stick together and tackle this together. So we set off. Running, climbing, jumping... then we hit the first creek crossing. At this point we are now covered in mud... so we sliding and running once again. Then we hit creek number two so then we are even more muddy and so is the trail. We tried to stick to as much grass as we could. We struggled through a couple of hills but kept plugging along. Sue did great keeping the pace really going. We even started to pick off some runners. Then we were coming down a hill and I lost my balance and fell. Sue was charging ahead but I was able to catch her. We also had one more creek crossing that was much deeper. I knew it was coming so I warned Sue. I also knew this one was easier if I stood back let Sue cross and then I went really fast through it. Then the course has a slight tease where you think you are done but you're not. So we set back into the woods for one last section. Then we could hear the finish line coming so we took off.  Both finishing in 1:21. Sue did awesome finishing in second place in her age group while I was 4th out of 15 and 137 out of 234.

This race is hard to really prepare for. It is different every year I run it. I love the eased pace and the comrade of the other runners who do trail races. I feel that it is important as a runner to be able to take yourself out of your comfort zone sometimes. I am so glad to report my friends Tim and Sue do not want to kill me, we are still friends and they had fun... so goal accomplished.