Published December 18th, 2013
C-C-C-Cajun C-C-C-Coyote 100
Buckle and age group award.
I never expected this race would take more mental fortitude to finish than Cascade Crest. In reviewing the elevation profile, it make Rocky Raccoon look hilly. Fortunately I had heard the course has some steep upsie downsies, albeit short. I knew I couldn’t take the course for granted.
Cascade Crest really wiped me out, and with my father’s death and getting sick a couple of times, my training wasn’t ideal. However, I did get my long runs in. (My 50th birthday run was a huge confidence boost). I figured it’d be best to show up rested and sans injury, and that I had enough endurance where I could at least finish.
We stayed in Opelousas (which we dubbed OompaLoompas), which is about 40 miles from the start/finish. (The Best Western in Ville Platte, the closer town, was sold out). Got in late on Thursday, but slept in, grabbed some breakfast, and headed to the S/F to meet up with friends Kelly, his wife Jo, and Burke for a shakeout run on Friday. We of course had been monitoring the weather; winter storm Cleon swept through north Texas resulting in treacherous icy conditions. While things were fine in the south we did get colder than normal temps. It was in the low 40s on Friday; on Wednesday it had been close to 80!
