Kick Like a Girl: The race that started the madness......Mesa Falls 2010

Mesa Falls-- August 2010
2:19:24

This was the race that started the madness. This race is small. I’d guess there were less than 250 people running this race. But, it was beautiful and well organized. This little race has been up and running as a certified course since 2000. The cost was $50, which if you want more bang for your buck…I’d do the Full Marathon, as its only $5 more. The Expo is tiny, but you can count on things that really matter in your SWAG bag. Like the coupon for a free Huckleberry milkshake (heck yes!) or the locally made granola bars or some fishing lures. The water stations are spread out perfect, and many of the locals have their sprinklers out so runners can cool off. The volunteers at the water stations are so awesome, and many of the water stations are in people’s yards, and they are SO sweet and kind! My favorite thing about the race is how beautiful it is. The race is a point-to-point race that starts at the lower Mesa Falls near Ashton, Idaho. The first 3 miles of the race are kind of tricky because you are running on a two-man-wide horse trail in the middle of the woods. Some people hated it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I imagined myself getting chased by a bear and I FLEW like the wind. I didn’t wear a Garmin on this race, but the lady I was running next to said we were doing an 8 minute/8:30 minute pace. Good heavens. After you come out of the woods you have to climb this huge hill that seems like forever, but I think it’s only like a half mile. It’s the ultimate climb. It’s hard. Many people walked. Since I live in an area with a lot of hill training, this part wasn’t as hard for me. This was the point where I was actually passing people. Around mile 6 we come out of the forest and into farm country. We run next to beautiful farmland for the next 6 miles. It was hard. Six miles of rolling hills seemed like mountains to me. Luckily it wasn’t windy; otherwise it would’ve been disssssgusting. The last mile of the race runs through the little tiny town of Ashton, Idaho. It’s a cute little tourist town, and at the Finish Line the announcer says your name loud and proud. I started to sprint. I hadn’t fueled properly and learned my lesson. When I finished the race there was so much Gatorade and water sloshing in my stomach that I walked to the nearest tree and puked. Luckily my mom was there to hold my hair back. Sick! They had massage therapists there as well as lots of good food. But, I wasn’t in the mood. I was wiped out after my first attempt at the Half Marathon. My hubby drove me home and I feel asleep for 5 hours. When I woke up, I was a hungry beast and demanded food. But, overall I LOVED my first half marathon experience. Mesa Falls was a hard course, and all the veterans running the race thought I was crazy for choosing the race as my first Half Marathon….but I loved it and thought it was the perfect start to my insanity!!