Race report: Oak Openings Stampede Series of Races

Yesterday I ran the Oak Openings Stampede 25k trail race.  I don't have a ton of experience trail racing, but I DO have lots of experience running longer distances, so I thought...what the heck?  I'd heard it was a great race so I signed up to see what all the fuss was about.

I loaded up on a big old bagel with a generous amount of peanut butter that morning because I knew I'd need something that would sustain me on the course.  There were aid stations every ~2 miles or so, and they were stocked with various snacks as well as hydration, but I didn't want to have to eat too much while running.  I was also avoiding Gu as much as possible since the last time I used it at (Glass City Marathon in the spring), it gave me a heinous stomach ache and some horrible GI side effects (a google search told me I'm not the only one with a "Gu intolerance").  I haven't experimented with too much else than Shot Bloks and Clif Bars since then.  P is still sidelined with knee problems, but he volunteered and was working the 8 mile water station, so I gave him a Clif Bar and told him to keep it in his pocket just in case I needed it when I got there.

There was a great turnout for this series of races....they had over 250 people pre-registered between the 3 courses - a 5K, a 25K, and a 50K (which was the 25K loop, twice).  The weather was perfect - in the mid-50's when the race started at 9am.  It was not chip timed, and the start took a little bit as the 25K and 50K'ers all took off together.  But, I was ok with walking for a few minutes since I knew we had a LOOONG ways to go!

And they're off!  We are in grey long sleeved shirts.

 The course basically went around the perimeter of Oak Openings park.  It's mostly dirt trails and very narrow through much of it (scary narrow, in some areas...like there there's nothing next to you but a hill to fall down!).  I was NOT running for time, just running to do it and to finish...so my SIL and I decided to partner up and stick together for the whole run.  We fell into an ~11 min/mile pace for the first half, which put us in a nice spot...we were virtually all alone for most of the race....we could just barely see the pack that was up a couple hundred feet in front of us Thankfully, the trails were also EXTREMELY well-marked with flags and spray-painted trees, so we had no issues with getting lost or anything like that.

The first 10 miles or so were pretty fun, minus one area about 4 miles in where there happened to be a swarm of angry HORNETS just hanging out on the trail and stinging the crap out of people's legs!  I somehow managed to come out un-stung, but my SIL got stung twice...some runners got it MUCH worse....thankfully not far from the hornets was an aid station where they had a bee sting relief pen, so that was very helpful!  Aside from the bees, there were lots of tree roots to avoid, some downed trees to climb over, and the typical mud/rocks/hills/stumps/slopes/holes/spiders/woodland critters that one would expect to encounter while trail racing!   I was rather sure I would trip over something and fall and/or break a bone, but I didn't....I came VERY close lots of times, though.  The hills really started around mile 6, but my legs were still feeling quite fresh so they didn't bother me at all...in fact I felt very rejuvenated and up to the challenge, so I got in front of SIL and we even picked our pace up quite a bit for a couple miles, passing several people. Our Garmins weren't working due to all the trees, but it definitely FELT like we were maintaining a faster pace for a while.

When we got to the mile 8 aid station I was still feeling great.  This was P's station, and he made sure I drank some water and they also had orange quarters there which tasted divine!  We stopped and hung out there for about 4-5 minutes before we headed back on our way through the woods again.

Miles 8-10 brought on more hills.  My lower back started to get tired from leaning while running up so many hills.  At mile ~11 there was a random set of wooden stairs that you had to climb down to cross a bridge...I didn't realize how stiff my legs were until we had to walk down those steps!  One couple passed us right about in this area, and that was the last set of people that would pass us.  We fell into a position we'd maintain for the rest of the race...there were 4 people we'd pass, then they'd catch up when we stopped at an aid station....then we'd pass again....then they'd catch up....they were very good sports about stepping off the trails to let us go by each time though.  One even said very kind and encouraging words each time ("You look great!"  "Keep it up!" etc).  I thought that was so sweet.

