Paradise Valley HM Race Report – Jorge P

paradise valley hm race reportRace: Paradise Valley Half Marathon

Runner: Jorge P

Race Date: 09/22/2018

Location: Woodinville, WA

Results: https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=152659

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1858932528/edit

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

Small-ish crowd (~100 runners), mostly single track, fun, and relatively easy trail. Also great temperature that day for running.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Nothing, I really enjoyed it 🙂

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I have been running for a long time but I only started going to races recently, this was only my 4th trail race, and my longest. Having said that, I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I took a bit of a conservative approach, and ran the whole race at a fairly comfortable pace, so it was quite enjoyable. I really loved the single track trails with some mild elevation changes, lots of roots, a few fallen trees and branches to jump over…the 2 hours went by in no time. I also loved seeing my 3 kids waiting for me at the finish line 🙂

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Bring trail shoes! Lots of wet branches. I brought a pair of Nike Epics (very little support and grip) and almost twisted my ankle a bunch of times on landings. Also my watch marked 11.5 miles at the end, rather than the 13.3, probably from the twisty trail.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

I am going to try to run it a bit faster now that I know what to expect.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

For me yes!

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

I don’t think so.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Super well organized, even with a shuttle from the parking lot.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

I wasn’t much trying to compete, so not sure I can say.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

No, super easy to sign up. Just show up, pick up a bib and go.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

There were 2 of them with wonderful people helping out and cheering.

Weather and typical race conditions

Weather was super nice for running.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

Trail running shoes!

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

No

How’s the Swag?

Didn’t get any.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

10 out of 10! I loved it.