I've been wanting to hit this trail for a few years and it didn't disappoint! Very beautiful and super fun to run. A lot of rolling hills with some cruiser sections, some technical sections, and some sections with a healthy dose of feisty flora— the kind that likes to smack you in the face, tries to push you off the trail, and leaves lots of marks on your skin.
Water was plentiful and only a few trees down sporadically along the way. Got a later start than preferred, due to van shuttle logistics, so it was a bit warm in the later miles. And then those little hills in final 6 miles (on very tired legs)... woof.
Stephanie is a legend, but this was just a training run for her. So I sought to keep myself around her moving time pace and it seemed to work out. Such an awesome day.