Race #150
7k #2
2018 Race #11
2018 7k #1
Paris Mountain 7k #2
I knew it had been a while since I had run a trail race but when I looked it up, I realized that I have not run a trail race since 2013. The last time I ran this race was 2011, during my first full year of running. Well, here goes nothing!
Backtracking a little, I originally registered for this race back while I was at the beach in June. It’s difficult to find races in South Carolina in August, for obvious reasons, and I wanted to make sure that I had an August race. Usually my go to August race is the Julie Valentine Run2Overcome. With that difficult, hilly race falling one week after San Francisco, I managed to talk myself out of signing up for that one.
In the back of my mind I remembered something about a new half marathon but did not end up remembering it until after I registered for this race. I was a little bummed since trails, obviously, are not my preference, but decided to run both races. In the end, it’s a good thing that I registered for this race because, due to construction downtown and subsequent permitting issues, the half marathon had to postpone until next year. (They issued everyone refunds.)
My race plan, according to Matt (my coach) was “have fun, don’t trip, pass 2 people in the last mile.” Okay. I can do that. Well, I ended up doing everything but the last part. I passed just one person.
When I checked out my recap from the race seven years ago I saw that my time then was 51:05. I thought that perhaps, I could surpass that time. After all, I had not been running even a full year at that point. Although that wasn’t one of my prescribed goals, I added that one in as a “just maybe.”
We started right at 8 and headed up the hill to the trail access. (I’m not a trail runner, obviously, so I will likely butcher all the terminology.) Like I remembered, it’s not pretty. However, I did not find it defeating like I did seven years ago so that’s a plus.
We soon joined the trail and I instantly wondered why I had signed up for a trail race. While I do not zone out while I run, I do enjoy running partially because I do not always have to have my brain on in constant motion, at least when I run on the road. On the trails it’s a different story. I had to be constantly on the alert, staring at the ground intently so that I did not trip.
For much of the first mile and a half, a girl ran behind me and talked nearly constantly. I could not figure out whether I wanted her to stay there because I could listen to her conversation and have some sort of distraction or if I wanted her to hurry up and pass me because she would not stop talking.
When we came back out onto the road around the second mile, she passed then. I walked up that hill and used the time to mentally regroup, not minding that it took me longer.
When we rejoined the trail, I had my answer. I enjoyed the portion of the trail where she did not run behind me much more than when she did. There’s something about trail running and silence, or at least a lack of verbal communication, that works hand in hand.
Throughout the runnable trail sections, which was most of it aside from some muddy sections thanks to the rain last night, and one tree that we had to step over twice, once on the way out and once on the way back, I felt good and strong. Even though I knew that I am unlikely to sign up for another trail run any time soon, I enjoyed the run. I had fun. I did not fall. Unfortunately, I did not realize how close we were to the end and passed only one person in the last mile. 🙂
Mile 1: 10:01
Mile 2: 11:05
Mile 3: 12:05 (this included the walking portion on the road just after completing mile 2)
Mile 4: 9:46
Overall: 43:13 – an almost exact 8 minute PR, after a while with no signs of running progress much less PRs, I’ll take it!
Not bad for two weeks after a marathon and five years out from my last trail run.