I’m posting this almost a year after the fact, but last year as the world was shutting down due to Covid-19 and most races were getting cancelled, I managed to find a small trail race in West Virginia that was still happening! It was a great chance to knock WV off the state list and my sister and I made a little vacation out of it. We brought my nieces along and did some hikes and spent one day on the water at Ace adventure.
To be honest, I thought I was in great shape for this race. I had lost about 15 pounds in the past year and I was running faster paces in training. But I forgot how tough trail races can be! The single track dirt trail provided a great way to naturally social distance (lol) but there were lots of rocks and roots and loose gravel, and LOTS of elevation change. I felt like I had to constantly watch my step to avoid tripping and careening down the narrow rocky path.
We ran through beautiful lush green forest, and there were even some mini waterfalls! But it was August in WV, so it was pretty hot and humid! My friend Will met up with us there and also ran the half marathon, but he’s much faster than me and left me in the dust at the start. But he did circle back after he finished to cheer me on and ran the last half a mile with me. He let me know when the finish line was coming up, which was a nice surprise because the course was short by over a mile! (Almost makes me wonder if I should count it as a half marathon!)
I’m still on the fence about whether or not I like trail races. The scenery is usually better and it’s nice to be out in nature. There were times during this race when I was pretty much alone in the woods, or I could see maybe one other person ahead of me. The small laid back atmosphere at trail races is nice. However, I’m constantly worried about twisting my ankle or falling. I did fall at my first trail race in Golden Gate recreation area and I had a huge bruise to show for it. Another time when I was running down the trail from Dragon’s Tooth, I caught my foot on a root and hyperextended my knee. So while I’ve never been seriously injured, I’ve come close enough to wonder if the risk of injury is worth it!
After the race, the runners got a taco lunch. My sister and nieces did the 4 mile walk while I was running the half so we all got to enjoy some tacos! Then we had tickets for a day at Ace adventure water park. It’s not a typical water park; it’s a pond with all kinds of inflatable mats and slides that you can climb on and jump off. Some of the obstacles reminded me of the ones on Wipeout!
New River Gorgeous trail half
8/22/20 Official Time: 2:10:57
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