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Date/Location: |
1/1/22 PART 1: Bike- Auburn, Overlook Park PART 2: Resolution Run -Auburn, Overlook Park |
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Distance: |
Hill Climb #1 – 3m Old Foresthill Rd |
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Time: |
Hill Climb #1 – 21:53 |
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Place: |
Bike: 2nd Hill Climb #1 & #2 Run: 1st Overall Woman, 1st W 10-19 Overall: 2nd New Years Challenge |
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Teammates: |
Hill Climb: Robin Soares & Troy Soares 10 Mile: Anna Tortosa, Arash Ghorbani, Craig Rienbolt, Diana Arteaga Falconi,
John Justus, Manouch Shirvanioun, Michelle Nall, Robin Soares, Rosie Del Sarto, Troy
Soares |
25 Mile Bike Ride Summary
This year I decided to join my parents in their New Year’s Challenge bike ride. I wasn’t completely sure what to expect, but I knew I would be proud of myself when I finished it. The bike ride is supposed to be all about hills and especially the hill up from the Confluence. I’m still not perfectly sure if I can handle it, but I have already started the bike ride and there's no turning back now. After biking over to the Overlook to see if anyone has shown up to join us, we head onto the ride. This year it’s just my parents and me. I’m excited that I’m the youngest kid to do this bike ride of theirs. We bike down Auburn Folsom and turn onto Power House road. My Dad goes a different route in order to get farther mileage. We end up biking towards Glenview road, which is where the first hill climb starts. My Dad has caught up to us by now. After biking up Glenview Rd, I’m tired. I originally thought this was supposed to be a race, but no one was trying to beat me as I finished first up these hills. We then bike through Auburn towards the Confluence.
I have fun biking down towards the confluence, but it is always scary going around turns fast on a bike. I get to the bottom safely, thanks to God, and bike towards the uphill. That’s when I learned that it is an all uphill race to the top of this hill. I try to prepare myself for this hill climb. My Dad pulls out his racing sheet which has me going last. He is nice enough to change the order, but I still have to go after Mom which is going to be hard. We start the race and I race uphill chasing after my Mom. It's a long hill so I pace myself well. The road is blocked here because some boulders fell, but bikes can still bike on the road. It's nice that I get a whole lane to myself. As I continue to try to catch my Mom, I try to count the seconds between us. If anything I'm not really catching her. My Dad said that we should all end up biking together at about the halfway point of the hill where it gets flat for a section. Then we can draft off each other. I can already see my Dad and I hope I can stay ahead of him. My legs are hurting but I keep pushing up the hill. My Dad passes me and tells me good job. I feel like I can almost see the flat section so I try to hang with him but my legs can only do so much. He pulls ahead and I keep on pushing, doing my best for God.
The place where I thought would be flat is actually still more climbing. I keep climbing hoping for the flat to come soon so I can catch up. I finally get to the flat and push through it. My parents are nowhere in sight. I start biking uphill again and keep pushing even though my legs are hurting. I can see the upper road above me to my left and I know I’m close. I then see my parents come down the hill as they're cheering me on. I guess they got really farther ahead to have time to come back for me. They tell me the finish is just ahead and I push really hard around the corner. I see the stop sign and even though my legs don't want to, I stand up on my bike and push through the stop sign. It hurts so bad. I finish the bike and just stand over my bike crying. I'm not upset about my time or my pace, but it just hurt so bad. I push myself really hard and it just hurts. My parents congratulate me for getting under 22 minutes. I'm very happy about that. That's when I find out we have a second hill climb to do.
We bike down to the tallest bridge in Auburn and get ready to start the second race. The goal is to race across the bridge and up the hill to the road by the highway. We start off and I’m already falling behind a little bit. I pick it back up and stay with them to the hill. We start the hill and I then remembered how hard I pushed my legs. They are still tired. I stay with my parents for a little bit, but then drop back. As I’m biking up, I count the signs till the road. There are supposed to be 7 signs. I keep pushing up the hill and around the corner. I can see the top and my Dad waiting to cheer me on. I continue to push and stand up in the last section of the hill. I then collapse on the grass, which feels so good. I’m happy I finished, but I still have the bike ride back home. We bike together to the house and quickly change for the Resolution Run. The second half of my parents' New Year’s Challenge. I’m glad I did the bike ride, and will enjoy waiting a long time, till I do it again next year.
