I was actually a bit nervous for this as there are not many trails in this area. I figured it would be like riding a bike, but I forgot how much concentration it takes to run technical trails. You can't just zone out like in most road races. Rocks, roots, and streams are ready to take you out of your comfort zone. With that in mind, this was more about having fun than racing. What a novel concept! I sort of kept splits for the race, but the constant changing terrain made them meaningless. I'll just post some thoughts on this race.
Miles 1-4: The race started off well as we started in a field and made our way to the dirt trail. It hadn't rained in a while, so the trails were in excellent shape. I really felt out of my groove and started near the back of the pack before passing a few people who were running about an 11:00 pace. We hit a few simple downhills/uphills which us acclimated to the terrain. Going downhill felt different compared to road races, as you have to do that thing where you put your arms out to the sides to keep your balance.
We hit the first stream crossing in just under one and a half miles. Good grief, was it ever cold! It certainly woke me up! I was worried that the water would make the entire race freezing cold. My feet actually warmed right up after a half mile or so after the crossing. We continued up a wicked hill around two miles and everyone was reduced to walking. I vaguely remember writing about the comradarie at these trail races in the past. It was on full display here as runners chatted, laughed and cursed at this trail. This was up there with the Horseshoe Hill 20k I did a few years ago as far as difficulty goes.
The second stream crossing came after some nice downhill and simple trail running. It was difficult as you had to jump in off the rocks. One runner in front of me almost went in face first and thankfully recovered. The worst part was when you got out of the water. There was water from the faster runners on the rocks and ground after getting out of the crossing, which had frozen. That was the most dangerous part of this race. But being a sick person, it was still kind of fun.
Miles 5-7.7: Mile 5 started out just fine as we made our way around a large field. We all were able to make up some lost time during this section. Then we made our way back to the woods and another decent downhill. Then all heck broke loose. I'm talking six stream crossings, most about halfway up my calves, in a one mile stretch. This took whatever spirit I had left. The first two were somewhat fun. Then it got progressively worse as my feet just could not warm back up and the water kept going into my shoes. This was a really rough stretch. It took the air out of me every time we hit one of these streams.
But that's not all! After the stream crossings of doom, we had a fun mega-uphill waiting for us. It felt like we were going at a ninety degree angle up this thing. And it was so close to the finish! The race organizers really did a great job fitting in such different terrain with lots of difficulty into a 7.7 mile race.
I finished with a respectable time of 1:24:14 and 15/52 overall. Not a bad day considering my lack of trail running.
I would HIGHLY recommend this race, but do know what you are getting yourself into. It's very tough, but you get to run with a great group of people. Very well done!
W will be joining me at my next one. We've decided to head south for a few days and I will be doing my second race in Georgia.
Next race: Kilt & Kolor Run 5k- Savannah, GA
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