Random shot before the start
Me in the centre , Linda with the shades talking to Judy
Startof the twelfe k.m trail run
Iinda finishing the Gutbuster. Getting ready for the race took a bit of doing I always wonder what I should wear, shorts or spandex, okay after i thought I should wear running shorts It was decided that I wear spandex the reasons for this was it was still kind cold out and I did have to run through rugged terrain and water so I made sure they fit proper seeing with the muck and water we ran through I didnt want them to slow me up by having to pull them up every second by the weight off the water and dirt that seems to collect on your legs when you run trails. For my runners i decided to use my Solomon trail runners over road runners although I did take out the Solomon insoles and replaced them with insoles from my Loco runners , they had have an higher arch support and a higher heel support, this would give me more support for my Achilles when running up and down the trails, the trail runners have a steel shank there fore it didnt matter so much if I stepped on sharp rocks, road runners usually have softer soles so that you feel everything through them when running on rocks or roots. The sides of my runners have a mesh on them , so that the water is only in your runners for a second, and your feet feel dry after a couple of steps out of the water.After waiting on Westwood lake beach for awhile I started to get a bit cold but once the short course started it didnt take long to warm up. the trail wandered passed the lake and here the running was great you had a groomed trail to run on but things changed in a hurry the first mtn bike trail they found and we were off on single track, { single track is a mountain bike trail that takes you up and down over and around rocks, trees,roots and anything else you can throw at a biker] that led you up the side of mt Benson and the climbing started Up we went it would have been allright but unlike road running here you had to watch out for where the rocks were or how you would place your feet in between the roots that seemed to jump up all all along the trail wearing bifocal eye glasses didnt help at first and once I adjusted them a bit lower on my nose the trail seemed to be visible to me and I could see where I was going. the trail it self was great as long as you watched where you planted your feet one moment you would be running up a hill exhausted panting for breath but you keep going screaming down hills and slippery trails, grabbing a branch a small tree to slow down or twirl around a corner , jump in a creek not thinking oh i,m going to get wet, thats what I like about the Gutbuster.
After the rain we have been having most of the track was muddy and we run through a few creeks but the water wasnt as cold as I thought it would be, and the water actually felt great when running through it although it was over my knees and I ended up walking through all the creeks one creek you had to jump in the water came close to your middle but it was a narrow one so you were out of it before you knew it,the mud pond was a bit tricky also getting to it you had to run through a mud field which seemed to get softer as the race was going on, the more runners going through the mud the cloudier the water got and once getting through it you ran through it on a muddy trail to go though a ditch filled with water to clean you up a bit, then we headed up a steep hill by this time my legs were getting tired and ended up walking a few steps you ended up on some road that you had to cross to head back on a new trail which had been made for the gut buster race a few cedar britches you had to cross and more roots to maneuver through and more climbing by then at last a nice gravelly trail to run on meaning the finish wasnt far off. The trails were well marked and the course marshals were help full in telling you which way to go I enjoyed the race but missed seeing the waterfall that was along the course although there was lots of good sights and scenery along the whole course and even though the course was hard it reminds me how much better i like trail running then road running . But like always the thing is prepare your selve for the race that you are going in, Run Smart-- Train Hard. My road running did help me with my time seeing I placed 22 over all and did the 12,5 k.m race in 1:22:59 but being ready for a trail race stil needs you to run hilly trails and not to take them for granted. Even doing repeats of the same hill 3 or four times helps,
Random shot before the start 
Me in the centre , Linda with the shades talking to Judy 
Startof the twelfe k.m trail run 
Iinda finishing the Gutbuster. Getting ready for the race took a bit of doing I always wonder what I should wear, shorts or spandex, okay after i thought I should wear running shorts It was decided that I wear spandex the reasons for this was it was still kind cold out and I did have to run through rugged terrain and water so I made sure they fit proper seeing with the muck and water we ran through I didnt want them to slow me up by having to pull them up every second by the weight off the water and dirt that seems to collect on your legs when you run trails. For my runners i decided to use my Solomon trail runners over road runners although I did take out the Solomon insoles and replaced them with insoles from my Loco runners , they had have an higher arch support and a higher heel support, this would give me more support for my Achilles when running up and down the trails, the trail runners have a steel shank there fore it didnt matter so much if I stepped on sharp rocks, road runners usually have softer soles so that you feel everything through them when running on rocks or roots. The sides of my runners have a mesh on them , so that the water is only in your runners for a second, and your feet feel dry after a couple of steps out of the water.After waiting on Westwood lake beach for awhile I started to get a bit cold but once the short course started it didnt take long to warm up. the trail wandered passed the lake and here the running was great you had a groomed trail to run on but things changed in a hurry the first mtn bike trail they found and we were off on single track, { single track is a mountain bike trail that takes you up and down over and around rocks, trees,roots and anything else you can throw at a biker] that led you up the side of mt Benson and the climbing started Up we went it would have been allright but unlike road running here you had to watch out for where the rocks were or how you would place your feet in between the roots that seemed to jump up all all along the trail wearing bifocal eye glasses didnt help at first and once I adjusted them a bit lower on my nose the trail seemed to be visible to me and I could see where I was going. the trail it self was great as long as you watched where you planted your feet one moment you would be running up a hill exhausted panting for breath but you keep going screaming down hills and slippery trails, grabbing a branch a small tree to slow down or twirl around a corner , jump in a creek not thinking oh i,m going to get wet, thats what I like about the Gutbuster.
After the rain we have been having most of the track was muddy and we run through a few creeks but the water wasnt as cold as I thought it would be, and the water actually felt great when running through it although it was over my knees and I ended up walking through all the creeks one creek you had to jump in the water came close to your middle but it was a narrow one so you were out of it before you knew it,the mud pond was a bit tricky also getting to it you had to run through a mud field which seemed to get softer as the race was going on, the more runners going through the mud the cloudier the water got and once getting through it you ran through it on a muddy trail to go though a ditch filled with water to clean you up a bit, then we headed up a steep hill by this time my legs were getting tired and ended up walking a few steps you ended up on some road that you had to cross to head back on a new trail which had been made for the gut buster race a few cedar britches you had to cross and more roots to maneuver through and more climbing by then at last a nice gravelly trail to run on meaning the finish wasnt far off. The trails were well marked and the course marshals were help full in telling you which way to go I enjoyed the race but missed seeing the waterfall that was along the course although there was lots of good sights and scenery along the whole course and even though the course was hard it reminds me how much better i like trail running then road running . But like always the thing is prepare your selve for the race that you are going in, Run Smart-- Train Hard. My road running did help me with my time seeing I placed 22 over all and did the 12,5 k.m race in 1:22:59 but being ready for a trail race stil needs you to run hilly trails and not to take them for granted. Even doing repeats of the same hill 3 or four times helps,
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