Monday, October 4, 2010

Trust Your Quads not your ipods!

Running can be hard. Trail running be just down right nasty. Trail running mixes in challenging incline and quad busting decline, uneven terrain, and a hint of danger around each turn.

Yesterday I ran my ninth trail race, the Point Mugu 11k. This was the first time I’ve run the point Mugu trail so there was a bit of uncertainly and in trail running it can be a huge bonus to know the trail especially on the downhill. I’ve been on a steady diet of 5k’s for the last four months so I knew it wouldn’t be easy transitioning to the up and down terrain. I also have been dealing with a little soreness in my right knee so my goal was to really try and feel my way through the first 2 miles. My biggest concern was whether or not I’d have the endurance for the incline. I knew from looking at the elevation map of the course that we’d be running uphill for at least 2 and a half miles. That’s a hard way to start any run.

The weather was perfect. The skies were filled with heavy fog and light mist. As long as the sun stayed hidden I was happy. The race director blurted out the crowd before the race that the trail would quickly forge into a single trail. For those who know little about trails let me explain. When you’re walking, running, or hiking trails, they’re usually on narrow trail paths or wide paths called fire roads. One of the major problems with narrow trails during any trail race is that it is difficult and dangerous to pass people so you can potentially get stuck behind a slow runner.
Instead of opening up and running out in front yesterday, I decided to run a mellow pace and I should have known better.
The director was right. We were quickly on a narrow trail path and everyone was running in single file. My friend Dave moved up ahead which is what I should have done but I slowed and the next thing I know, I’m in a pack of people all waiting for this woman to get out of the way. The trail was tough in the beginning with rocks and certain areas that you had no choice but to walk but when the trail flattened out, you expect whoever is in front to pick up the pace but this woman obviously did not know trail running etiquette. If you are a slow running, move to the side. Similar to when a car is barreling down on you, why deal with someone tailgating you, when you can move over and let them pass. I think I lost about five minutes in time before I finally made a bold move and ran around her. I had plenty of room to open up and run but for some reason my legs felt like led. I just could not get any rhythm or flow. I hit mile one and felt terrible. I did my best to try and pump myself up at that point, I knew that this race would be a grind until the end but I was up for that.

I hit mile 2 and I was finally getting into a bit of a groove and the trail turned off to a wide open fire road with plenty of incline to go with it. All around, you saw runners grunting and heavy breathing. When you looked at every runner, they were drenched, so I knew it wasn’t just me. I kept plugging, finally hitting mile 3. The higher the altitude the thicker the fog became. It was actually cool because you couldn’t see whether or not you were running uphill or down. You just kept running hoping for that downhill to come. At around the 3 and a half mile mark we started on a downhill run that felt like you were on an out of control rollercoaster. At times I was going so fast that I felt like a rag down. The turns were deadly coming down. Some were sharp cuts, which required you to precisely slow up and go the other way going full speed. At one point I was running at least a 6 minute mile downhill. There were a group of us flying and everyone seemed to be headhunting for someone else going down the trail. You could look to your left and see a runner ahead of you and you knew you had the momentum to catch them. About seven of us were in a line gunning for this girl who was running a great pace but we swallowed her up. After the race she acknowledged that she saw us coming and she thought she was running fast but knew we were blazing.

For all the time I lost on the uphill, I made up for it on the downhill. I was a little disappointed because I knew I should have done better but I ended up finishing 4th in my age division, which is a victory in my book. The competition was fierce and the best I’ve down in my age division at any trail race may have been 9th. It was a good race and good battle amongst a band of speed demons.

If you are looking to get into trail running there are a few keys to getting started. First go out to a trail around town. There are plenty of trails in the Santa Monica mountains that you can find on the web.

Shoes are very important. If you are a newcomer to trail running it’s best to get a basic pair of trail shoes mainly because of safety. I love doing trails in running shoes because trail shoes can be stiff and cause blisters but if you are unfamiliar with trails, you can be prone to bad ankle sprains and you should have shoe that will grip the surface a little better especially running downhill.

Next, learn to run uphill. Most trails have some sort of incline so you can bet the trail running events will have them. Sure you can walk but remember it’s a race so if you have a desire to complete the event before nightfall you have to get use to running uphill.
The most important aspect is learning to run downhill. This is tricky, dangerous, and not something you can learn overnight. Most of trail running is instinctive. You have to be able to scan ahead, spot rocks, dodge branches and all at a high speed. When running downhill, it only takes one second to trip over a rock and the next thing you know, you are eating gravel for a week or worse you can launch over the side of the mountain. You have to be somewhat nimble and coordinated. Tripping and falling can happen to the best runners. The guy who came in 2nd overall yesterday tripped and his knee was bloodied and his hand was all cut up. He said he’d never run trails before. He still managed to finish second which is pretty damn good. Know that trail running is not for everyone. It’s not the family 5k. It takes some determination and a lot of heart.

When you are ready for a real challenge and you are ready to get dirty, there’s a trail with your name on it.

Mountains Punch Back!

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