Run Ros Run by drakethecat

Adapted from another site:

Went into this one hoping to run strongly and pass people when I could, but more importantly to stay upright on trails covered with leaves and in some areas a little muddy and slippery. The last thing I needed was to twist an ankle two weeks before Philly. Time was not so much an issue, and for that reason I picked this race above a 10K where I might have tried too hard to PR.

I've done this race several times. It's one of my favorites. Small (maybe 300 people), and a real "runner's race." This year 5.25 miles (it varies a bit year to year) through a forest preserve on the far west side of Chicago. When I ran two years ago the course was 5.1 miles and a I averaged a 10:41 pace.

Weather was cloudy and cool when I left my house and was sleeting and 35F when I parked my car. I had a few doubts about my outfit of shorts, LS thermal top, gloves and beanie but figured I would warm up once we got moving.

First mile was 10:00, including an area just after the start where everyone was forced to walk and climb over a fallen tree. Actually there were quite a number of trees over the path, most of which could be just stepped over.

The route was partly uneven asphalt covered with leaves, some single-track, a couple of grassy fields, one slightly muddy underpass, a couple of miles of dirt/mud trails, and one river crossing (the water was shallow enough to largely avoid wet shoes. Some years it's been ankle deep).

I did a pretty good job staying patient and concentrating on the trail. Was not passed too much and did some passing myself. About half-way through the race, when picking my way along the river on a hard-packed dirt trail, a woman came up very close behind with a really loud footfall. I thought she was a guy at first. I found "Leadfoot" a little irritating (following too close) and a distraction. She finally passed me when we were on a wider part of the trail. I passed her when she stopped to walk at the final water stop, then she pipped me again just before mile 5. At that point my whole race became head to head combat, focused on staying close to "Leadfoot" and seeing if I could muster a final sprint. Either she slowed down or I sped up; I passed her for the final time
with about 15 yards to go.

Final time, 51:04 for a 9:44 ave pace.

After the race, hot oatmeal and cold beer.

I finished 185th or something overall, but 2nd in AG (the fastest masters woman was also in my AG, which bumped me up a spot). I got a nice dog-tag; not up there with the skull from last week, but still fun. It was a great morning!

Thanks for reading!