Trail run race and DM Meetup The first DM team consisted of #1 Dave G, #2 Ray J., Dave F., #3 Achillex, #4 Dave G and me on one team. On the other DailyMile team, we had Jason R., Eric M. , Marta B. and some guy named Bob. (not on DM).

They call this running trail "technical". I don't know why this would be called technical, because there was no technology in the creation or maintenance of this trail. At the beginning of the race, there was a dusting of snow on the ground. The trail was marked with white spray paint before the race. A lot of good that did! Thankfully, the race director ran the first lap with the front-runners.

Instead of 'technical', I could describe this trail as, "Mud" I was the relay runner #5, and by the time it was my turn, the #1 Ultra Marathon runner had already finished his 50k run (!). (Just a tick over 4 hours) And by the time it was my turn, there were 100 other runners who had turned the trail into a pudding-like consistency. The sound of my run sounded much like "splork splort splork splort" There was very sloppy footing, and I am certainly no trail running expert, having only done 4 trail runs in my life. (3 in the last 3 weekends). It was like running on marbles. I'm not complaining, just explaining.

Somewhere on the first half of my run, there was a lady who was running the ultra. She had gotten by about mile 25 at that point, and was emotionally falling apart. The trail is complicated and hard to follow, and she got lost. I showed her the way (This was my first time through the trail, how could I lead somebody who had been this way 5 times before?!). She was very thankful, and we ran the same pace until I got to a downhill stretch, and I left her behind. (Think freight train). I passed about 5 other ultrarunners along the way.

Right after I passed the old skinny dude, the trail turned right. I stubbed my left big toe on a root, and I kept going straight. It bent me over 90 degrees as I was trying to get my feet under me again. A big tree was right in front of me, and I could have konked my head right into that tree.

Thankfully, I aimed just a little bit to the left of the tree and crashed into the thorn bushes, while holding my right arm out. The right arm hitting the tree straightened me right back up, and I kept running. It was awesome and funny at the same time. I wish somebody got that on film. The old ultrarunner guy behind me said, "I was going to ask you how your Vibrams were holding out on this trail run, but I guess I just got my answer."

The old guy passed me, and I never caught up to him again. I didn't let anybody else catch up to me for the rest of the run though.

My left big toe is kind of sore, and probably not broken.