Navesink Challenge 15k

For the third year, I met my friend Eileen in Middletown to run the Navesink Challenge!

This year, Eileen's friend Mekela joined us.

 

This is usually my last race of the season, going out with a very hilly bang. The race's tag line is "it's a hill, get over it". It is an out and back course, half road, half gravel, and has about 6-8 hills total. 

The last two years were very chilly, actually downright freezing, but this year it was about 50' out. Bonus!

The hubs came along for the first time so we have some extra pics!

 

With Eileen and I recovering from colds we decided not to set too many goals for the race, just to have fun and finish.

The race starts on a hill. Get over it.

At the base of the next big hill, we stopped for a group selfie with Dave the Trumpeter. I love seeing him at races, anyone who has read my blog for awhile knows this face already!

Love him!

That hill was a killer, but not the last hill at all! 

Doesn't look terrible, but it be never ended! Ugh.

The day was gorgeous though, and we had a lot of fun! Lots of talking and laughing. And whining. There was some whining.

Before we knew it, we were looping back to finish the second half.
 

A shorter but steeper hill. We walked a bit of it.

When we made that final turn, with about 1.5 miles to go, Eileen pulled ahead and finished strong.

 Mekela and I not so much. We finished very well, but Eileen definitely smoked us in the end. My legs just got so tired!
 

Seven minutes slower than last year but who cares? I was recovering from injury and sickness! Good for me, just for running those darn hills!

At the finish we had bagels and cream cheese, chicken soup, water and Gatorade offered to us. As some of the last to finish it was nice to see so much food left over! 

You never have to worry when Jersey Shore Running Club is in charge! 

Have you ever run a super hilly race? Do you train on hills?