This is my race report from my 10k Stomp the Mega Quarry Race on July 28th:
The race was billed as a diverse course that includes rolling country hills and trails. It was held in a little town. There were about 40 Half-marathoners, 39 10 k participants and about 250 10k walkers/5k runners/5k walkers. We parked away from town and were brought to the start line by hay wagon! Fun, but I was picking straw out of my shorts for awhile after I got there. Here is a pic of me on the hay wagon:
The first 3k was on rolling gravel hills. The run went right past the camp I was being camp nurse at and DH and my little one greeted me and cheered me on, and gave me a wet washcloth
Then the route diverted into farmer's fields where a trail had been cut in the grass/hay. I stopped running at this point because the ground was so unstable, the grass was very hard, and there were dirt clumps that were hidden but causing me to turn over on my ankle even when I was being careful. Then came the hills:
This wasn't the worst hill. It was long and steep though. I took this pic about half-way up. At the top was another hill! Then after those hills we diverted away from the 5k racers and through another field. Some women I had been running with were stopped ahead. This is why:
Those cows were lowing so loudly! They were not happy that we were in their space. First, we had to climb this:
Once over, we decided to go around the cows, who were standing right on the trail. We picked through the cow patties and around the cows, and then the trail turned to more forest (the Bruce Trail). In the forest there were more cow dung piles to step around and tree roots, and obstacles, so it was slow going in here. Another cow fence ladder thingie to go over.
Finally, we were out of the beautiful forest, and were rewarded with an unending gravel hill. It was BRUTAL. It was about a km long, and my watch said 10% grade. I'm not sure if that is a lot or not, but it kept going. A cute police officer checked on us, but drove away in his air conditioner cruise, quite cruel, actually.
Finally we made it on to the regular rolling road again with finer gravel, and were rewarded with a water station, and some kind firefighters who sprayed us with water from their hoses (manual ones, not the high-pressure hoses!
We were on the final stretch. I realized that there were no runners behind us so I really pushed the last kilometer so I wouldn't be last to finish. I finished 15/17 of the women, but really we all finished within seconds of each other. I think my chip time made me the slowest by a few seconds of the running 10kers, but the gun time I wasn't the last. Small race - I knew that I might be last but that's ok!
Don't think the photos are very flattering - but whatever!
My time was super slow: 1:38:01 but the trail was so challenging. It wasn't a road race - it was at least half trail, and completely hilly, even the road bits. The half-marathoners were all pretty slow - and they looked like strong runners - when I saw their finish times.
I guess I am a bit bummed that I finished so slowly, but I really wasn't racing and it was an enjoyable race, cows and hills and all. I had FUN. Even though I came alone I met some terrific women and so that was a bonus. They were more experienced runners than me with a half marathon under their belts and we agreed that it was a difficult race, and finished together. Just wish I were naturally faster with better endurance. But heck, I came out and finished. And I finished very, very strongly, running about a 6:30-6:45/km for the last 1.5k so I am happy with that. I finished with lungs burning and at 100% effort, so that is good. I'm just not willing to run on unstable ground, or where the likelihood of injury is very high. I just wish I had a time of which I could be proud.
