Notes
So this was pretty much a disaster, but at least I won!
I actually started out right on pace, but something happened to me around the halfway point and I just started feeling really flat. I'm not sure if it was the trail, the circumstances surrounding my injury, a lack of rest, a lack of competition/crowd energy, or what, but something was up. I gapped the whole field by mile two and was totally alone on the trail (which was beautiful, but there was no one fucking out there -- and there were people walking/cycling that I had to go around at times). The race was honestly kind of pitiful and I likely won't do it again, but I can't complain about getting a win and also still running a time that wasn't my slowest ever (though not even close to my fastest).
Taking two weeks off and hopefully getting this knee shit under control (which, by the way, somehow never bothered me during the race itself lol). I feel kind of defeated and slow, but I will use this as motivation to come back stronger for the Jersey Marathon in the spring!