Twin Creek 10K+ Trail Run

This was only my second trail race and third 10K.  To say I was a bit nervous about this one is an understatement.  It's been very dry for well over a week now but it started raining an hour before the race and never let up.  My first trail run was nice because it wasn't on a very technical trail.  This one was nothing but hills, steep climbs, turns, and stream crossings.  The rain made for some very messy spots and everyone I saw, including me, came close to wiping out several times.  Plus the course was closer to 6.5 miles.  But I have never had more fun running trails before!

I arrived at Twin Creek at 9:00 to sign up and stretch out.  This is another ORRRC race so I didn't have to pay.  I spent most of the hour in my car because the rain really let loose.  Finally made my way to the start at about 15 minutes to the start just to get acclimated to the conditions.  The mid-50s temperature was perfect but the rain was really cold.  I didn't wear a watch and the miles weren't marked, so I'll just highlight the key points for this race. 

We were thrown right into the fire with a steep downhill to start the race.  It gave us a chance to see what the conditions were going to be like for the rest of the race.  Sloppy.  Very sloppy.  We wound our way to the first steep uphill climb which everyone walked up.  It would have been challenging in good conditions, but it was downright frightening in the torrential rain.  Then we continued climbing, running downhill and winding our way through the park to where the pond is located.  There were several short climbs here which required you to grab a branch and make your way to the top.  The area was definitely scenic and I loved the view of the pond and the river.  This was the turnaround point and we made our way back to the park entrance.  The major climbs were out of the way, except for a hill that zigzagged all the way up.  Most of the race was single track, making it difficult to pass anyone.  You really had to know that you could pass the person and stay in front of them.  I trailed another runner for about 10 minutes before finally passing him.  We went down a steep hill, crossed a stream, and made our way back up.  Somebody behind me a ways was flying down the hill which is crazy in a race like this.  I had a feeling he would be pooped on the uphill and I was right.  The last two miles were fairly straightforward with no major climbs, just muck.  But the final quarter mile was just mean.  Straight uphill to the finish line.  I finished in 1:00.13 which was actually my goal before the rain started.  I was very surprised to find that I placed third in my age group. 

This race reminded me why trail running is such a different beast.  But it's definitely fun.  My legs were covered in mud.  I was wet and cold.  But I loved every minute of it.

I'm not 100% sure what my next race is going to be.  If I feel up to it I'll be running in the Sugar Maple 5k on Saturday.  If not, the Capital City Half Marathon will be next.