Ran this 10 mile race last Saturday, had not run this one in many years. Love the course, especially the East MoPac trail parts (course coincides with the Market to Market 50k I ran which no longer exists so happy memories from that race). Love how the race is set up: Kids race a one-miler 1/2 hour before 10 mile race starts. 5k starts after 10 mile is over. So parents can run the mile race with their kids and still run a longer race after. My biggest complaint about the race this year was the weather (28 degrees at the start, very windy, and some snow flurries throughout). That's an issue with my asthma. Even wearing 4 layers on top and bottom I was still cold for much of the race except for some parts where there was windbreak from trees and hills (like where we enter the MoPac trail part). The parts of the course that I do not like are the pavement portions (first mile and last mile basically). Also the last loop around the State Farm building at the end we were very exposed to northerly wind. But I love the 8 or so miles of limestone running on the East MoPac trail: very scenic, long wooden bridges, trees, and giant grain elevators near Walton, Nebraska. The course is an out and back loop: run south and east to the 5 mile mark, then run west and north to return on 84th Street. Would much prefer to finish at Holmes Lake personally (much more scenic and softer surface) but I understand with a corporate sponsor they want us to finish at State Farm. Parking was a total mess, they had it organized but many, many cars. Be prepared to walk. Come early if you want to park close. I was on track to PR this race until about 10k and then my hamstrings that bothered me last week flared up (this time both of them), feeling tight and sore/overstretched. It's really tough to keep your muscles warm in a race like this if it's cold. There just isn't a lot of windbreak except in a few spots. So I backed off a little. I reached the 9.5 mile mark when my 10 mile PR floated by on my Garmin. By 9.5 miles, you can see the finish line but have to loop around the State Farm building counterclockwise (into the wind Saturday). I was able to pass one more person just before the finish. Then my Garmin died with .07 left to go. My timing chip took over then. Finished in 1:19:15 officially, 8th in my age group and 120th overall (of more than 400 runners). Was hoping for 7:30 pace, finished with 7:56 pace. For those of you that don't know this course, there are runners coming back towards you on the MoPac East trail stretch so stay on the right. There was plenty of water on the course but I chose to carry my OrangeMud hydraquiver vest with a water bottle. I think I only drank water once. Also, there are the typical bagels, bananas, cookies, donuts, and water after the finish. The kids were eating all the donuts and cookies. My advice for running this race: wear trail shoes (I wore Mizuno Kazan, my toughest trail shoes), layer up, and bring gloves because in Nebraska you'll need them in March. I did a double hat to keep my head warm. Great race, love the trail part especially, there is a tiny incline on the way back (very minor) after the turnaround. Try to run a little of the MoPac Trail ahead of time so you are familiar with it, that helps a lot. And enjoy the bridges. And the Walton grain elevator. When you see the Walton tall grain storage facilities for the first time running, you ask: where am I? (It's so large it almost looks out of place but it's not.) Attaching a photo of the ninja runner layering that worked for me during this race. Layer up, have fun, enjoy your run. This was the first race of the Lincoln Track Club season, a good test race before half-marathons and marathons to see where we are with fitness. Make sure you warm up if it's cold or you pay the price with muscle cramps in this race. Enjoyable race, just prepare for weird weather and wear layers. It's easier to run fast on the trail parts (crushed limestone surface) but be aware that this 8 mile stretch is more narrow (especially when the leaders are returning for the finish) than the concrete pavement parts. Also, be aware you can switch race distances if you choose to but ONLY with prior permission or you are automatically qualified. It would have been a good day to maybe switch to the 5k due to cold/wind but I wanted to run 10.

Ran this slightly shortened race (shortened from 10 miles to 8.7 miles and I still don't know why) last weekend for the first time. Was familiar with some of the course that runs along the Jamaica Trail. Several bridges were highlights of the course which is appropriate given the name of the race and the cause to restore the bridges. Lots of twists and directional turns in this race were well-marked with red ribbons. Only a few unmarked branches poked out at us as we twisted and turned on this trail course. Start was unusual, single file one at a time. Chip-timed race so tough to know where you are in place due to one-at-a-time start. But some of the trail was so narrow it was unsafe to pass in certain areas due to narrow lane and/or mud. The most amazing part of the course was near the end around 8.25-8.5 mi or so there was a deep muddy surface that we had to run through followed by loud melodious croaking by many swamp frogs. I got a solid fast start but found that the unpredictable turns in the course made me slow down a little, as well as mud and narrow passing lanes in many spots. Also was affected by a hamstring flaring up so I backed off the pace a little to be safe. The end of the course was confusing although there were volunteers to help us. Just hard to know which direction to go near the finish. And when we finished in 8.78 mi according to my Garmin (8.7 official distance), I asked what? But I didn't complain. With my hamstring issue, I was relieved to manage to finish 10th overall and 3rd in my age group (1:12:30). If we ran a full 10, I probably would have fallen back a bit more. It was an enjoyable race. If you like trail running and running in mud, wide scenic bridges, and the limestone Jamaica trail, you will love this race. Tiny bit of pavement on course but mostly it was dirt, mud, and crushed limestone so definitely wear trail shoes. I wore Mizuno Kazans and they handled the surface well. And if they shorten the race without warning, maybe there is a muddy reason for that, I don't know. Would you like to run in Jamaica? Oops I mean the Jamaica Trail? If you want to pass people, best to do it in the first mile or so and after you return to Jamaica Trail heading back north. Good race, liked it, especially the chorus of frogs, the trails, and the unexpected amount of mud.

