Talk about a way to start a spooky Halloween week! After all the excitement and fun times of the Rock N Roll Los Angeles Expo and social media meet up (read all about it on here on Pavement Runner), I had to depart and head to Paramount Ranch in Agora Hills to get ready for the Haunted Trails of the Night 10K! Now, being the race series ambassador, I was really looking forward to this race. Running on trails is always fun, but being able to do it at night...with glow sticks, and 99 other ghouls and goblins in costume...well that just sounds like my idea of a bad ass Saturday night!
I parked at the ranch and went to check in at the barn! Wait, I am getting a bit ahead of myself. Some of you are probably wondering what Paramount Ranch actually is. Paramount Ranch is a ranch that was purchased by Paramount Pictures in 1927! It was an actual working movie and television set. It is gently nestled against the Los Angeles Mountains...and Malibu is just a few short miles away!
Ok, so I checked in at the barn and met my friend, the Race Director Keira! She, of course was hard at work putting signage up and had that awesome smile on her face. I was a little early, so I took a personal tour of the ranch. I went to change and watched the sun disappear behind the beautiful mountains. See, that is the thing. When you are running or walking trails, you throw yourself into nature. You are instantly surrounded by fresh air, beautiful trees, even the dirt and soil is beautiful.
So as we got closer to showtime, other runners and supporters started to arrive. One of those wonderful people was Dani from Weight Off My Shoulders! I had just met her at the previous event so was happy to see a familiar face...especially one that made me laugh so much. I had interacted with Dani on Social Media in the past, but I had never been able to have a sit down conversation with her. That night, we had 6.2 miles of bonding! Since this was a Halloween themed race, racing costumes were 100% encouraged. People showed up in some really awesome outfits! We all laughed and shared in this really fun themed experience...night trail run in costume. I was wearing my INKnBURN robot kit. Robot in the woods, who'd of thunk it?
The race started and we all darted down the dusty road of Paramount Ranch into the hills! I am thankful for my Black Diamond headlamp because without it, well...I would have been blind. The course was very well marked with glow-sticks, character actor volunteers, and props which made this race very entertaining. The course consisted of two 3.1 mile loops around the property through the surrounding hills. Dani and I had a wonderful time out there. We talked about everything from her experience in Boston, her reaction to being there at the finish line during the tragic events, her wonderful home life, and her aspirations for the future. Me? I listened, asked some questions and shared some my own personal stories. Running is something that should be shared with someone. It is something that instantly brings us together. I had just met Dani, but feel as if I made a friend! We stuck together through the terrain, and made our way back to the barn where we picked up our medals and a yummy sandwich.
Keira put on a wonderful event! It was just challenging enough, and 100% fun. The other participants were also very nice, welcoming, well mannered, and just fun! If you haven't run one of Keira's races here in the Los Angeles area...you are missing out! If you want in on some of this fun, challenging, and scenic action, you should register and join us for the Sean o'Brien 50 Miler, 50K (which will be my furthest distance), and marathon. Registration is open, and we would love to see you there!
Thanks Keira for a night of fun!
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