Race Report: I'm Back! Forever 5-Miler Trail Race

Once upon a time, I was a trail runner and the more technical the trail, the better!  Because it was necessary, I also ran on the roads and occasionally on the treadmill, but I loved trails.  I stopped running them in 2016 when I re-entered the world of piano competition and I was afraid of breaking a wrist or finger, but now it's been 5 years since I did one of those.  So... I figure it's time to get back into trails.

On a whim - literally a spur-of-the-moment decision that I gave almost zero thought to, I signed up for the Mountain Junkies "RNUTS" race series (Roanoke Non-Ultra Trail Series).  If I complete 5 out of the 7 races, I get a cool running vest.  But that's not why I signed up.  I signed up because I wanted something to hold myself accountable.  This race is the second one in the series.  The Frozen Toe 10K was postponed a week when the National Park Service revoked the permit due to a predicted winter storm and so I wound up doing the virtual version instead of running the postponed race.  No race report for that!

I'm far from the shape I used to be in.  Once I went back to work full-time in 2017, my running became less and less until almost non-existent.  Now I find myself weighing more than I did when I went to the hospital to have my first baby.  This used to be enough weight for me and an entire other human being.  Now, maybe it's partially because I'm 54, but I suspect the mindless eating and supplementing my nutritious meals with a lot of cookies and candy and cake hasn't helped.

OK... onto the race.

I watched the weather forecast all week because it looked like we were going to get rained on.  The race is on the "Forever" section of the Glenwood Horse Trail, with the trailhead at the Day Creek parking lot just west of Montvale.  Trails on the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains are always pretty rocky, with a lot of loose rocks that can send you sprawling.  When rocks are wet, it's even worse because then you can also slip on the the rocks that don't move.

But... hooray!  The rain wasn't supposed to come until later today and it was absolutely perfect weather in the low 50s.

I met up with my friends Gretchen and Ryan, whom I haven't seen in a long time, so it was really nice to catch up with them.  Gretchen was running and Ryan was volunteering.  Gretchen and I started the race together - we were chatting and I didn't notice how far up we were in the group.  I probably would have started out further back.  But in the end, this was probably a good thing because I think it helped me push myself more than I would have, otherwise.

It was singletrack trail the entire way and was pretty much what I anticipated in terms of rockiness and "rootiness."  The first 3/4 mile or so wasn't too bad in terms of elevation gain - it was a lot of gentle ups and downs and the trail was pretty visible and there weren't too many rocks, roots, or leaves.

Then it started to change a bit!  Rockier, rootier (but mostly rocks).  I was careful not to run when leaves appeared deeper than one flattened layer because I couldn't know what was underneath them.  Every time I got to a little creek, I didn't even try to keep my feet dry by balancing on rocks.  I thought there was a far better chance of me slipping off a rock or choosing a loose one rather than just splashing my way through the creek.  I always rather liked the feeling of the cold water on my feet during a race.  It helps to wear SmartWools, which I was!

About halfway up to the turn-around, I couldn't help noticing the beautiful view of the valley below.  I decided I'd get a picture on the way down.  Around this point, the fastest 5-milers (there was also a 10-miler option) were heading back down and those of us still going up had to move off trail every time one came so they could safely descend at their blistering pace.  I don't know how they do it!  Are they really wood elves in disguise?

I hiked quite a bit for the last mile up the mountain because it was just SO. STEEP. and it seemed endless. I remarked to one guy, "Is this why it's called the 'Forever' section?"  It just felt like we would never get there!  Gretchen passed me during this section.  She looked great.  I was thinking to myself, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Finally, I got to the turn-around and got my rubber band from Gina (to prove I didn't cut the course).  Gina told me, "Good job!" and I responded that my goal was to stay vertical and if I simply didn't fall, I'd consider it a win!

Back in my running heyday when I was younger and much stronger, I loved flying down technical trails like these.  My quadriceps were so strong that I felt like I could handle anything.  However, 14 years later... today my left hip started grumbling on the way up and I was concerned it would give out if overtaxed.  So I was much more careful than I might have been back in my 30s.  I also kept an occasional eye on my heart rate on my Garmin watch.  It never got over 180, so I'm glad about that.  My average was 168, so I know I worked pretty hard today.

On the way down, I got this beautiful photo of the valley.

Then I started running again while putting my gloves back on.  On trail runs, my husband always tells me, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING" because he knows that as soon as I don't, I will trip and fall.  Well, today was no exception.  My foot caught a root or rock and down I went.  I popped up quickly and seemed none the worse for wear.  Oh well, so much for my "win!"  

I made it down the rest of the mountain without disaster.  During the race, I counted "twists" also.  These are when my foot hits something that makes my ankle twist enough to make me think, "Ouch" (or sometimes a worse word).  After I crossed the finish line, I told Gretchen that I had five left ankle twists, two right ankle twists, and one fall.  Not too bad for my first time back running a very technical, mountainous trail at the age of 54.  I consider it a win!

Then in a pleasant surprise, I learned I was second in my age group.  I missed the award ceremony but I picked it up later.  I like the horseshoe to remind me that it was on the Glenwood Horse Trail.

Race #3 is about a month from now.  Hopefully I can continue to make progress with my running and general fitness and finish these races vertically and uninjured.  

If you enjoy a challenging trail but are not fond of ultra distances, then the Forever 5- or 10-miler race is probably one you would enjoy.  Mountain Junkies always puts on a wonderful race and the post-race food was particularly yummy.  Shout out to all the volunteers who fixed up and marked the course, cheered for us, timed us, and fed us.  I'm not sure I would enjoy running this trail by myself as a training run (although it would be a terrific workout) but with others around, it was a nice way to spend my Saturday morning.  Happy Trails, everyone!