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Rattler Trail Half-Marathon - Sanford, NC - May 24, 2014 (Read 19 times)

jicama


Did we win?

    Were any of you there today?  It was the hardest event I've ever been in.  http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=26667

     

    This race is billed as "one of the most challenging half marathons and marathons in the state of North Carolina."  I don't know about that, but the trails were the hardest of the three I've done here.  Other runners agreed that the trails were very technical; very little of it was easily "runnable".  The trail looped back over itself so many times in this small park, I never knew where I was going.  It was marked well enough, but there weren't any mile-markers.  My watch never does well in the trails, so I never knew accurately how far I had gone (beyond knowing how long the separate loops were).  The worst point was when I knew I was somewhere near the end and approached a landmark only to see the trail loop back into the woods.

     

    I haven't trained enough since taking the winter off to rest a hurt ankle and training less aggressively to avoid a recurrence, but I certainly didn't expect to take 2:52 to finish.  For reference, the winner finished in 1:44 and my sub-four trail-marathon friend took around 2:20.

    2014 races"

    Heart & Sole Half-Marathon,  Goldsboro, NC, Feb.8, 2:22

    Umstead Trail Marathon, Raleigh, NC, Mar. 1, 5:48

    Johnston Health Champions 5K, Smithfield, NC, 26:53

    Rattler Trail Half-Marathon, Sanford, NC, 2:52 (wow)

     

    2013 races:

    Heart & Sole Half-Marathon,  Goldsboro, NC, Feb. 2, 1:56:40 (PR)

    New River Marathon, Todd, NC, May 4, 4:59:32 (PR)

    Triple Lakes Trail Race (40 mile), Greensboro, NC, Oct. 5, DNF after 31 miles in 7:48