This is what I wrote on Daily Mile the day after this race...
My first 10k race! and a trail race to boot! Two first for me on Saturday. This was a fantastic, fun, hard, confidence boosting experience. I hate to get mushy about a race but it was so so satisfying to see and feel so great and know it was because of all the work I put in to train for this race. I never walked. I passed multiple people and never got passed, no stomach problems and actually felt hydrated the whole time. The Camel Bak helped with that! :)
I did wear thinner socks though and I got two baby blisters, nothing crazy. I wish I would have worn sunscreen and bug spray too since we were running through the woods around a lake. But other than that I had a great time!
New pdr, new (automatic) pr, first time running a trail race or on a trail at all for that matter...I am still on a high from this beautiful race.
Picture of my muddy legs resting after the race.
6.49 miles
01:13:35 time
11:23 pace
4th in my age group, 17th female, 38th overall out of about 60 people.
Trophies for the overall winners, so creative right!?
The only bad part for me was waking up so early and driving an hour to Stuart where the race was being held. Driving home after with sore legs was kind of bothersome as well but I was in such a good mood that I didn't care as much.
I would 100% recommend participating in an event put on by Green Paw Adventures, the company who hosted the Gator Ultra. They were kind, courteous, very organized, and you could tell the really cared about hosting a great race. The course was very well marked. We got a very nice long sleeve technical tee that is even women's fit! Snacks and heed were provided for runners participating in the 30k, 50k and 100k.
My favorite thing about the race was the family feel. I never felt out of place even though I was by myself and knew no one. Most of the people there knew someone else or had family running. We piled chairs and coolers around the finish line which was also the turn around point for the people running further than the 10k. I sat for almost an hour after I finished to cheer on runners and talk to people.
