On October 18, I completed my first 5-mile race: the Fineview Stepathon. Again, I signed up the day before because I’m some sort of torture artist. It also technically wasn’t a five-mile race as much as it was a five-mile adventure course, but I was completely on board with the challenge. I’m just happy that it didn’t rain!

Extra bonus: I could walk to the start line/home from the finish.

I like steps, I like mud, I like trail running — and the Fineview Step-a-thon brought it all (and some hills, natch). The course was somewhat confusing for this newb. I ran with the map and had to pull it out of my belt for the last mile because a group of us were SO lost. At another point, I was also lost, alone, in the woods and couldn’t find the right colored paint marks. Thankfully, I had someone running up from behind me to lead the way.

In my mind, this read: FFS.

The steps though. OH BOY, THOSE STEPS. What, like, 371 of them? 300 of them seemed like they were in the last mile. As strong as my legs are, I maintained a good pace running up for a little while (even got some congrats from a runner I passed), but overwhelmingly lost steam not even half way. I am not shamed to say that I walked for a good bit of the course.

Regardless, this was a fun one to cross off the “runner’s bucket list.”
Finish 1:09.36
12th of 37 female
36th of 72 overall

Fine view from atop Fineview finish line.