Blood Sweat and Beers Trail Race

The name says it all although I never saw any blood (thank goodness), but boy did I sweat on Sunday! The beer? Well, that was for Vans to enjoy post race after having to corral the Peanut and her mom’s friends all over Auburn!

Vans started off the weekend with a cold so I decided that on Sunday morning I would drive to the race start alone and he and the Peanut could meet up with me post race. Letting both of them sleep in a little I think was the better plan because on race mornings, I am a bundle of energy and it is all I can do just to get myself fed, packed and out the door.

Also, I have been really enjoying my solo drive to Auburn each Sunday. I have a ritual that I do each and every time. I listen to a little of Pink’s Fun House on the way up while sipping a Cappuccino Soy Milk (the perfect combination of calories, fat and caffeine pre run) and finish with a little bit of the Black Eye Peas to get the energy flowing.

This Sunday I arrived earlier than normal to score a parking space in the Railhead Park parking lot so that when Vans and the Peanut arrived, the jogging stroller and other necessities were close by. Van scoffs at me for wanting to get to races early but I love the pre-race calmness of just watching people get ready at their cars while the officials finish setting up the race course. A lot of work goes into putting on a race and when you just show up run and go home you miss out on all the hard work that people have done for you. Blood, Sweat and Beers was put together by Fleet Feet and they used Capital Road Race Management to set up the course. Rich Hanna runs CRRM and he is just another nice guy out there doing what he loves. Coincidentally, he also ran the race and won first place overall in the 10 miler! The man is awesome.

This was the first ever Blood, Sweat and Beers Trail Race so people milled about not sure what to do or where to go but eventually everyone made it to the starting area. I found my Summer 7 running group and we huddled together discussing running strategy.

Overall the race was great. A detailed race report would seem silly since nothing really too exciting happened. I ran the course way better than I had the previous Sunday thankful for having seen the route in advance so I knew exactly where to run and where to save some energy. I actually ran up most of Cardiac Hill on Sunday instead of walking like I had done previously.

I have also discovered the wonder of SCaps! I started cramping a little bit and noticed I was about 60 minutes into my run and it was quite hot out so I popped an SCap and voila! The cramps disappeared and I had a boost of energy! Those pills are golden!! I ran with my hydration pack as usual even though I probably did not need it. It is now a security blanket for me because I have goodies stashed in my pockets should I need something at any moment. Like an SCap!

The course was long and hard but the runners and weather were amazing. I had a blast and look forward to the second annual Blood, Sweat and Beers Trail Race.

One of the best parts of the day for me was finishing the race, seeing Vans and the Peanut at the finish and getting a HUGE hug from my little Peanut. Oh yeah and this picture! :-)