by @daxruns

My first-ever race! The Chase the Coyote trail race 50k, on September 17, 2022.

Finished third overall with a time of 4:35:13.

Super pleased with how things went. Felt really good on race day and the course was straight up gorgeous. My super minimalist Vibram toe shoes served me well and had me feeling nimble on the trails.

I woke up at 4am and drove myself 1.5 hours to the race site in time for check-in before the 7am start. I actually rather enjoyed having that extra time driving in the morning by myself to get my mind right before the start.

Everyone I interacted with from race organizers & volunteers to the runners & supporters were all tremendously pleasant people. I dig the vibe of this trail running community.

Huge thanks to Gottarunracing, everything was high-energy and well organized.

Also, nothing beats having your dog waiting to greet you at the finish line. I knew my parents would be coming, but for some reason I hadn’t been expecting the good boy. That happy dog energy just *hits* after a morning of pushing it on the trails.

‘Twas a fantastic first race experience. Can’t wait to go further.