There's a Black Fly in My Eye 15k

Ronnie the cat woke me up before 6am, so I had no trouble getting over to Great Glen for the 10am start. The lodge was jumping when I walked in with lots of people signing up and getting their goodie bags. (Dad, if you're reading this, I got a large t-shirt so you could have it!) The weather on the drive over made me wonder if I should have brought my rain gear - very misty with lots of low clouds - but the skies began to clear and it really was a nice morning for the race. A bit humid, but with a good breeze and only a few bugs.

At 10am sharp, we were off... It was a pretty good-sized field, with lots of faces I didn't recognize. I hung back a bit at the start, not wanting to go out too fast on lap 1, which is definitely the easiest. The course goes down into the main field at Great Glen, which was in full bloom - purple lupine, indian paint brushes, daisies and a pretty deep pink flower which I didn't recognize - and then into the woods. The first loop is mostly on the wide level carriage roads. I came through the exchange area (there are teams of 2 and 3 people competing, as well as solo runners) in around 27:00, and then was onto the Aquaduct loop. This is my least favorite of the three loops, as it is the most rugged with lots of slippery rocks on the steep uphill. I admit to walking a bit, but was able to pick it back up as the trail mellowed out a bit before the big downhill. This lap was the slowest, with me coming in over 32:00. Yikes! Time to pick it up!

Somehow, on the final lap, I got into a pace where I was alone, and couldn't even see the runner ahead of me, or hear anyone behind me. How does this happen? Oh well, I just kept on chugging. Up Libby. Up Dugway. Weaving through Wilding, and then down Grumpy. Although this is a tough loop with a pretty good uphill on Dugway, it is probably my favorite. It's a nice mix of carriage roads and single track, and allows you to get into a good groove.

Not the mention the finish! In the final 100 yards, you have to cross the East Branch of the Peabody River, and then climb up a short, almost vertical grassy hill to hit the finish line. Where else do you get to do that in a race?! :-) I finished unofficially in 1:29:19, which is nowhere near my time last year, but oh well... Perhaps it is lack of speed work? Regardless, it was a great race and a good workout!

Thanks to Amy, Mary and all the staff at Great Glen for putting this race on. It's tough but fun, and it's already on my calendar for next summer :-)

UPDATE - Official Results

Photos used above courtesy of Great Glen Trails.