Elm Creek Trail Run

Man oh man am I the only one who has been stuck with this sickness of coughing non-stop for the last few weeks. Well let's just say it sucks and sure puts a damper on running. After a few weeks of hardly running, and I mean hardly like 10 miles in the last 10 days or so. That sucks as it has been so very nice out to run all that time. Well Sunday was a day I was looking forward to for a few weeks now as I was having a few friends meet me out at Elm Creek park for a little trail run. I have this 25k loop I like to run out there and wanted to show it off to some folks and see what they thought as I hope to have a race out there maybe next year. So I had to suck it up and get ready to run.

Well I awoke at 4am Sunday to a great crisp morning. Sonya and I packed the van up and headed out to the park for a early start to the day. Sonya was looking to run 62 miles so we knew we needed to get going early. Helen meet up with us for the start so that was cool. Both Sonya and I thought it would be fun to run and talk more with Helen and what better way to get to know someone better than start running at 6am on the trails with them. After a great first 25k loop we meet up at the parking lot with a good group of maybe 12 people ?? It was a great day to run.

As we went out on that next loop I really felt myself being pulled in multiple directions since I wanted to run with and talk to all the different people. But as we all know that is just real hard to do ans there was many different paces being run. I felt like I was running a workout sliding back in forth between two groups. Plus I could feel my many weeks of sickness and lack of running starting to show itself around 20 miles or so. Once I got back to the van after 30 miles I knew I needed a break. I talked to some folks who seemed to like the trail even though a few of them got turned around a a place or two. I guess that happens when you can only mark the trail just a bit. I wish I could have talked to more people but I missed a few before they left.

After most everyone was gone I knew I needed to eat, stretch and rest as Sonya would need me on the last loop of her 62 mile day. So I sat back in the van and listen to my Vikes crush the Lions and waited for the kids to show up with our friends Ward and Joelle. Once the kids got there Sonya came in after 75k and was looking strong. The kids and I drove to a few places on the course to help her out then I went out for the last 5 miles or so with her. It was great to see how tuff and strong she was. The kids joined in for the last mile in the dark which was real fun. Sonya finished up in 11hours 24 mins for 100k. Not bad for a self supported trail run. I was happy with how my body felt running with her that last 5 miles after sitting around for many hours. All in all it was a nice day on the trails. I hope to have a few more of these before the snow flies. Thanks to everyone who helped Sonya and I pull off this day, and thanks to all who came out to run !!!