photo by Takao Suzuki
The Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival is one of my favorite events each year and I’ve had to miss out the last few years due to SIBO but this year I was finally back. The run has three distances – 5-mile, 10-mile and 50k either done solo or as a team. I chose the 10-mile distance this year and figured that if needed or if the weather was horrible I could drop down to 5-miles. The weather turned out to be perfect, temps in the high 30’s and no rain for days so the trails were in great shape and not a huge mud-fest as often happens at this event. Of the years I’ve done the run the weather and conditions were the best this year far and away. Since conditions were so good I was also able to run it in my Luna Osos and Tabus with a wool Injinji sock underneath it all. For once I wasn’t the only crazy person wearing sandals, another runner who I know was wearing the same setup for the 50k.
The event had sold out so the start was a bit packed and I began in the middle of the pack which was kind of a mistake, it was slow getting over the starting line and there were a few bottlenecks for the first mile or so where I got slowed down and there just wasn’t room to pass. Finally after about 2 miles I got into a clearing and was able to run without being slowed down for the rest of the event, occasionally passing runners and having a few fast 50k people pass me. I got through the first lap right around 45 minutes which was kind of where I was hoping to be, I wanted to finish in under 1:30 and had no intentions of pushing hard to get a PR on this one. Second lap went smoothly, I had my little gap and all the supplies I needed so no slow-downs at all. On the first big hill I walked to put down a Stinger gel, the first time I’ve tried to use a gel since getting SIBO but I figured I’d be OK with honey. That gave me enough juice to get through the lap and pick up the pace for the last mile or so. I got to the last narrow stretch before it got dark this year so never had to pull out the headlamp. I almost tripped on the big log that we had to jump but managed not to face plant and then sprinted down the hill and through the finish in 1:29:50 just under my goal. I finished 48/112 runners and 6/16 in my age group, not as good as I’ve done in some recent events but not too bad given that I wasn’t pushing hard and this was the longest distance I’ve done in a while. I was within 1 minute of my fastest Bridle Trails time and this was still the 3rd fastest 10-mile trail run I’ve ever done.
Next up Interlaken Icicle Dash in two weeks, I’m doing a 10k there and finally to round off the Winter Series will be the Frost Eagle event at Soaring Eagle on Feb 6 where I’m signed up for 5-miles but may switch to 10 if I’m feeling good that day and the trails aren’t a mess.