Xterra - Hampton Hills - My Fastest 10K Trail Race!

I was happy that this race was close to home, still I got up at 5AM. It seems as though I never get to sleep in but that's OK. I am happy to get up for a good trail run! I got to the race and saw a number of people that I knew. Julie wouldn't be there, though. She was doing a bike ride with her friend, Tom. As usual, I chatted it up with many people and soon it was time to start. I was talking to Tapatha before the race and she told me about hurting her big toe at the Warrior Dash. It sounded a lot like what happened to my toe at Oil Creek last year. OUCH!!

We moved to the starting area and soon we were off. It was only a 10K race (I remember a time when 6.2 miles seemed like a very long distance), and a double loop. Double loops can be good and bad; good in that you know what to expect on the next loop; bad in that you know what to expect on the next loop! Haha!!

Tapatha and I were running together but before we got to mile one, she fell back saying her toe really hurt. The course was a fairly easy one as it wasn't real technical but there were a couple of good hills, some with stairs. I found it much easier to run than a lot and was making pretty good time.When I got through the first loop I saw Vince from Vertical Runner. I shouted, "I like this course, I can actually run it", and I was running strong. I felt some sort of redemption for always being the "slow one".  I was actually running right along with other people! It felt GREAT!!

When I got to mile four, I suddenly felt massively sick to my stomach. I had a ginger chew in my waist pack, which I ate immediately. I was getting waves of nausea. Tap caught up with me and I told her to go on if she felt up to it as I didn't! About that time I hear "She's walking". Oh God.... it's Lee and Gabe. They were impressed at how far out on the course I was, but disappointed that I was feeling so badly. The mere fact that they were out there really helped me and kept me running. Gabe started running with Tap, giving her pointers and Lee stayed with me. She helped keep me motivated and on track. She told me that the faster I run, the sooner I would finish. We hit the last uphill and I was struggling. This was the LAST uphill, though. It was all downhill from there. I flew through the finish line chute and was handed an Xterra shoe bag and told that I had finished second in my age group! I was happy! I had really hoped, but didn't really think it was possible, to finish in under 1:30. Well, I did! I finished in 1:23:33! A PR on a 10K trail run!