The terrain is very different than that of Washington.
The sky was blue and gray, and the ground was red. What a place! It almost doesn't look real...
This picture was taken near the end of the race. I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to beat my 10K PR, but I was smiling as I rounded each pumpkin that marked the course.
That's me running through the valley of the goblins. I wasn't scared, but I was pretty tired. The course was A LOT hillier than I was led to believe. My shoes were caked with muddy clay.
Another picture of the goblins.
I ran 5 of the 6 miles with Travis, a new running friend. It was great. He is the only person who has ever told me that I have a fast walk/hike up hills, and he was upbeat the whole time. He came in a minute ahead of me after he picked up the pace through the goblins. Yay!
Final time: 1:24:07.
Added bonus: the 10K-ers got a Goblin Valley Ultramarathon medal and shirt, so when I run around Washington, folks will think that I am an ultrarunner. Nice.
Thoughts for next year: It would be awesome if the 10K course could be altered into a big loop so that more of the park/valley could be enjoyed.
I made lots of memories on this trip, and I felt blessed to be out there enjoying nature and seeing a new part of the world. And while my time wasn't stellar, I am still proud of it given the hilliness of the course. All in all, a great day.
<3
