Buck Mountain Mudslinger

    First trail run of the year is now in the books. The Buck Mountain Mudslinger lived up to its name in grand fashion. There was a mountain, and plenty of mud. There was more than mud, there were several sections of trail that were quite literally flowing creeks. The first water crossing was within the first quarter mile, so the entire 6-1/2 miles was run with very wet feet. Some sections of trail were so churned up it reminded me of the ground around the pond in the field of dairy cattle that was in the next field over from the little farm we lived on when I was young. Amazing how the feet of a couple hundred runners can create a wallow that would make a pig feel right at home. This run was steep, it was a mountain, after all. Long steep inclines were the name of the game. I chose to power walk the steeps, I can go nearly as fast with a lot less energy, and not risk triggering my asthma.
    It was a truly glorious day for a mud run. And we were in the Silver Falls State Park, one of the most beautiful forests on the planet. Yes, it was chilly ("Snotslinger" would have been an apropos name for this race), but the sun came out and it was glorious. Throughout the run I kept thinking what an absolute joy it was to be running through such a gift of nature, with the sun on my face, the fir tree fed oxygen rich air filling my lungs, and my body feeling strong and fantastic. I ran well, my legs and lungs felt great. Yes, I was running slow and easy, keeping it all below asthma level, but it was fabulous no matter what my speed. I was letting myself find the quiet within my heart and soul, not fretting about any minor tweaks and twinges, or if I was running fast enough, or how many people were ahead of me on the trail. None of that mattered. All that mattered was the sheer joy of being exactly where I was, doing exactly what I was doing.
    I did take a nice nap later in the day, I confess to having been out a bit too late the night before, and not following pre-race protocol, at all. I am surprised there wasn't a penalty to pay for my rambunctious evening. I promise I won't make a habit out of it, I need to practice my pre-race regimen for those races that are a bit more serious. Not that this race wasn't serious, it was 6-1/2 miles of rather technical trail, steep climbs, steep descents, and plenty of mud causing extra energy expenditure as well as the potential for knee wrecking injuries. I did a 70 minute recovery ride in the evening, followed by 20 minutes of stretching. as well as ate good recovery meals with ample protein and carbs. But today I am paying the price of those long downhills. I have to say, my quads are killing me, downhills are much harder on knees and quads. I did great on the climbs, having spent the last several months doing a lot of leg strength training for strong glutes, quads, and calves. But it is hard to train for downhill running, except to run downhill. This run did strengthen my earlier decision to not run any trail runs longer than 6 or 7 miles, it is pretty rough on the body. This year, no trail half marathons, I think they were at the root of some of my leg cramp issues. This year, all half marathons will be road races.
    Today I did another hour long recovery ride followed by stretching and massage roller work. Even so, I am pretty sure my legs will still be a bit sore tomorrow. But it is a reminder of a great run in a beautiful forest on a glorious day. I can't wait for my next trail run.