I sit here 6 or so hours after finishing the Hogs Hunt 25k. We are still camping at Huntsville State Park and I have just awoke from the dead of a nap. No really, I laid down on my comfy Big Agnes sleeping bag/pad system (which I highly recommend) for a power nap and when I woke I felt like I had just returned from the dead complete with a bright light. Oh but I think I was dreaming because that bright light was my finish of my 1st 25k trail race! It took me a bit longer than I had wanted and expected, 3 + hours, but a finish is a finish! The course is pretty flat to a little rolling but nothing really steep and mostly sand and soft pine needles so it’s easy on the feet. The first hour was easy going, it took me almost the whole hour to get into a groove and it was good to see Robert Heynen with the Hill Country Trail Runners at the first aid station. The second hour did not feel good, until I tripped on one of the many roots and ended up in the poison oak! Note to self “good thinking always having those ivy wipes in your emergency first aid kit” “you rock!” It caught me by surprise, I got up and dusted myself off, did a mental check of all my parts…yep no bleeding or breaks. “Now stop being such a baby and shake a leg!” Agh, much better. I rolled into the second aid station feeling awesome. Had an E-Cap and off I went again feeling good. This would be my demise…not eating. I felt good so I had not consumed any calories, I had a couple of hammer gels, a clif shot and a clif bar but had not eaten anything yet. Well that was going to change and I think in hindsight was a bit of my struggle coming in. I started to really feel it in my legs so I ate one of the hammer gels just after aid two, yum chocolate good and now I’m feeling better. But this was short lived. At about 2 ? hours I’m really struggling, my legs feel like cement. I had a clif shot but it didn’t help much. Limped into aid three, only 3 miles from the finish. OK, now just keep your feet moving. Tripped again and was laid out in poison oak for a second time. Got up and got mad and that helped pull me to the finish along with a slight downhill the last half mile. As I rounded the corner and could see the finish I knew I was home free but the only thing that went thru my mind was OMG and Thank God. It’s really amazing how all the pain and suffering magically disappears as soon as you cross the finish line. I had wonderful conversations with people I knew and some I did not but overall it was fantastic. I especially enjoyed the two guys who were always just ahead of me and at each aid station I thought I had rolled into Luby's or something because there they would be grazing away at the buffet of goodies. You never know sometimes what you are going to really get at a race but Paul Stone and his wife put on a top notch events and I appreciated their attention to detail. Always know you’re in great hands when you see these guys directing a race! Thanks!