Winter Trail Run Series #1 - Wild Burro TH (Jan 23, 2010)

I did 2 of the 3 trail run races this summer (one on Mt. Lemmon and one at the Wild Burro TH at Dove Mtn.). I figured this was a great way to continue running and it also allows me to be slow because trail running is typically a bit slower paced than road running.

After raining for practically 2 days and the snow the mountains were getting, I was questioning whether this even would even get held. Ott (the RD) assured us that the wash didn't have water flowing and everything was good to go. So I forced myself out of bed at 5:45 am on Sat to get to the TH in time for a 7am start. As I was driving there I really was thinking that I should have brought a headlight and I was trying to remember if it was even light when we get to work at about 7:15?? (I tend to space out in the morning on the way to work.) I get to the TH where it is dark and very cold. Ott's wife is manning the check-in table and I pick up my number and tshirt.

These races are awesome because they are very low-key, usually less than 30 people and Ott takes really good care of the runners. He usually has water & coffee at the start while we're waiting and he sends his wife and kids out to a point along the trail with a water bag as well as a 2nd person if the course needs it.

We headed to the start and determined that only 2 of us were doing the short course (~4.5 miles as compared to 10.2 mi). That is also another perk, Ott will set up a shorter course (usually around 4-5 miles) for people who don't feel like doing the whole thing or those newer to trail running. We got off about 7:15 (it was light) and I had picked a 2 min run/1 min walk for this because I had been experiencing some hamstring pain in my left leg after PF Changs. I also didn't run the whole week so I figured I wouldn't be feeling too hot.

Almost immediately my left leg started hurting but it wasn't excruciating so I kept going and just tried to slow down a bit. Of course I also intentionally or unintentionally started to favor my right leg which would lead to later fun. The first 1.25-1.5 mi is flat winding on a broken up cart path through the wash. I actually chose to run in the wash since the rain has packed a lot of the sand down and it wasn't too hard to run in.

I got to the turnoff and stopped to get some water before continuing. This course was the opposite side of the race I did last year, so we took the Lower Javalina West trail. Most of the trail was pretty easy running with some ups/downs thrown in. I finally hit the rockier section where the trail started to climb from the wash floor and I had to slow down to a walk in most cases just due to climbing up the rocks. It was about this point where I noticed my right hip was starting to hurt. I also noticed that if I wasn't careful and landed a little hard on either side (stepping off rocks wrong, jogging downhills) that I would get a nice sharp pain in either one of my legs. Awesome.

I tried to slow down and just jog slowly on the downhill sections. Thankfully since it had rained the rocks were a little more slick and that slowed me down anyway. As I was headed up another uphill, I heard someone say "good morning" and I nearly jumped a foot because I had been looking down at the trail and a trail guide was coming towards me! After he apologized and I laughed it off I realized just how peaceful this run was. I had no idea where the other woman doing the short course was (she was behind me), and I started to notice that the clouds were dropping down over the mountain and I was wondering if the long course people were going to get caught in them.

I finally got back down to the wash and decided to try out the Wild Burro trail rather than taking the wash back. This was a really fun section where I was able to pick up the pace (and ignore whatever pain I had) and I felt pretty good. I eventually got back to the water stop, filled up my cup (I carried the empty cup in my pocket...where was I going to throw it??) and started the last 1.25 mi back to the finish. By the way, this is the longest 1.25 mi ever! The wash just keeps going and it is so easy to get off track. After taking a wrong turn and adding a bit of distance to my race last year, I switched to the map on my garmin so I could stay near my outbound track. Even so, I managed to miss a turn and had to backtrack a little bit.

I hit the finish in 1:08, which for 4.3 miles isn't too bad given the pain I was enjoying. The finish line food is always fun, we had bagels w/butter or PB, turkey slices, apple slices, cheese wheels, reeses pieces, cinna-sticks, water, FRS, powerbar endurance drink mix, etc. It really is a good, small race. Plus the price isn't too shabby. The only thing about these races is that it is so easy to vary from the advertised distance due to taking wrong turns in the wash or taking the cart path rather than straight back.

As a side note, the guy who won the long course finished in 1:27....10.2 miles in 1:27. On a trail. With lots of climbing. Yeah, that isn't cool. He'd scare me on a road. :-)