Ran this off-the-beaten path trail race last Saturday and was amazed at how fun it was! This was my first trail 5k race ever and my first time racing in Yaktrax. My only regret is that I didn't come out the day before to familiarize myself with the course. The course is found in Carol Joy Holling Camp and was well-marked for the conditions (partial to all-covered with snow and ice). There were even lane dividing flags the first half-mile or so (bright orange neon ones). The first mile or so was not too difficult, some winding and just trying to find my footing. I settled in behind a runner not wearing Yaktrax and followed his feet/footsteps closely. I learned pretty quickly that there is a big difference between running slowly and cautiously in Yaktrax and racing in them. Near the one-mile mark there is a cross marking a point that you return to (it's an out and back course with a small loop on the southern side). The second mile was difficult, hilly, with challenging constant turns. Had to slow down on some of those, just very tough to negotiate safely. There were two small bridges to cross and we had to cross those walking because they were icy. After two miles, I was really winded, the hills and the varied terrain were challenging. So I took a tiny walk break there. Saw the cross again on the way back. Some of the downhills are not extremely well marked if it's snowy so be careful with those. Found the cross on the way back and knew we were headed back north. At about 3 miles, a runner passed me and I debated passing him back. Decided it was fartlek time and pressed the turbo button. Chased him down, barely caught him at the end. It appeared to be a photo finish but I beat him by 2 seconds (net chip time). Great event! Loved it! Then we were spoiled with a hot lunch courtesy of Lazlo's of Lincoln including BBQ sandwiches, soup, salad, chips, and cookies. And 2 beers to slake your thirst from Empyrean Brewery included with cost of race entry/lunch. Nice! Wonderful event! Ran 20th place of 319 (5th in age group). Very happy with that. For more info, see my race review at my blog (Sledding WIldly post at www.runninggrooveshark.com). Highly recommend this race. Great raffle gifts including free beer for a year for one person, a vivofit, and other prizes. Loved it, want to return and run this again. Maybe I'll practice running there a day early next time. I should note: there were no aid stations except at the end. But the turns all had people there to make sure you took the right turns. And people warning us at the bridges to be careful (they warned us about the bridges before the race). And no starting gun: just a 5-second countdown. Nice rustic race. Go try it, you'll love it!

This is an amazing hilly challenging adventure with surprising scenery and the uniqueness of running through two states and time zones. The trail portion of the race is especially beautiful and the softer surface helps gives your legs a break (more power with less effort). I was very entertained by the cowboy/bandit surprising us near the 5 mile mark, engaging with each runner and threatening to chase us (trying to distract us from running while going uphill). I was also amazed by a showgirl runner (girl running in showgirl suit with feathers) inspiring others with high fives and inspirational words along the course. Found runners encouraging other runners throughout the course. Encountered some of these folks on the trail part of the race and that was very helpful to me. The course was not extremely well marked late in the race (follow the orange arrows) at about mile 11-12 but that could be remedied with signs. The water stops/volunteers seemed to be adequate. Runners from 23 states and Canada competed in this race. Even though I had a rib injury, I taped up with KT tape and was able to manage a hard-fought 1:47 (I took many photographic breaks), the fastest half-marathon I have run since 1999. That was good for 4th place in my age group (45-49). The scenery really spoke to me during this race and inspired me to run faster. There were several breathtaking scenic moments (for example the Davis Dam). I was fortunate to win a free race entry to this race by #RunChatHunt (from #RunChat scavenger hunt) and they paid for my hotel stay as well (RunChat in conjunction with Run Laughlin). I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I highly recommend it to others. Make sure you do a lot of hill training, it will be necessary to do well in this race. Also prepare for wind. The wind buffeted us a little during this race although we did have the wind to our back at the end. The Colorado River portion of the race is beautiful as well. Very scenic, very fun, very challenging. Very well done, especially for the first year of having this unique race. Loved it!