This weekend I participated in the Russell Forest Run in Alexander City, Alabama, at the Russell Lands on Lake Martin. There were two races hosted, a 5K and a 10K; I ran the latter. The morning promised to be cold, but about the time the cannon fired (a literal cannon) to kick off the race, the sun had risen high enough to start warming things up a bit.
The literature regarding the race described the course as "challenging," but I just assumed that's because it was a trail run rather than a road course. I was incorrect. The hills on the course were almost unbearable. Rolling hills. Long steady inclines. Creeping inclines that sneak up on you until your quads start screaming. It seemed like on this largely out-and-back course, we were running uphill both ways, in some sort of geographical anomaly.
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| Best thing I saw all day - Finish |
Nevertheless, the first sixteen seconds of video and a few photos from the race can be found in the video below.
My finishing time of 56:53 was significantly slower than the pace I had set out for, but I was happy enough considering how unprepared I was for those hellacious hills.
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Bummer about the camera. I ran behind you for most of the way. I was wondering why the heck some guy had a camera strapped to his head. Now I know. I lost you (well, you lost me) after the turnaround and I finished a hair's breadth under 60:00. Like you I was suckered in by the innocuous reference to a "challenging" course. Challenging my fanny. Some guy told me that last year, the finish line was at the TOP of that insane hill at the very end. Dunno if that's true, but I'm glad they at least put it at the bottom this year.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of nice to hear that someone else was commiserating in disillusionment. Thanks for sharing. And I too am glad that I only had to walk up that final hill.
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