Rekindled Running

Setting your sights--2007 was the year of the ultra, with Keene and I running our first 50K and 50-mile races. The challenges for 2008 are emerging with new trail races and a new fire for morning runs.

If I'm not careful, I'm going to turn myself back into a runner. The last two weeks, I have managed three runs per week, with runs of 9, 7, and 12 miles during the week of 3/09. A couple runs have been notable.

On Sunday 3/09, I tried to introduce Landy Cook to our 10-mile Tuckahoe loop, only to find water blocking sections of trail that aren't usually wet. Our normal crossing required a canoe not to be chest deep getting from the bottom of Turkey Hill Trail over to Little Florida. So we re-grouped, and took our dip with just a couple miles left in our 9+ mile run, when Landy bonsai'ed through a thigh-deep crossing at the beginning of Pee Wees Trail. By far the wettest I have ever seen the trail and a blast for good trail running in challenging conditions.

After a 7-miler at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Landy and I embarked on a dark distance exploration, starting our run at 4:30 a.m., and running 12.3 miles. We hit the first mile mark at 9:30-pace, kept it easy and wound up along Rails to Trails in Easton hitting a good 8:30-pace for the last couple miles. Our total time for the run was 1:54 and change.

Morning runs have hit a whammy bar that has rekindled my running. I'm making myself follow a schedule and enjoying the roads in the dark and the trails when we get out there. This renewed energy has also reopened my training goals and race schedule. On April 26, the Trail Dawgs in Delaware are hosting their Triple Crown and Delaware Trail Marathon. The Triple Crown is a half-marathon, followed by a 10K, followed by a 5K, run back-to-back-to-back. I have thought about that race before and it got my attention this year as well. However, we've outlined a rough training plan to have a go at the trail marathon. There, I said it. During my self-proclaimed year of the half-marathon, I've gone and busted out the "m" word. In my defense, though, it is a TRAIL marathon!

We'll see how training continues. As it stands, Keene is gunning for the Triple Crown, liking the breaks and different legs, per his triathlon training (he biked 42 miles from Wittman to Gunston School on Thursday--I'd say he's getting along towards the Eagleman). Landy and I are gunning for the marathon. Reports from those who have run Trail Dawg races have all been great.

For those with muddy intentions, and those not set on the Oxford Day 10K that weekend, take a look at the races. You can run the marathon, half-marathon, 10K, or 5K, or package the last three for the TC. Their website has some great info and links to photos, including a fantastic looking creek/stream crossing, which is way to wide to allow for log/tree fordings. Any takers, give a holler. And stayed tuned for other local, creative running challenges to be posted soon.

Not Too Seriously...

A recent strip of "Pearls Before Swine," by Stephen Pastis. As busy as we get, you can't beat getting brought back to humor, by something like this. You can read daily "Pearls" of wisdom online. Reprinted by permission of Stephen Pastis.

I've been writing, interviewing, and looking at ideas and nominations for the 2008 race calendar. My goal for the coming year, is to dial in on the 10-mile and half-marathon distances, looking for as many opportunities as I can find to make said races trail runs. Here are some good ones I've come across:

03/22 Chesapeake Ride & Tie, 10M, 15M, 25M, Fair Hill, MD (trail). Beautiful course! A friend has mountain biked out there. Emailing the race director, this is generally a 2-person team trail run and trail horse ride, intermittently. She was really excited to have a trail runners only division, providing a measured, marked course, race timing, etc. This year's runners would be the FIRST to compete as straight-up runners.

04/12 Adkins Arboretum Arbor Day 10K, Ridgely, MD (trail). Gotta support the local trail race. Ran it two years ago, when it was a 3.5-mile course. Adkins and Tuckahoe trails. Looking to create a Triple Crown of this, Bridge-to-Bridge half, and Oxford Day 10K.

05/04 EX2 Off-Road Marathon and Half-Marathon, Prince William Forest Park, VA (trail). These guys put on great races. Their Vasque Backyard Burn spring and fall series in 07 all sold out. Great trails, well run race.

05/24 Chestertown Tea Party 10-Miler, Chestertown, MD (road). This would be the third consecutive year. The heat always makes this a challenging race. Sweet beer truck waiting right at the finish line.

08/17 Half Wit Trail Run Half Marathon, Reading, PA (trail). This is the race I really want to do this year. I might try to make this the top tier run on the schedule. We'll see how it shakes out. Sounds like a challenging run and a great group of folks.

09/19 Chesapeake Ride & Tie 3-Day Festival, 10M, 15M, 20M, 30M, 40M, Fair Hill, MD (trail). Fall series, just like spring, but with more options. We'll see how spring goes. I might even stretch this one out to 20 miles.

10/11 Baltimore Half-Marathon, Baltimore, MD (road). Over the last 3 years, I have rotated between full, half, and full marathons. 2007 was a full year, 2008 makes a half. Such a great race, great course, running through the heart of the city, finishing between Camden Yards and Ravens Stadium. Hilly course, as far as Maryland goes.

11/09 Outer Banks Half-Marathon, Outer Banks, NC (road). This is going to have to be an either-or with Baltimore. Since they started this race two years ago, I have thought how cool it would be to get a group together, take a weekend road trip, rent a house, and throw a half-marathon in as the excuse/centerpiece of the trip.

So that's eight that I've come across, many in Trail Runner magazine's 2008 race calendar. Love to hear what other races folks are considering. In all likelihood, I will narrow this list to six. And I am going to continue to look for a good Pittsburgh race--either something like the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon or a sweet trail run up there, since we have family and friends that could represent places to crash.

When I have more time and focus, I would like to return to a 50K and a 50-mile race. I have recently heard that David Horton's Promise Land 50K is his most beautiful course, and much hillier than the Holiday Lake we did in February. The HAT Run 50K in MD sounds great. And either a return to JFK, or to the Mountain Masochist 50-miler isn't out of the question. But we are talking in a couple years. The 2008 mantra is to run fast, run free, run wild, run fun.