Notes
Syke! It's actually a 14 mile race! And I got lost 3 times so make that 14.5! (Some guy said his GPS marked it as longer than 14 so who knows....)
The course was two of the same loop on a strange trail. It was single-file, lots of roots (which were not spray painted), rollings hills, and lots of swamp/mud. My plan was to trot along and enjoy the first loop, and then see what I can do on the second loop. I knew the second loop wouldn't feel so great since I haven't run this far since college. During the first loop I settled in with a group. I talked a lot with 2 women, one around my age and one middle aged lady. It was really fun. The middle aged woman dropped back around mile 6 and after loop 1 the girl my age went to the restroom. I kept going because I didn't want to stop, so we both ran the last loop solo. The three of us got lost twice on the first loop, and I got lost by myself once on the second loop.
The second loop was really painful around mile 11 and on. I don't think I've ever been in so much pain WHILE running. In my experience usually the pain is after. It started in my ankles. You'd think I was trying to break my ankles because I rolled them so much. Then my knees, hips, and lower back (fingers crossed bulging disc doesn't make an appearance this week) were in pain. Left knee is still tender during extension, so I'll watch it. After the race my shoulders were even sore, and my right foot hurt while I was driving with it on the way home. Both feet feel tight now, so I'm going to do some mobility. Left achilles is also significantly more sore than right.
The soreness is definitely from the rough terrain.