I have officially completed my first ever single-track trail race. I was inspired by a local running buddy to sign up for the race just for fun and it was just that!
I raced cross country in high school and college, but I will say that trail racing did not compare. It is its own beast. Cross country normally allows for wide paths and constant passing of opponents, but a single-track trail race does not. So this was a first for me. I was nervous as all get out and to top it all off (quite literally) it had snowed anywhere from 2-6” across the state park we were competing in.
The night before the race, the race directors had made their final walk-through of the course stating they did not require traction to complete the course. However, they were unsure what the sub-freezing temperature through the night would produce in the morning. They were leaving it to the runners to choose to wear traction or not.
So my first thought when reading that post on Facebook was, “I don’t know what they even mean by traction. Like trail shoes or no trail shoes? I just assumed everyone wore trail shoes for a trail race.”
Well after a quick Google search, I figured out there are options to add spikes to your shoes to improve traction when hiking or running in the mountains. Like duh, that makes sense.
Two things to that, I quickly remembered in college my coach had created screw shoes for me out of an old pair of my trainers, but I couldn’t remember if I had tossed them during my rageful cleaning earlier this month. I think I did.
So I proceed with my frantic Google search to find a store open early enough with some sort of traction device in stock. Unfortunately, my search came up dry. So I resorted to reaching out to my running buddy to see if she might have an extra pair but knew she wouldn’t answer until the morning because it was way too late to be up with a race in the morning.
I made a final plan that at worst, if I woke up to a sorry I can’t help you text in the morning, I would run to a local hardware store and convince my husband to help me make screw shoes in the morning before the race.
Luckily, I was saved by the bell waking up to a text from my running buddy saying she had an extra pair of traction. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I rolled out of bed to get breakfast started before getting ready for the race.
My next big dilemma before the race was deciding what to wear. It was supposed to be 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit at the start of the race, but sunny. In Colorado that translates to it might be sports bra weather, but if you catch a stiff wind or a lot of shade you may want a sweatshirt on.
I elected to wear my First City Track Club sweatshirt instead of my racing singlet because it was just way too cold when I went out in my front yard wearing it to test it out. Well fun fact, I was wrong. I 100% should have worn my singlet and NOT my sweatshirt because I ended up shedding my sweatshirt with 2-3 miles left and finishing in my sports bra, but ya know, hindsight is always 20/20.
Well, after all of my big decisions of the morning, I was finally able to get my stuff together and in the car. I met my running buddy near the state park to carpool due to limited parking and we rolled into the start parking passing the start line and down to the parking lot.
Now the nerves start to set in as the temperature is rising and the sun is out to party. We ran a half mile back to the start line to pick up our bibs and back for a mile warm up quickly realizing that we both were overdressed. My running buddy was able to shed a layer or two and I simply moved my bib from my sweatshirt to my shorts just in case I wanted to take off my sweatshirt which proved to be a good move later on.
We make our way back to the start line as I keep babbling on and on as my nerves continue to build. We had both elected to go without traction as we felt our shoes were holding well during our warm-up.
Once we were lined up with everyone else, a slight calmness came over me with the familiarity of a start line. There’s a weird comfort in it. The countdown begins and the race is off. We started on a downhill on the road so of course I took off. I felt great at the start, but the adrenaline from the start of the race quickly wore off once we entered the trail system. It was covered in snow, ice, and mud.
I settle into what I believe is a good pace until we start the first climb. I tackled the first part of the incline well, but my calves were quickly on fire as I realized I was way in over my head with the selected pace. I start to slow to preserve my legs for the remaining 7 miles of the race when my watch clicks off at 8:14 for the first mile. I think to myself not too shabby as we continue to climb.
To be honest, I don’t know how long we climbed, but it felt like another mile or two before things started to even out with miles 2 and 3 coming in at a whooping 11:55 and 11:43. And for anyone wondering, yes I did walk for a couple quick paces because my calves were on fire. Literally, on fire you guys. It was terrible.
So of course, here I am questioning my decision to run a single-track trail race in the snow at mile 3, but weirdly I was so grateful for the snow because when I was alone it always guided me in the right direction on the course. The next mile clicked off in 9:33. It had been a mostly downhill mile, but my calves were screaming so speeding up much past this was not an option. I believe it was shortly after mile 4 that I decided to take off my sweatshirt because I was sweating up a storm. I tied my white sweatshirt around my waist which later proved to be a poor decision as my sweatshirt was covered in mud splatters afterwards and I still had to wear it around.
Mile 5 came and went without much complaint as I continued downhill in 8:51. I started to feel like maybe I could make it to the finish line, but plot twist mile 6 was uphill and very, very muddy. It was so muddy I ended up passing another female competitor as she was ripping the traction unit off of her shoes because the mud was collecting heavily on the traction. Mile 6 clicks off at 10:29 as my legs are starting to fatigue, but I feel rejuvenated after passing someone on that terrible muddy hill.
I charge into mile 7 trying to shift into another gear while also trying not to eat shit whipping around the corners on a downhill. Truly not falling and completely eating it during a trail race required a lot of luck and a little bit of coordination and let me tell you I was lucky. Mile 7 beats in at 9:00 and I start to get excited because we are turning back toward the finish line. I was familiar with this part of the trail as I had run it once before.
I start to open up my stride as the trail widens. The final mile was flat as a pancake with minimal tree coverage which meant a hot, muddy mess in some parts and snow in others.
I come charging around the corner enjoying the mini downhill and slight left turn when I hit pure mud. Now, when I say my face was inches from the ground, I mean it. I thought surely at this moment I was going to wipe out and wipe out hard at that. I have no idea how I caught myself, but somehow I stayed upright. I took a step or two to regain my composure as I felt a rush of adrenaline sure through my veins and in this moment, I realized why people compete in single-track trail racing. It’s for the rush. The rush of almost eating shit at every turn. The rush of flying down the mountain at an ungodly pace for the angle at which you are descending. The rush of every muscle in your body burns and you continue to ask for more on the ascent.
What a rush!
I come around the corner to a hairpin finish line when my watch beats for the final mile in 8:06. I crossed the finish line in 1:18:28 as the 6th place female and who knows what place overall covered in mud and sweat.
What a day!
Single-track trail racing is WILD. I appreciate it more now than ever, but I don’t know if I could do an ultra marathon on the trails. Lowkey, that’s been a goal of mine to do sometime in the future when I no longer want to run fast road marathons, but after that, I am not sure I could do it. However, that’s an adventure for future Alisn to worry about on another day. So I’ll stick to the roads for now focused on chasing PR’s and fast times.
Happy Running Ya’ll!
What a race