Race Report: Oktoberfest Trail 10K

Last weekend was Fort Benning's Oktoberfest celebration. Along with plenty of beer and German food, there was a 10K trail race, making for a perfect weekend!

I ran this race four years ago, the first time we were stationed here, and I loved it. So when I saw they were having it again, I couldn't wait! It often seems like trail runs involve lots of travel (which can be fun, but not necessarily with an infant), so when there's one right down the road, count me in!

My awesome parents were visiting, and my dad agreed to watch Etta while we ran. Normally he would be running too (and winning his age group!), but he spent the previous weekend running on an ultra team at the Texas Hill Country Ragnar Relay. I'm jealous--it sounded so fun!

The course covered two different loops on asphalt, dirt, and gravel roads. The first was flat and fast; the second was steeper and rockier, resulting in a much faster first half for me. I felt great running on the flatter portion, but my hill climbing needs some work. I finished in 51:08, happily beating my goal of 54 minutes.

My mom placed 2nd in her age group!

This wasn't my first race since giving birth (the first was a 3 mile fun run in my hometown at the beginning of September), but somehow this 10K felt like a new beginning. I'm not nearly as fast as I want to be, and I'm still working on increasing my mileage, but running is starting to feel more normal. I'm excited about this, and looking forward to even more racing!