I broke one of the cardinal rules of marathon training...
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I tried something new.
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I've wanted to try this for some time, but I was patiently waiting...
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that is, until opportunity came a-knockin' and my excitement got the best of me.
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Just as we (the usual Chicago-bound running group I run with) were scheduling our 10 mile run for the weekend, an idea presented itself (with a little help from Brooke)...
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There was a local 15k race. Close enough to 10 miles and it sounded like a great idea. The only problem?
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It was a trail run.
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To be fair 3 out of 4 of us thought it sounded like a great idea, so it must be fine - heck, 4 out of 5 dentists chose Trident gum didn't they?
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So the morning of the race...
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Get there, meet Brooke and her husband there. Jason never shows up... not sure what happened there.
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The start of the race was approaching, so we assemble in front of the start line. I go to tighten up my laces so I wouldn't have any problems, and just as I pull on one of my laces, it breaks...
could this possibly mean anything? I dismiss it and try to get mentally prepared for my first trail run - what was I getting into? The race director then informs us that the 15k race would be a little long today - 9.6 miles. "No problem" I thought, "I'm supposed to do 10 anyway".
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The race started and off we went! The first 300 yards or so was a deeply rutted road. Brooke and I were talking like we normally do on our runs -- then we hit the trail.
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All at once it became single file and talking stopped. I quickly learned that this was a completely different type of running -- though I knew this, yet I didn't... We had to focus on the ground and our foot placement.
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We resembled a group of lemmings - I was wondering when the cliff would come, but instead of a cliff we had come to a hill. I conquered it no problem and I started to smile...
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I was enjoying this!
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My euphoria wore off about half way through the run. There were a few instances of some near rolled ankles and a couple of stumbles (pick up your feet), but I remained upright and surprisingly was keeping a 9:00/mile pace! I was growing tired as we progressed and I felt more and more like a castway on the show LOST - running through the woods, never really seeing very far in front of me or very far behind.
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About 6 miles into the run Brooke is the first to take a spill. I was sure it was going to be me - I'm not the most graceful runner. She was fine, no blood drawn and she was back on her feet and right back to running before I could even do anything. We kept going, our pace growing increasingly slower.
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I was getting the hang of this trail running. I was feeling tired, but I was also feeling comfortable running on the trail. We had just passed the 8 mile marker and were in the final stretch of the race when - for a split second - a. split. second. - I took my eyes off of the ground. I was going up a hill and as I approached the top I didn't lift my foot high enough and it found a root or stump or rock (that was marked with flourescent marking paint).
T-I-M-B-E-R !!!!
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I fell to the ground like a giant redwood tree. I laid there for a brief second - just a brief second - wondering if I should just stay there. But I got up, covered with dirt (sweat + dust = dirt) and started running again -- my ego slightly bruised, but I was fine. 1.6 miles later we were crossing the finish line -- 1:32, a 9:35/mile pace. Not too bad for a first time and spending some of it sprawled out on the ground...
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My legs are sore right now, so I now know this was not the best decision I have made, but on the positive side of it all - I am not injured. And what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, right?
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I did learn some valuable lessons though:
- Definitely do not attempt in the middle of marathon training!
- Do not wear a white shirt
- Wear trail running shoes, not worn running shoes (which, by the way, I got my new shoes yesterday, same as before - Asics Gel Fortitudes)
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