Review of Lebanon Jensen Lake 10k

Last Tuesday night, I ran the second race of the Endless Summer Trail Run Series!

All the races in this series start at 6:30 sharp. Dustin and I were a little worried about getting to Eagan (a far southern suburb of Minneapolis) where Lebanon park is, in time to check in for the race. Fortunately, we both were able to leave work early, and we were lucky because the traffic wasn’t really so bad. We made it there by 6 pm with plenty of time to spare.

I opted out of a “warm-up” jog since it was nearly 90 degrees and humid, but Dustin had plenty of time to go for a quick warm-up. The line for bib pick-up was quick and easy. A bit before 6:30, everyone gathered at the start-line, and then we were off.

By the way, this race seemed quite a bit bigger than the French 5k. I am not sure how many people were there, but I would guess around 700.

The Lebanon race was not quite as hilly as the French 5k we did last month (read about it HERE), but it definitely was still hard for a few reasons: 1) it was a 10k instead of a 5k- hello, twice as long! 2) the MUD.

Yes, the mud made this race pretty challenging. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid to get dirty every once in awhile. I wore an old pair of Ravennas that I didn’t care if they were ruined. But it wasn’t about getting dirty. It was about how slippery those muddy areas were! My worry was about falling on my butt and breaking something. The mud was thick and slick. A few runners actually lost their shoes in the mud!

Me? I lost my driver’s license. I had to bring it with me to get carded for the post-race beer (and free pizza). I had it tucked away in my shorts pocket. But that shorts pocket wasn’t zippered, and at some point, the ID must have fallen out.

The course for this 10k was two loops of a 5k. Fortunately for me, I realized I had lost my ID on the first loop, so I figured I could distract myself on the second loop by looking for my ID along the trail.

I didn’t even have to look that long! A mile into the second loop, there was a volunteer on the sidelines holding a driver’s license, so I quickly asked him if the name was mine, and it was! He said he’d turn it in for me at the finish so I wouldn’t have to worry about losing it again. What a nice guy!

Post race, we were all pretty muddy. The pictures don’t really do it justice, but my shoes were basically ruined.

The Course:

So, yes, the course: two loops of a 5k route. There were a few hills, with some single-track sections.

Other than the driver’s license snafu, I really enjoyed this race. It is so fun to switch things up from the usual running routine around the lakes and do some trails. Of course, my pace was significantly slower than a road 10k, but that’s common with a trail run. It was a challenge, and I was crazy sweaty at the end (90 degrees and super humid weather will do that to you!)

I got this picture of Meggan charging to the finish line!

We stuck around for a slice or two of pizza and a beer. Then there was a raffle for prizes. I actually won- just a pint glass, but hey, its still exciting to win something!

So far, the races with the Endless Summer Trail Series have been awesome. “Endless Summer” is right- its really fun to enjoy the outdoors at new locations while getting in a good workout. The races have such an awesome laidback vibe. They are perfect for runners of all levels- everyone is welcome!

What do you know about these Hokas? I have read a little bit about these trail shoes on Sweaty Emily‘s blog, but I didn’t realize just how big they are! Have you tried them?

…and I leave you with this picture of a shirtless trail racer. Yowsa!

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Fits Do Race Reviews: Hyland 7 Miler: The Endless Summer Trail Run Series - The Right Fits

10 years ago

[…] summer, I ran the French 5k and the Lebanon Jensen 10k. I missed the Lebanon Schulze 7 mile, and now did the Hyland 7 miler this week. I wish I would have […]