Running with the buffalo

Last summer at Tahoe Rim Trail 100 fellow teammate Jim Skaggs encouraged me to come to Utah for his friendly little race on an island on Salt Lake. He said it would be a lot of fun and he would have home brew at the finish for us. How could I refuse! I signed up for the 50 mile but decided to run the 50k since I was just coming back from my broken foot. Antelope Island is a State Park that is a drive on island full of buffalo. It is quite hilly and full of trails with exceptional views of the lake and the Wasatch Mountains. When I arrived Friday it was snowing and windy. I went out to the island to explore and see what I was getting myself into. I got about a mile into my run and 2 buffalo were on the trail staring me down. I figured it would be a good idea to turn around and face them the next day with 600 or so other runners out on the trails. By Saturday we had a beautiful clear day. The 50k route started with a good climb followed by rolling to flat terrain, another climb, downhill, another climb and then flat and down to the end where we did it all one more time. I had a great time hanging out with Nikki and Michelle pre-race and Speedgoats Dave, Tom, Cory and Jim post race. Jim did a great job directing this race. It was a fantastic early season, get back in the groove run. I ended up 2nd girl (results here). I felt super confident on the rocky downhills in my La Sportiva Wildcats. I stayed hydrated with nuun and wore my new gear from Green Layer. Great day, wonderful friends and awesome gear!