As I left the aid station at about 8.5 miles into the first lap I felt great. Also the terrain began to change, it was actually a beautiful run the 2nd half of the course. The only problem were the hills which were a little tough but I did enjoy the challenge. It really would be the course I would picture in my mind for trail running. I could not help but admire the beauty.
There are many reasons I run, one in particular is to be able to observe the beauty that God created. In a car you just can’t appreciate it. It takes the slowing down and watching to get a glimpse of creation. I really tried not to get tunnel vision and watch my time and mileage the next few miles. I had the chance to run with a great group of guys for the next 8 miles. I enjoyed some great and funny conversations and just the enjoyment of running with others who have done this before. They were very encouraging. I was able to stay well hydrated as well since the aid stations were much closer together at this point of course.
The toughest stretch here was an out and back in a gravel road that was downhill on the out and uphill on the back. After that the nice stretch of trails came back. We began to approach the start finish line to end lap number 1 and 16.7 miles.
I stopped off at my drop back to refill on sharkies (my favorite gummy snacks!). I really did feel good after the first 17 miles and was looking forward to the rest of the day. The weather stayed pretty mild the first lap and the shade of the trees was good. However near the end of lap number one I could sense the change. However for now I felt good and ready for more.
