Cameron Park 6.5-Mile Trail Run, Waco

Saturday afternoon, I drove over to Waco (2+ hours) to run the Cameron Park 6.5-Mile Trail Run this morning.  I have run the steep roads through the park a bunch of times for the Waco Marathon and a couple different half marathons.  However, I have never been on the trails until this morning.  Obviously, it was hot and humid.  Soon after the race started, we went up "Jacob's Latter," which is a steep set of staris going up the side of the hill.  I had to wait in line to enter the stairs.  The trails were very rocky with steep ups and downs.  So many times, I had to grab trees or limbs to keep from sliding or falling.  There were plenty of roots to trip on too.  My goad was to take it easy, not worry about time and finish without an injury.  I almost stepped on a copperhead once and took one light fall.  The last mile or so was on the trail along the river and relatively flat.  My finish time was 2:14:32 and there were still 2 runners finishing after me.  I was the only runner over 70, so I picked up a first in age group win.  More good news:  when I got back to Huntsville this afternoon, I found over 3 inches in my rain gauge.