Willamette Mission Trail Challenge 5k Race Report

Long title for a short race!

On Saturday Zach and I ran the Willamette Mission Trail Challenge down near Salem. This is the third Run Wild Adventures race we’ve done this fall/winter. They put on really fun trail runs for a great price ($15).

I wasn’t planning on running a fast time due to my recent layoff from the rib injury. I have only ran a few short runs in the last couple weeks and no speed work. I knew I could run 3.1 miles no problem though so I went ahead with the race. Zach was running the 10k.

The course was flat but much of the course was very muddy. There was a particularly slippery and gummy stretch at the beginning and end that probably totaled about one mile (both races). That section was slow-going because you couldn’t get any traction and everyone was slipping around.

I ran pretty hard but never felt like I was going very fast. I felt ok, but my stomach was kind of yucky, like I could throw up. I took this to mean I was running faster than I thought. On the dry sections I was trying to pick up the pace but felt sluggish. The 10k split off after a while and I never had too many people around me to gauge my pace. I saw the turn to the end and kicked it up as much as I could and finished in 23:45. Not fast but good considering the course!

I ran over and grabbed my camera and jacket and made it back to see Zach finish the 10k. He did awesome, finishing in 42:46. He had a crazy race including taking a big fall (turns out about half the 10k runners took the same fall, judging by the mud marks). After that, a series of events caused him to finish carrying his sock: First, he lost his shoe in an especially deep and sticky mud puddle, without time to stop his momentum, he stepped into mud with his bare sock, then took off his mud-covered sock and put his bare foot in his shoe, and carried his sock the couple miles left. Hilarious! He did great even with this hiccup. This is what trail races are all about!

We stuck around hoping to win something in the raffle and see how we placed. In the other Run Wild races I’ve placed 9/30 and 17/89 so was hoping I could improve on that a little. They started calling out awards for the 5k and I was shocked to hear my name! I went up and got my certificate, and Zach had to tell me that it meant I won my age group! I thought maybe I just placed 3rd… I wasn’t really listening since I thought there was no way. It’s crazy! And there were a lot of people in my AG! I guess it just depends who shows up and this time I lucked out. I’ll take it. Zach placed 8th in his AG which he was happy with. We both had a really fun time and can’t wait to do another trail race.

Official results:

23:45 (7:38 pace)

1/29 30-39 Age Group

6/74 Female