Wildcat 50k

No, that is not a typo.  I meant to put 50 & not 5.  I case you are mathematically challenged (don't worry, I am) that comes out to 31 miles.  Yes, I ran the whole thing.  Because....ya know....I had NOTHING else to do on a Sunday afternoon.

I wasn't even sure I was going to run this race until just a few days before.  So, of course, I did little to no training for the event.  That is nothing new anyway.  I don't let that keep me from going and and having fun anyway.

Distance wise I know I can get the miles done.  The terrian was quite a challenge.  Where I live I don't have such a place to train.  I can swing over and catch the overpass by my house & call it a "hill".  Otherwise it's pretty flat where I run at on a daily basis.  The weather was unexpected.  When I had packed my clothes for this race we had been having cold 40 degree days.  When the race actually came it was mid 50's by 7 a.m. and reached 60.  Not exactly long heavy sleeve shirt & tights weather.  I was roasting by the end of my first loop.  I was able to at least ditch the shirt and put on something much lighter. (Thank goodness for my Goodwill buy the day before).  It was still warm.  And windy.  Because of where we ran though, we were sheilded from the wind.

I actually felt very good being out there running.  My knee started to bother me.  I think it's the steep hills that make it hurt.  Same thing happened at Screaming Pumpkin, another hilly race.  I have never had any problem with this area of my knee.  Only the last two big races.  So I don't think it's running itself, but the hills.  I knew there was a reason I never liked them!!!!  Not counting my stops in between each loop my total run time was 6:19.  All together with my stops and considering I didn't start until 10 minutes after the start gun my time was 7:04.

This race is very low key & laid back.  Other than a start gun & running clock there is not much else official about it.  You go out & run 5 loops to reach a 50k.  If you don't want to or can't then you do what you can.  When you are done you write your name & time down in a notebook.  There is no tshirt, no awards, etc.  Just the satisfaction of going a job well done.  I can live with that!

Here is a slideshow of pictures that I took along the way. A few are scenery I saw along the way, but for the most part you are looking at the path that I ran 5 times over. The course is so beautiful and yet so challenging at the same time. I know most people think I'm nuts for being as I am, but how can you not love it?!?!?!!?!?