Going into the third and final race of the OC Chili Trail Run series, I knew I had a chance to come out in the top three women but I tried not to think about it too much. I didn’t want the pressure to perform to keep me from doing my best. But Elise wasn’t going to let me forget what I needed to do that morning. Not only did she run with me for the first 3 miles, she made sure I was on pace and knew who I needed to beat and by how much to secure my podium finish. It’s good to have a racing friend like her on your side. It was also nice to have a year of racing (when Elise was pregnant & barely post-partum) where she didn’t beat me every. single. time.
Because of the previous night’s rain, the trails were closed, making this last trail run turn into a run on the hilly roads through O’Neil Park instead. That’s a game changer people. You just don’t know how differently people will perform on the road. And I didn’t know how my New Balance Minimus Trail shoes would perform on the roads either.
During the first mile, Tiger Legs guy (from Race 1’s infamous battle of Tiger Legs) pulled up next to us. I almost didn’t recognize him without his knee high tiger socks. When we asked about them, he admitted he only wears them on the trail to scare off mountain lions. Yeah. That’s why I wear my Sparkle Athletic running skirt too {wink} {wink}. Then I realized he was serious.
The girl who was also battling for third place stayed about 30 feet ahead of us for the first 3 miles. At the 3 mile mark, we hit a steep downhill and all Elise had to say was “go get her”. I knew it was time to secure the lead. By the end of the hill, I had passed and gained about 20 ft on her. I just needed to hang on for two more miles. At mile four, just like clockwork, I started getting the chills and struggled to hold down the dry heaves. Just one more mile. I held on. Barely.
Finish time (5 miles): 36:21
Overall (men & women) : 17
Age Group: 2
Series Results: 3rd Woman Overall!
I owe my podium finish to friends who believe in me, hill repeats at Hit the Mark Fitness Boot camp, my Team Sparkle skirt and my New Balance Minimus Trail shoes that performed on both rocky trails and wet roads. It felt awesome to stand up there among some amazing runners I totally admire.
{ 5 comments }
oh wow you’re awesome! I have just started doing a little running and am loving it… I would love to be able to do something like this – you are pretty inspirational 🙂
CONGRATULATIONS CARRIE!!! That is freaking awesome!
Twitter: beana619
May 27, 2012 at 9:11 pm
That is so rad!!! Congrats
As competitive as I am, I’ve loved seeing you run so fast! Congrats on a well-deserved series win!
That’s what the Mortensen competitiveness does for you. At least it helps. You are amazing and getting more so by the day.
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