Oh What a Night...Psycho 10K Trail Run Fun

Friday Night Doug and I ran the Trail Nerd's Psycho Night 10K Trail Run. It started after 8ish as it was just starting to get dark. The first two pictures are before the race start as we stood around, met up with some people we hadn't seen in a while AND I had the pleasure of meeting my friend, who is FOR REAL, not just virtual anymore...Cynical Mud Babe. She is a doll! She is so cute, bubbly, tiny and full of energy. I look like a total heifer next to this little petite thing. Not sure we'll have any more pictures taken together unless someone can Photoshop me to half my size.

I hope this fall I'll be able to do a few more runs with them and maybe...just maybe...be initiated into the Mud Babes Clan. How fun would that be? I would be so proud.

I wore my cute little pink running skirt I just purchased. My very first one. I thought it looked kinda cute until I looked in the full length mirror and there are my beautiful black running socks. Tres chic!

Below is our pre-race kiss. Dick Ross from See KC Run took a couple of these pictures, Doug took a couple too. Thanks for the memories.

Just after 8 pm, the best Race Director around, Bad Ben, sent us on our way. There were around 78ish of us running. I, knowing my ability, start in the back-the best place for me. We head across a field into the trails and by this time, I've turned my head lamp on as it's just turning dusk. It's a great time to get adjusted to the head lamp as the sun goes down. You don't notice the change so much if it's gradual.

We head up and down hills, over rocks and roots and at the beginning it went pretty slow as everyone was trying to get their rhythm and find their right place, pace and space to run. I was running right behind Jen, our Team In Training Triathlon Coach. We were about a half mile in when she turns around and asks if this was a good pace. My response, "HELL NO! Go ahead." She takes off and I settle in to my own pace and glad I'm not trying to keep up with anyone cuz by this time I think my heart is going to pound out of my chest.

Ben, at the beginning of the race, warned us there were some muddy spots on the bridle trail. Really...how muddy can it be? It's August in Kansas City and it hasn't rained for a while. Let me tell you...it WAS muddy. Like suck your shoes off muddy. By this time I was running by myself, not really anyone ahead of me or real close behind me. I'm pussy footing around in the mud cuz...well...I don't know. It's not like I haven't gotten muddy trial running before-but I was nonetheless. About that time...SPLAT. I was in a mud hole calf deep. As I stride for another step...SLURP...off comes the shoe. And then I'm still in stride so that foot goes ankle deep in another mud hole sans shoe. Mmm...a mud bath. So I turn around, find my shoe, pull it out of the mud that sucked it in and tried to balance on one foot, in the mud, attempting to place my shoe back on and tie it-tight so it doesn't get sucked off again. Thank God for yoga classes. I needed that balance. While all this is happening, three girls pass me.

I continue on and eventually catch up with the three girls running. They were running at a good clip for me so I stayed behind and paced off them. It was nice not having to really navigate where the trail was, but just to sit back and watch my footing. We're still in and out of mud, running over loose rock, up and down hills. I mean HILLS! And then it's over a downed tree. We slow down as we have to straddle the tree to get over it. It's too high to jump and it's too low to crawl under so as I straddle the tree...bonk...a knee right into the tree. Ouch! Damn it. I'm okay and keep moving forward. More mud...the front guys are headed back in. Wow!

By this time, I'm thinking of Saturday morning's 6:00 am run start and thinking 16 miles 'eh? There is no way in hell I'm running 16 miles tomorrow.

We get in 'the famous triangle' and this is familiar to me. I remember this from the 10 mile Psycho Wyco Trail Run I did back in February. Down the hill and then back up. After we get out of the triangle, the girls I'm running behind are taking some walk breaks, I'm feeling pretty good so I pass and take the lead but not before I slip on a rock and smack the ground with my ass. Ouch. And this is fun? Heck yes it is! After a call, "are you okay?" and I yell, "yeah, if I wasn't you would have heard something else coming from my mouth!" I get up and continued on. I figured it was my duty to take the lead and give someone else a break. Kinda like bike racers do. Wow...how much easier it was when someone else was guiding me. They continue to follow and we're all having a great time.

We hit a hill and I power up that sucker like the ocean was on the other side. How I had this energy, I'm still not sure, but I did and kept on going. At this point I'm about 2 and a half miles out. It is pitch black out. The person ahead of me is way ahead of me to the point I can't see anyone ahead or behind me. It felt like I was the only one on the trail. It was So.Much.Fun. Out there in the dark all by myself running the trails. It doesn't get much better than this.

I have a good two miles left and am cruising at uber speeds of 14-15 minute miles! Lightening! I was having the time of my life. I love this trail running stuff. Why haven't I made time for more of it this summer? It's the best workout around.

As I come racing in, everyone at the finish is yelling and cheering me in. Everyone was having such a grand time. A lot with beers in hand cheering everyone on. What a finish! I loved EVERY second of being out there.

Finisher's Photo...

What a great race!

• Met my new buddy
• Saw old friends I hadn't seen in a while
• Ran the best $8 race on the planet
• Smacked my knee into a tree and bruised the heck out of it
• Fell on my ass
• Lost my shoe in the mud
• Ate the best Popsicles post-race
• Challenged myself to where I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest
• Laughed til my belly hurt having such a blast

You truly can't ask for much more.

We didn't get home til after 10:30 and didn't hit the bed til after 11:00. Then we were so wound up that we couldn't sleep so we were in bed wide eyed knowing we had to get some sleep to get up at 4:30 am to head out for the Saturday run.

At this point, I'm still thinking...I'm not running tomorrow, I probably ran the equivalent of a 10 if not 12 mile run on pavement. We finally got to bed only to wake up what seemed a wink later. I roll out of bed and to my surprise...not sore. At all. So I decide to throw on my running clothes and attempt my 16 miler.

It was nice and cool Saturday morning. A great break from what we have been having lately. I start out and am doing pretty well. A lot better then what I was expecting. Heading up hills was not fun.though. My hammies were screaming at me, but I soldiered up them.

My stomach started acting up, which normally never happens. I can't tell you the last time I've had stomach issues, not so good. I later realized that I had eaten a salad at 5:30 Friday night, ran a 10K kick (your) ass trail run and then got up and was running 16 miles. And considering I had burned 2 if not 3 times as many calories that was in my salad, I had obviously depleted anything and everything I had in my system. Hello...think I needed something more in my stomach? I think that's what the culprit was.

The clouds roll in and the skies darken as we received some nice, refreshing rain. Not too hard-just right. It was a very uneventful Saturday 16 miler. I walked a lot of the last 4 miles as if I ran, I was afraid of what may come spurting out unexpectedly and I didn't need that!

All in all. I really did surprise myself. I feel really good for accomplishing what I did within a 13-14 hour time frame. I can feel I did something but I am not sore. Great training for Goofy.

Oh What a Night...and Early Morning. What Fun!

Taco Bell is calling our names...see ya next go'round!