Search, Slip, & Destroy

RUN RACE: Wildwood Frozen Feet 12 mile Trail Race. abt 39-42F, sunny, but ground still frozen. 1:42 for a pace of 8:34. 6th/20 in 30-39 AG and 11th/61 gender.

I have a tendency to get the last song I've heard stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Knowing this, the last song I listened to last night was Search & Destroy (artist?)--fast song, lots of guitar riffs, and lyrics I can't really understand. When I got out of the truck, I reset the CD so that was the first song I'd hear on the drive to the race. So, Search & Destroy was the theme of this race.

"And I'm the world's forgotten boy
The one who's searchin', searchin' to destroy"

Woke up early, ate banana, cashews, a date, some tater tots. Oh and some cheese. I stil had 2.5hrs til the race, so I was OK. About 6 friends were also doing this race so I was looking forward to seeing them and setting a PR. The trail surface in the flyer was described as a mix of asphalt and natural trail. Natural trail....that could mean a lot of things.

The weather was wonderful, the race field small (122 total), and I was feeling great. I didn't warm up much, figured I'd warm up in the first mile. I seeded by 10K time into the 3rd wave, and there were 2 min intervals between waves. It wasn't long before I'd dusted my wave and set out in search of the one in front of me. Maybe I could have seeded better. But who knew my 10K time wasn't 54-55 mins anymore?? Not me.

The dry asphalt of the start quickly turned to hard packed snow. Some of the path was still available in areas allowing for some traction, but for the most part it was step-step-step over slick, rough surface. I focused on keeping a pace that was about 80% of max.

It wasn't long before I could see stragglers from wave 2. Seachin' to destroy...and picked them off one by one. Around the loop of mile 3, to the Y at mile 6. I hit mile 6 at 51 mins, meaning my 10K time might be closer to 50 than 55! Then up a looooooonngggg 2 mile hill. With ice. Search, slip, and destroy through this section.

Then down a 2 mile hill. This was fun, even though it was iced over a bit. Managed to pass a few more peeps here. Seachin'....

I should have had the gel earlier, but since I wasnt carrying water I had to wait for a water station. One at 6, one at 8, and the one at 6 available again at 10. So it wasn't until mile 10 that I took my gingerbread gel. Might have been too late, I started to flag at mile 11.

But having an out-n-back course for the start/finish miles let me know that the finish was close that the terrain was flat. I could see runners ahead of me, I decided to focus on catching them to keep going. Search' to destroy.

Recover was quick. Fatigue but no pain. Hard to make a PR on trail, but considering that it's early in the year and last year's fastest 12.4 miles was only 2 mins slower, I'd say this is a good time to open the season!

The race was awesome, the variety of terrain a thrill, and I'll definitely look for this race again next year.