Having done five 5k runs this year and felt ready for a new challenge. So I signed up for a 10k and was excited it was also a trail run. Boy was I not thinking this through. A 10k is 6 miles! And this was a legitimate trail run with dirt, trees, steep uphills and paths that zig and zagged. I've hiked 6 miles with a 30 lb pack, but running a trail is not the same.
The first half of the race went well. I love trail runs and this one had amazing a beautiful view of Folsom Lake. I used my 5k strategies: 1) run, no walking and 2) pick someone and chase them. This worked, until it didn't. The first mile was all down hill. I've been on enough hikes to know that down hill means uphill is next and the uphill was steep. But I soldiered on running, no walking. I finished the first 3 miles in 35 minutes, which is on par with my 5k times.
The uphills just kept on coming and eventually I had to walk. A couple of times I had to actually pause. I half hoped the race was a 5k loop that you ran twice, so I could stop after the first loop. Sometime after mile 4 it stopped being fun and even ego deserted me. I walked as fast as I could, but my body and mind were kinda done. I mustered up my remaining determination to run the last mile. I really tried to run it but the terrain was ankle-breaking and I no longer trusted my physical or mental state. I zombied through it as best as I could. The second 3 miles took me an hour to complete.
The last 200m of the race were on pavement and I had to summon everything I had left to run across the finish line. I have never been so happy to see a "Finish" banner in my life. Trail runs are fun, but hard. I wish I had done this run as a 5k. I think I would have enjoyed it more. So I ran my first and maybe last 10k. It is back to 5ks for me. They offer the perfect balance of challenge and fun. 10k trail runs are no joke!
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