It's all about the dirt

Another race, another day.  Actually, I was almost not going to do this race.  For one, I knew that I wasn't in race shape.  Yeah, yeah, I run alot, but I know when I'm the tortoise and when I'm the hare more or less.  Believe me, I've been the tortoise lately and then some. 

I ended up driving farther south than expected to pick up my race packet.  Cool schwag I must admit SDRI did a good job.  Got a sports bag, water bottle, gels, saltstix, coupons....very good.  It was comical, cuz at the end of the race there was one woman who was moaning to the RD about "why" she didn't get a race T.  She signed up late, like the day before or some such nonsense and the RD stated it would cost him money to have extra shirts made.  He did have xtra race T's (which were tech T's by the way), but were selling them at this point.  She was not happy.  She even asked if they had xtra water bottles.....sheeesh!  Get over it already and sign up for a race sooner you dipshit!

Anyhow, the race was on the trails around Lake Hodges.  I've run these trails many times before, so I was pretty familiar with them.  Figured the race shouldn't hurt too much, ya know?  Yep, that's what I figured anyways.  The race started almost 1/2 hr late due to the park ranger checking the course and making sure everything was a go.  Like whatever that means.  We start.  I get to chatting with some chick that has made it her goal to do a 1/2 mary every month.  I'm like...go girl!  She's going to do me in is what I'm thinking.  We ran together for a good chunk of the 1st 1/2.  I stop at the 2nd aid station to suck down a gu and have some water.  I'm really, really glad that I brought my flask of G'Ade.  They had Ultima on the course which I hate, ick!  Tho, it p'bly doesn't help that when I did the RnR way back in the day, the Ultima they had on course was chunky and not mixed up.  Yeah, try to suck that down at mile 18.  Uh-huh, exactly!  After this aid station we started climbing.  Like WTF?  I don't r'mber these hills being back here, damn!  Lots O climbing.  Tho what's a trail run without hills I'm discovering.  What happens here, somewhere on these hills, is that I take a berm of single track and tork my right leg pretty good.  I knew as soon as I did it....like crap!  My knee was tweaky BIG time.  Nothing like having issues when you aren't even done w/1/2 of the race yet.  So, of course after going up hill for what seemed like frickin forever, ya know what's coming....downhill.  I ran down these hills, and my knee was singing here and there.  I couldn't go whizzing by peeps like I usually do making up my slow ascent with my fast descents.  Yes, now you know my method of madness.  I finally made it to the turn around aid station and headed back.  It was not pretty.  Stopped to stretch here and there, ran a decent amount, then had to walk, cuz of the knee, stretch/run/stretch/walk/run......  Made it in around 2:10ish.  Not a great time, but hey, for gimpy girl here it was ok.

I have to say, they had a pretty good spread going at the end.  Even homemade chicken and pork tacos.  I would very much consider doing another one of these low-key events from SDRI.  I like the schwag and I loooved the food!!

Props to my hub's also, who woke up at 0-dark-30 to make me homemade french toast (on homemade bread that he made the day before mind you) before I took off for the race.  Also muchas gracias for the great massage post race.  :-))

Now, if I could just get my knee back to it's normal state of submission I will be a happy RP.