Race Recap: FOLEPI River Trail Classic

Reunion with my Ragnar Ultra teammates!!
I just might have screamed when I saw Julie?!

My little 2 mile race felt so good yesterday {race recap here} that I left hungry for more. I love to run and really like the atmosphere of race events. And I honestly enjoy pushing myself... just how fast can I run and how far? So after blazing the Trot for Tots on Friday morning, I made a call to the FOLEPI River Trail Classic race director. Yes, I can still register on race morning and... it's only $12. Say what?!

The forecast for this morning was freezing.  Seriously... 20 degrees at the start.  I dug out the 'cold box' for my go-to pieces in the extreme cold... UA mock turtleneck, UA leggings, North Face vest, Injinji NuWool toesocks, and my Nike gloves. (I provided links for these items because these are seriously my favorite cold items in case you're looking for some suggestions this winter.)

I arrived exactly one hour prior to race time, waited in a short line to register, pinned on my bib, tied the chip to my toe, and headed to the bus line. The course for the FOLEPI River Trail Classic was a 4 mile point-to-point on one of my favorite trails in East Peoria. School buses dropped runners off at a church, where we huddled in the warmth until it was race time. We shuffled out to the start line, and before I knew it, the pack was moving. No gun, no whistle... everyone just started running. I guess it's GO time.  I was chatting away and not ready with my Garmin, which didn't locate until we were a good 1/3 mile into the course. 

Me with my run buddy Deanna. We are literally neck and neck every race we run.
Yesterday, I beat her. Today, she beat me. Next year, she enters my age group!!

It started slow as there wasn't any organization at the start based on pace. I zigged and zagged thru the group and it became comfortable running pretty quickly.  I tried to hang with my Ragnar Chic-mate Julie as long as I could, but two miles in, she disappeared out of sight. I kept a steady exertion, setting targets in front of me and picking them off one by one. I loved running this race because I knew the course so darn well... every turn, every elevation change, the distance to each road crossing.  At the end, there were friends cheering me in... and lots of friends to cheer in behind me. Small local races are so much fun when you're an active part in the running community (although today there seemed to be quite a few new faces that I didn't recognize).

I started to chill up and made my way indoors to the great post-race food... pizza and sandwiches from Avanti's (one of my fav local restaurants!), along with bananas, oranges, soda and water. Did I mention this race was only $12?  I hung out for the random prize drawings and about half of the awards before the chills got the best of me. I had to get out of these now sweat-drenched clothes.

It was a Good Day of Running!!

4 miles in 33:54  (8:29 pace)

#173 out of 439 overall

#6 out of 37 division

Interesting tidbit... my division (F35-39) had the most runners out of every age group, women or men.

This is also a NEW PR for the 4 mile distance for me,
barely beating my 34:33 from this summer's Steamboat Classic.

Lots of races this holiday weekend...

Did you race? How did you do?