Resolution Run - 10K - Anna Soares
I’m getting ready to do the 2022 Auburn Resolution Run. This year I’m doing the 10k instead of the 10 mil beacuse I did my parents 25 mile bike ride challenge before. I’m pretty wiped out and my goal is just to make it through the race, at this point. I get to the starting line and hear the director countdown. He then starts the race. I start off a little fast with Wyatt and another fast guy setting the winning pace. I back down the pace and enjoy the run. A little boy about 8-10 years old runs fast to stay up with the leaders. I don’t know if he will be able to hold that pace. The course then starts to curve and go down Goliath hill that we normally run up for Cross Country. It’s really steep and I'm careful not to slip. After Goliath, the downhill continues as everyone runs down Placerado Road. I’m running next to a guy and I tell him I really don’t like going down hill and that it’s almost as bad as running up. He laughs. We stay together most of the way down the hill. So far I am in 2nd place overall for the women. Up ahead of me is a little 11 year old girl. I’m really impressed that she is still ahead of me. We then make a turn onto the trails and the long uphill to the finish. I’m at one mile. Only 5 to go! We run along the trails and get to the first aid station. I don’t get water though beacuse it is a cupless race and I forgot a cup. I think I should be fine .I make a turn and start the long out and back portion of the race. I know this area pretty well though because the cross country team runs it a lot. It almost feels like an advantage to know exactly how much farther I have to go. I now pass the 11 year old girl and tell her good job. She is still running at a great pace. I'm now running mostly downhill but I know it will eventually be uphill on the way back. We get to a section of the course and I remember doing mile repeats and 400 sprints here during Cross County. At least I don't have to be sprinting now. I continue to run the course easily up and down knowing every turn. I just keep my eye out for the top 10K runners now. They should be coming back very soon. After running a little farther I see the the first place 10K runner come around the corner. I tell him good job and look for Wyatt who I hope should be right behind him. Not too long after, I see Wyatt come by and I cheer him on. Hopefully he can get closer to the top runner. Now I keep my eye out for the turnaround. I see a few more people coming back from the turn around, including the young boy! Every time I do the Resolution Run I always seem to get beat by a little kid! It’s crazy. As I’m running on the trails, I realize that they are much muddier than normal. I have to be very careful not to slip. I do quick feet on the slippery areas and try to run on the driest sections. I can't remember what socks I wore today, hopefully they're not white. Up ahead I finally see the turnaround and head on back. I look for the little girl that I passed and I see her not too long after. I cheer her on. She has a really good pace for an 11 year old. I'm very impressed. I also saw a guy right in front of her that I was originally running next to. My goal is not to let him pass me. Hopefully I can stay ahead of him till the end. I'm starting to feel my legs now but at least they are looser than the start of the race. Now I have the uphill to climb. Inside this long out and back, there are little loops you have to do. For instance, right now I have to climb up this hilly section. The hills are not too long and eventually I reach the top and start heading down the other side. For most people the downhill on the other side would be the best, but not for me. This downhill is the downhill that I originally fractured my ankle on. I go slow and watch every single rock that I see and I pray that I won't twist an ankle. I get to the bottom of the hill and turn back onto the out and back. I thank God for keeping my ankles firm and I have new energy to keep running. I see my Mom go by and I tell her good job. She's heading out towards the turnaround for the 10 mile. I know I must have missed my Dad. He's probably ahead of her.
I know I'm getting closer to the original course that I left to do the turn around. Once I get there all I have left is about a mile and a half. Maybe I'll even see Ariel who is doing the 5k. She'll probably be way ahead though. I run down a hill and get back onto the course. I know I have about a 1.5 miles left and I also know this like the back of my hand. I try to tell people on their left as I run through the stream of 5kers. After running for a little bit I get to a steep uphill and start pushing up it. I know this uphill so well. Every time we run it for cross country, I always push everyone to run as hard as they can up it. I keep my focus on the top of the hill and run hard just like in cross country practice. At the top of the hill I pass a friend Elizabeth from my parents Tuesday night track. I tell her good job and keep running. I now head down towards a little creek. I pass two runners walking down the muddy section and forget to say excuse me. I also gently brush pass by one of the runners as I’m going by them. She tells me to say “excuse me” next time I go by. I quickly say “yes mame, I’m very sorry.” I feel bad about forgetting to be courteous in a race, especially when I’m representing Jesus. I try to get back on a habit of saying excuse me, on your left.
I’m almost back to the Overlook now! I have one long hill left now. During XC practice I also encourage everyone to push this hill, so I push hard up it. I know it’s not too long, but there is a steep section at the end. I get up half the hill to the flat section and gain speed for the last half of the climb. I pass by a crying 5 year old, and encourage her to keep going. I get to the hill and push up it. It hurts bad and I want to stop, but I give my best for God. After doing a bike ride and almost 6 miles, the only thing left is God to help me finish this. I get to the top of the hill and push onto the sidewalk to the finish. I sprint around the corner and point to God. I thank him for keeping me safe and giving me energy. I say hi and good job to Wyatt, Ariel, and my friend Hunter who finished before me. I then collapse on the grass.
Praise The Lord For He Is Good, His Love Endures Forever!
