Yesterday was the second annual Maryland HEAT 25k and the race is really shaping up to be one of the top local summer races - really a race to be looked forward to all year. Race Director Nick Yeates posted on Face Book though the year asking runners what they would like to see added or improved from the previous years event and he took opinions seriously and really fine tuned the race to suit runners of all levels. For those who just wanted a long day in the woods and a great after party the course was set without a time limit and those who wished to hike the challenging course were able to tackle the hills and reach the pavilion in time to party with everyone. And that brings up two things the HEAT race will be well known for - 1. this is a serious challenging course - hills, technical terrain and some very runnable sections make a perfect 25k highlight this section of the Patapsco Valley. Nick did an excellent job mapping the race course out. 2. The after party -as a vegan I'm not too impressed by most after parties. They're fun, but I'm seriously hungry and need some fuel. Most have none or very little and mostly it's an after thought. Nick and his team provided for everyone - vegans and non-vegans alike and if you're a beer drinker you're even luckier. Even a root beer keg. The after party for HEAT is up there with the best of them and with the vegan fare (the vegan burgers rocked!) has become my favorite along with the CAT after party (and that's mostly out of relief for finishing)
I ran the race fairly hard on some very tired legs. Still recovering from last weeks CAT 50K and a full weeks training load I wasn't sure what the legs had left in them but running with fellow CAT survivor Andrew Russ kept me going and I found that my legs had a bit more kick in them than I might have thought - so taking the hills nice and easy and bombing the down hills and flats pretty hard brought us in around 3:18. A nice days running.
A big thanks to all the volunteers who came out and helped with the aid stations, traffic and the after party. These races come off so smoothly because of your efforts. Thanks guys!
I definitely see HEAT becoming the local running event of the summer with growing numbers of people training to meet the challenge. And with the passion Nick and his family bring to the race the quality will continue to grow as well - no small feat considering how high the bar is now set. Mark the event on your calendar, train hard and see you there next year!
Peace,
Eric
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