got schooled
this past saturday i ran the half marathon at the North Face Endurance Challenge which is staged in the nearby Kettle Moraine State Forest. first off, i’d recommend this event without hesitation as it is well organized with a well marked course and a great technical t-shirt. regrettably, my effort fell well short of my own expectations.
admittedly, i went out a bit fast as the folks ahead of me weren’t moving real fast in the paved first mile. once we entered the wooded trails that changed for the leaders while i began my slow slide backwards through the other racers.
the next mistake was that my recent training has been 100% on paved surfaces. adjusting to the rocks, roots plus quick up and down hills was a bit of a shock to my quads and i found it tough to get myself into any resemblance of rhythm. yet another mistake was that my pre-race fueling consisted of a single Clif Bar, containing only 240 calories. the beginnings of an impending “bonk” were apparent after 75 minutes of crashing the trails. with a little more than two miles to go, i downed a GU plus some sports drink and water at the aid station and walked a bit to allow my blood sugar to elevate a bit.
i was able to get myself rolling again and shuffled across the finish line so i can at least claim that i finished what i had started. beyond that, it was great to get some time out in the woods and not placing in my age group meant i would make it home for the noon kickoff of the sunday football games.
sometimes it’s good to be humbled. there’s still plenty of time for some fall road racing and then some snowshoe racing this winter. after having two days to dwell on the experience, i’m putting it in the rear view mirror and moving forward.