I don’t typically run on trails. I hike quite often but at a sensible pace and not leaping over rocks and roots. Last summer we did our first trail race, documented for posterity here. Deciding that 6 miles in the woods left too little opportunity for injury, I signed my husband and myself up for am 8 mile race aptly named the “Crazy 8.”
In the pro column, the weather was beautiful, much cooler than it could have been. Also, it was not up the side of a mountain. On the con side, most of the race was on what I later learned were “black diamond” mountain bike trails. I ran up and down hills, sharp turns, roots and rocks running like the snotty nosed girl in the Blair Witch Project through a deep forest.
How does a 40 something year old transition to trail running when road running is your main focus?
I will let you know after I actually train for a trail run. The weather in the weeks leading to the race was very, very hot and humid, even for Virginia. I really couldn’t bring myself to run more than 5 or 6 miles at a time. I went into this race with a mindset that I would likely need to walk and had made peace with my inadequate training. We were told to assume 2 minutes per mile off of our normal race pace which for me would put me around 10 min mile using 5k pace but I really didn’t have a good reference for 8 miles so I assumed my 10 mile pace which when adjusted would be more like 11 min/mile.
I don’t understand how people can drink water when then run. If I drink water, even a sip within an hour and half of running I may as well throw myself on the ground doubled over with cramps. Maybe, like the grinch’s heart, my esophagus is 2 sizes too small? I can feel liquid sloshing around in there for hours. There were several water stations, I passed each hoping I wouldn’t be seized by a sudden and insatiable thirst. I wound up really enjoying the race, there is something soothing about running in the woods, I was alone for several miles but did mange to have a nice conversation with a runner for a mile or 2 in the middle portion of the race. The combination of sunlight and shadow coupled with the soft pine needles beneath my feet was a welcome change from the pounding of shoes on hot pavement.
I would love to say I did not fall. Technically nobody saw me fall so I guess it I could say it never happened. The only thing I wounded was my pride mixed with a little dirt here and there. The real lesson here is that roots look an awful lot like sticks but they do not move. The roots always win.
So what’s the verdict about trying out a longer trail run?
To me, the distance was not as much of an obstacle as I anticipated it would be. The undulating terrain was my bigger challenge and I could feel some strain on my ankles and calves. I run pretty regularly on a fairly hilly and rocky trail but these mountain bike trails have directional changes and switchbacks that I am not used to. Perhaps some sort of jazzercise would have better prepared me or at least helped me spring back up from my stumbles with “jazz hands!”
What shoes did I wear for a crazy 8 mile trail run? My regular road shoes. My current shoes are Topo Magnifly 3. I love the 0 drop of the Topo and the wide toe box but find they are more stable and ankle protecting than my Altras. I wasn’t hanging on the side of a sheer rock face and my shoes are pretty good on most surfaces. I could probably have used a little more tread but without practice, I think the extra weight would have had me clod hopping and tripping even more than I did. How many times did I trip you ask? Well, if I only count the times I hit the dirt and not just stumbled like a newborn fawn, then that number is 3. My pace was pretty much spot on the 2 minutes over 5k pace, slighly under a10 min per mile, finishing the race around and hour and 20 minutes. This was actually good enough to win me first in the 40-49 age group so I was pretty happy!
The lesson here is that it’s nice to run a race outside of your comfort zone. Experiencing, a different course, distance, pace, people, scenery all make your world a little more interesting. Running is a way to learn more about yourself and to give you strength in life’s uncertain times. You finished what you start and try your best. You may trip. You may fall but if you get out there and push your limits, you can’t fail.
If you haven’t yet tried a trail race, do it! The only runs I have regretted are the ones I didn’t do.