It was around this time that I got hungry.  First I thought I was hearing a bullfrog croaking or something but no, it was my own stomach growling!!!   I started kicking myself for not getting my Clif Bar from P when I had the chance.  And we had JUST passed an aid station at mile 10.7 where I only had water and skipped out on food, too.  My SIL had brought her fluid belt and a Gu so I took just like 1/4 of the Gu with some of her water.  Thankfully it sat well in my stomach and gave me a little sugar so I could keep going.

Miles 12-13 were tough, our pace slowed to what I'd estimate a 12-12:30 min/mile We were running out of things to talk about, and were starting to complain about how much our bodies hurt. I let my SIL take the lead on the trail for a while.  My footstrike was totally not normal for me due to the uneven terrain (I'm used to road running, not trail), and as a result my right ankle was tight and hurting, and the middle toes on my left foot were sore.  The backs of my thighs felt knotted up.  Thankfully I was still in a good place mentally so we kept puttering along, waiting and waiting for that Mile 13 marker.  We just wanted to see it so bad, as it would mean only 2.5 miles left!

We passed the marker and there was an aid station just up the trail from it!  And they had COOKIES!!!!  Yummy vanilla sandwich cookies. I stuffed  2 of them in my mouth and chased them with some water.  This was the home stretch, and I felt pretty good after that.  I loudly announced "If this was a half-marathon, we'd be finished by now!" as we took off back down the trail.  Nothing like a little delirious running humor!

(Side note: I'd love to know what anyone who was within earshot of us talking on this trail thought of our conversation, which ranged anywhere from talking about what to make for dinner, to discussing the movie "Sharknado".  Yes, we talked about literally EVERYTHING.)

Our pace had slowed to a shuffle-y type of run by then, but we just kept trotting along until FINALLY we emerged from the woods and the finish was just ahead!  As soon as we emerged we could hear our running group screaming and cheering for us from across the water.....I am not sure of official time (since our Garmins were like a mile off) but I believe it was 3h 15m on the clock.

Coming through the finish chute!  And we were not DFL!  Woo hoo!

Not bad AT ALL for stopping and hanging out a few minutes at every aid station on the course (plus a couple times to take sticks out of our shoes, fight bees, etc).  We got some really cool finisher medals (they look just like the trail markers) and after turning in our popsicle sticks, we hobbled over to meet with everyone.  I started stiffening up immediately.  I took my shoes and socks off and sat in the grass.  I was thirsty and felt a little lightheaded but that was remedied by some water and a banana.  P was there too....he'd been relieved by some other volunteers (remember, there was still a 50K race going on...some people were doing that 25K loop TWICE!  HUGE props to them...especially having to run through the bees again!).  Most of our fellow running club members waited around for us to finish.  They all had bee stings and one had fallen on the trail and injured his knee....but we all made it!

Medal front

Medal back

(Almost) All of us after completing the 25K.  Notice, I am far away from everyone else. Because I was very sweaty and stinky!

 I started getting cold because my running clothes were soaked in sweat.  I forced a smile through some group pictures and then we took off for home where I immediately showered in super hot water for half an hour and came out to the BEST grilled cheese EVER that P had fixed me for lunch.  A couple handfuls of yummy, salty potato chips later and I was feeling on top of the world again!

This race was super fun - VERY challenging (perhaps even more so than a marathon), and gave me a whole new respect for trail running!!  But I will do it again next year!

Thankfully I used my foam roller several times yesterday so I'm able to walk today...a little bit stiff but otherwise feeling good!

And....Nails of the Moment:  Honk If You Love OPI....Dark purple-y red creme. One of my favorites so far for fall!  The creme shellacs seems to stay on me better than anything that has glitter or shimmer in it, so I'm trying to stick with those.  This is just a quick snap of it with my iPhone, that doesn't pick up the reddish/burgundy type of undertone that it has in it in real life.  From now on maybe I'll try my DSLR for these.