I absolutely loved this race! Challenging course in the open desert. Since I have never done a trail race before and have done enough trail runs to know that it is difficult to be as speedy on the trails I was pleased with my overall time. The race started off a little congested but opened up around mile 5 and some more at mile 7. Miles three through seven were a little technical which made it hard on the legs for a bit, but I learned a new strategy as I went along. The closer I followed, the more difficult it became to see the trail. I held back until I hit the hills where I used my breathing to continue momentum. I am glad that I had done some hills last weekend because it certainly helped out on the course. For the last half of the race, it was two other people and I in pretty close proximity and the course became less rocky. At that point, I decided to open it up a bit while enjoying the scenery. I am usually guilty of opening up to fast and while I was passed by a few people, it was not nearly as many that usually do. I did a pretty good job of managing my energy on the hills which made it easier to finish strong. Not knowing what to expect, my goal was a 9:11/mi pace, but I was excited to get about an 8:53/mi pace. They did have me in the wrong age group standings but it did not matter since both groups were pretty competitive. I think that it is good training to mix it up a bit and I would do another. Overall, I had fun and it was a great run and that is what is important.