DTR Full Moon 10 Miler- November 2017

Once again I ran the Down to Run Full Moon Night Trail Run. And once again I had an amazing experience.

Favorites:

1. The course-- it's a NIGHT. TRAIL. RUN. It's not often I have the opportunity to do trail races down in South Florida, and I really love them. With the nature and the complexity of the trail, you tend to get lost (not literally, I hope!) in your surroundings. I always run trails without earbuds so that I can soak in the experience. Add darkness and your brain doesn't have too much time to think about what your legs are enduring-- you have to stay focused on each foot placement, so there's not room to feel the pain of the miles (ok, it still hurt).
   



The little guy who congratulated me on my "win."

2. The people-- I feel like trail runners may just be the happiest, most laid back people on the planet. Road races are always packed. And they can be fun, too, but the trail race is a more intimate crowd. Everyone seems to be looking out for each other and willing to help. At the finish line, there were children handing out the medals. One little boy said to me, "Great job. You won!" I played along saying, "Oh! I won?! Wow!" Then he replied, "Not really." It made me laugh so hard. 
3. The swag-- I've run 3 of these Full Moon trail runs and all 3 have had uniquely designed "medals." The medal is actually a wooden cutout designed by and a talented artist with a pretty cool ribbon attached. The t-shirts are creative and beautifully designed, as well. This year, the directors held 2 Full Moon races, and runners who ran both earned a pint class to commemorate the experiences. 
   
4. The food-- In all 3 races, they've served up 3 kinds of burritos at the finish line-- chicken, steak, and vegan. After being wet and out on the course for 10 miles, there's not much better than being greeted by a warm burrito with some Cholula. They also had 2 aid stations on the course that we passed twice, offering water, Gatorade, and mini Clif bars.
5. The nature-- I'm cheating because I've already mentioned this in #1, but I have to mention my favorite moment out on the course: Just after the 8 mile mark when I was out there separated from other runners and surrounded by a flat field, I heard an owl call. I can't express how awesome that was in that moment-- just me, the giant moon and an owl watching. 

I finished 7th female.