Lessons Learned from a Trail Race

I ran a 10.4K trail race yesterday.  Well, let me rephrase that...I SIGNED UP for a 10.4K trail race yesterday.  I only finished the 5.4K part of it  - 1 loop.  The race was hard, pure and simple.  A trail run through snow and mud with the first half on an incline, the second half a decline with 2 loops to get the 10.4K (or 6.4 miles) done.

As I began the race I soon realised I was out of my element.  The people around me all had various running club t-shirts and tank tops on.  Some wore trail shoes, but most trainers.  All looked like they knew what to expect and how to run the race.  I on the other hand wanted to throw up, get back in the car, and try again another day.  As the 10.4K began and I made it to the first kilometer mark it set in that I wasn't going to be able to do both loops and would be happy just making it around once in one piece.  With no one around me (unless they were part of the 15.4 K heat and were passing me on all sides) I tried to just take in the scenery - a beautiful forest with tress shooting up to the sky, little streams on all sides trickling down from the numerous larger lakes, signs warning of wild boar and horse riders, and me in the middle of it all huffing and puffing like a 40 year-old beer bellied man (not that anything is wrong with 40 year old beer bellied men mind you).

When I made my way back after just one lap I wanted to cry - pure and simple.  My right hip was on fire, feeling as if someone was sticking a hot needle into the the hip joint over and over again.  My right knee completely throbbing, being pulled far to laterally to compensate for my tight IT band and weak inner thigh muscles.  And, let's be real, my ego a bit bruised once again as I had to admit defeat.  But, all was not lost as, on the 50 minute ride home, I realised I learn a great deal from this race.

1) It's hard making races into training runs:  I intended to have this race be another training run.  My half marathon schedule had a 10-K race planned for week 10 of training.  But, since there were no races in the area at that time I had to move it up by 2 weeks.  This was not a good idea overall because I have not run a 7 or 8 miler yet - mileage that would have helped me on this 6.4 mile run on trails.  But, even if I had run this race at the "right time" is hard to make a race into a training run once  you are in the race itself.  Trying to run a slow easy pace to get the miles in is counterintuitive when everyone else around you is geared out and looking to break PBs, or get close to a PB.  Once I took off from the starting line the distance between me and the first runner in front of me was at least 45seconds to a 1 minute - a large spread that I never decreased.

2) Trail running is 10 times harder than road running:  Well this is kind of common sense but I really had no idea the effort needed to get the legs going on uneven snowy AND rocky AND muddy ground.  After 1 K my legs were already growing heavy as they were trying to get use to the more lateral motions needed to maintain an upright posture on the run. You can't use times from road races and try to make that time on the trail.  Plus 6 miles on the road is a hell of a lot easier than 6 miles on the trails.  I underestimated the amount of energy I would need to make it around this loop twice, which leads me to my next point...

3) When running trails, trail shoes are a good idea:  I had on my road shoes - a pair of neutral Asics gel shoes that I intend to run my half marathon in. I rotate between them and a pair of Brookes.  A good solid shoe with moderate cushioning, my Asics serve me well on the road.  But on a trail the thick sole and lack of traction left me sliding a bit and skidding alot.  The uneven surface made the thick sole more of a hazard - trail runners are low to the ground and highly flexible allowing the foot to move and breath and allowing you to feel where you are going.  Strong ankles and glutes are a plus then once you get more on the trails, but for me my sciatica and weaken right glutial muscles were MAD AT ME the more I ran, especially up hill, making my shoes more of a hinderance.  But, the uneven, snowy, slippery terrain did force me to make bigger strides on the downhill grades making me realize...

4) I can go faster by taking larger steps:  (This really sounds like commonsense, but as my Dad would tell me not all sense is common).  When I was hiking up Snowdonia on New Years Day I was out of my comfort zone.  On the side of the mountain, exposed all around with snow as a far as the eye could see I froze up.  On the descent my fear hindered my speed, making the downhill portion a painful experience with my baby steps and inflamed right hip.  I was afraid of taking larger strides, imagining my tall ass plummeting to my death on the side of the mountain.  During the run, to my surprise, I took bigger strides unaware and unafraid of my potential of falling face first in the snow and mud.  Although slow, I was focused on making it around the damn loop before 40 minutes - a slow enough time as it was.  In doing so, especially on the downhill, I opened up my stride and flew (well relatively speaking).  I could feel my legs turning over in a steady manner, my feet connecting with the earth in a steady rhythm, my breath keeping a nice beat.  In those brief moments I felt like a proper runner and the fear left my body.  Then the glory would fade as I realised I was being lapped again and again, which then made me realize...

5) You can't compare yourself to other people, especially to your partner: This is really a life lesson that I have to tell myself everyday, over and over again.  I can only do what my body and mind allow me to do.  Right now I am getting back into running after cheating on it with food and drink for over a year. As such running is making me earn back every last bit of our relationship.  Standing on that start line I knew I was out of my element - no where near as fast or experienced at the people around me, including Mike (who by the way ended up 3rd overall for the 5.4K).  I let that psych me out just as I had hiking in Snowdonia a few weeks back.  I can't compare myself to someone else and then expect to go out and run the best race I can run.  It is not about competing against someone else, but rather competing against myself to see where I can take my mind and body.  I realised that slowly as I came to the finish line and wanted to cry.  I knew that I had tested my limits for that day, but there there were many more days to come.  Which leaves to me my next point.

6) It's OK to walk: I had it in my mind that runners run and so there is no room for walk breaks during a run.  Well, that is kind of true if you have been running for years, have the mileage under your belt, been trained to run different events, AND know the differences between tempo, speed, race-pace, and endurance runs and incorporate them all in a weeks training.  But, when you are coming back in to the sport, or starting off for the first time, you have to get your body use to the pounding and damage you will be doing to it.  As I am heavier runner still working on loosing the body fat AND body weight with a slight sciatica problem I have to get use to incorporating walks into my longer runs until my body can handle the higher mileage.  That requires me not being self-conscious and taking the walking breaks.  During the trail run I took more walk breaks than usual, getting my legs use to the different terrain, and I didn't like doing it afraid of what others were thinking of me when they passed me.  But, like I say in point 5, I can't compare myself to others and so need to tak the walk breaks until my body both gets use to the mileage and becomes lighter over time.  Overall...

7) I like trails more: Although harder, dirtier, slower, and more unpredictable I really like being in the forest and on the trails.  I can't get too down on myself.  I ran this 3.4 miles in the same time I ran the 3.4 miler at last weeks race showing me that I am actually getting a little faster (even with walk breaks)!  But I like being in nature and seeing how my body reacts to the obstacles and challenge nature gives me.  Mike and I plan to buy a pair of trail runners and after my half marathon start working on trail running and races.  Who knows, I am turning into a runner after all...