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This was my first time participating in the Western Reserve Racing Muddy Paws Trail Race. The race is a fund raiser for the Summit County Humane Society. The race is held in the Kendall Lake area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Peninsula, Ohio. It was a beautiful morning for a race with a mix of sun and clouds and temperatures in the high 50’s that quickly warmed into the mid 60’s.
Being that I am still recovering from a foot injury I decided to participate in the 2 mile dog race with my 2 year old Golden Retriever SNKRS. I thought she would enjoy the event as she loves playing with other dogs and it gave me the opportunity to be part of the race and show my support for the event and local runners.
There were over 300 participants between the 10 mile race, 5 mile race, and 2 mile people / dog race. The dog race had 119 dogs and their owners compete. The dog race started at 7:30 am an hour before the 10 mile and 5 mile races. We lined up for the start of the race. We were positioned near the back of the race field because we were walking and not running. SNKRS was a little overwhelmed when the race starting with all of the dogs in front of her barking and running. She was pulling fairly hard and wanted to run with the pack. The race course started with a climb on a grassy meadow hill followed by a steep decent. The ground was firm but the grass was wet with morning dew so it made for a little bit of a slippery trek. I was trying to be careful no to fall. After about a half mile the race field spread out and SNKRS stopped pulling and I was able to control her a little better. We stopped on the trail near Kendall Lake for some pictures. The fog was rising off the lake making for some beautiful scenery. After that it was back to work on the trail. The course was a loop and featured a lot of elevation change. Parts of the course were grassy meadows while other parts were primitive trails. We stopped a couple of times so SNKRS could drink some water. It was enjoyable walk. I did make the mistake of wearing old running shoes that were too soft for the terrain. My foot was getting a little sore from the uneven terrain. I should have worn trail shoes with a stiffer bottom and more support.
When we made it to the finish line I was surprised that SNKRS was awarded her very own dog sized finisher medal. There were lost of people snacks and dog snacks at the finish. Several sponsors had booths set up near the start / finish area. Orange Theory provided flavored shaved ice for people and dogs. Holiday Feed provided swag bags for the dogs that were filled with dog snacks, toys, coupons, and other items. The race was really well organized. Western Reserve Racing thought of everything including providing flee and tick repellent spray. I was concerned there may be some aggressive dogs that could cause some problems but all the dogs were very well behaved. The dog owners all seemed to be very aware of controlling their dogs when another dog approached.
Hopefully I will be able to run again soon. Until then I will continue to find ways to compete, participate, or volunteer for races.
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