So....trail running

[The Expert]

@The Expert Note to self: visit Vermont in the summer!

Bonus: It is also beautiful and green and in the 70s or 80s most of the time!

@nancipants Here's the trail map with all the names: https://www.trailforks.com/region/sleepy-hollow-ski--bike-center/
Chewie's Connector comes all the way down to about a quarter mile from my house.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

@The Expert Note to self: visit Vermont in the summer!

Ditto. Those kind of trail names speak to me….

 

[nancipants]

Group trip to Vermont!

 

[GreatLakes]

You already have some great advice. I would add to get a watch with maps and turn by turn directions. It saved me many times when I came up on trail junctions and wasn't sure which to take.

If you don't do any weights I would recommend adding some leg work like Bulgarian split squats and dead lifts to your repertoire to strengthen your legs.

I might have missed where you are but if you are anywhere that has a lot of deer ticks do not take Lyme disease lightly. I always, even in winter, spray exposed skin with repellent and do a self check after each run to be safe. Have one of these in your car to be safe.

Be more mindful of the forecast and time of day you will run. There are a lot of variables on a trail and you may find yourself out longer than planned as temperatures or weather change. If you are in a place where being out an extra hour in the evening means a big change in temperatures bring a pack-able jacket or heavy layer.

The trails are awesome but do require a little more planning if you are anything more technical than a fire road or flat bridal trail.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I might have missed where you are but if you are anywhere that has a lot of deer ticks do not take Lyme disease lightly. I always, even in winter, spray exposed skin with repellent and do a self check after each run to be safe. Have one of these in your car to be safe.

We definitely have ticks, and they are a big ICK for me. *shudder*

Be more mindful of the forecast and time of day you will run. There are a lot of variables on a trail and you may find yourself out longer than planned as temperatures or weather change. If you are in a place where being out an extra hour in the evening means a bit change in temperatures bring a pack-able jacket or heavy layer.

This is a great point. While I'm planning on running on shorter trail systems (3-5mi loops) for training, I know that's not the case for everyone.

 

[jmasgat]

... flat bridal trail.

I know what you meant, but the thought of a bunch of women in wedding dresses and running shoes is making me laugh.

 

[Psymonds]

You already have some great advice. I would add to get a watch with maps and turn by turn directions. It saved me many times when I came up on trail junctions and wasn't sure which to take.

If you don't do any weights I would recommend adding some leg work like Bulgarian split squats and dead lifts to your repertoire to strengthen your legs.

I might have missed where you are but if you are anywhere that has a lot of deer ticks do not take Lyme disease lightly. I always, even in winter, spray exposed skin with repellent and do a self check after each run to be safe. Have one of these in your car to be safe.

Be more mindful of the forecast and time of day you will run. There are a lot of variables on a trail and you may find yourself out longer than planned as temperatures or weather change. If you are in a place where being out an extra hour in the evening means a big change in temperatures bring a pack-able jacket or heavy layer.

The trails are awesome but do require a little more planning if you are anything more technical than a fire road or flat bridal trail.

we hike a bunch with scouts and I'm always shocked how far from trailheads I encounter trail runners.

with regard to turn by turn directions that is probably a great idea. just hiked yesterday and the plotted route the scouts missed turns twice: the trails were not marked or were not on the paper map, so having a beep when you go 50 feet of course is helpful. saved me 3 miles yesterday.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

We definitely have ticks, and they are a big ICK for me. *shudder*

This is a great point. While I'm planning on running on shorter trail systems (3-5mi loops) for training, I know that's not the case for everyone.

I worry about danger kitties, but moose are the actual real threat here. Had one just run across a highway(in front of the white barn, for @The Expert ) without a pause or looking last week. they don’t give a **** about ****.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I worry about danger kitties, but moose are the actual real threat here. Had one just run across a highway(in front of the white barn, for @The Expert ) without a pause or looking. they don’t give a **** about ****.

Our DNR says we don’t have anything larger than bobcats (private landowners will tell you differently and all claims for mtn lions get swept under the rug) for that side of things, but we do have a healthy black bear population.

 

[camaker]

Our DNR says we don’t have anything larger than bobcats (private landowners will tell you differently and all claims for mtn lions get swept under the rug) for that side of things, but we do have a healthy black bear population.

Are you saying if you run across a mountain lion on your trail run we should refer to your DNR?

 

[matt and beth]

Careful. You may never return to the roads again.

 

[The Expert]

I worry about danger kitties, but moose are the actual real threat here. Had one just run across a highway(in front of the white barn, for @The Expert ) without a pause or looking last week. they don’t give a **** about ****.

WHOA that's a crazy busy road!

I have a friend in Colorado who was NAILED on a mountain bike when a mama moose ran across the trail in front of her unexpectedly, chasing her calf. I've observed them many times while photographing and they are surprisingly fast and scary. Moose actually kill more people every year than bears or just about anything else in the wild.

We do have black bear, bobcat, coyote, moose and a few other fun critters here, so if anything I'd be tempted to run with my camera gear! Mostly they steer well clear of humans in my area.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I have a friend in Colorado who was NAILED on a mountain bike when a mama moose ran across the trail in front of her unexpectedly, chasing her calf. I've observed them many times while photographing and they are surprisingly fast and scary. Moose actually kill more people every year than bears or just about anything else in the wild.

We do have black bear, bobcat, coyote, moose and a few other fun critters here,

Note to self: no longer bother mentioning that I surprised some deer while on a training run....

 

[avondale]

@avondale I've followed your journal extensively! I know you ran the TC Trail Run in MI a year or 2 ago and it kind of piqued my interest since I'm semi-local to it. Ultimately, I think I can get about the same experience running trails closer to home and not have to pay the money to do so. Being slower is a big concern for me. The race I'm signed up for has a 9hr limit, which means my overall pace has to be about 17:25min/mi. By comparison, I just did the marathon (but 27.02mi haha!) with a 16:30 pace; I did however, participate in some on-course shenanigans that mildly affected that number. It has a 6:30am start, and I'm slightly tempted to email the race director and see if they would allow me to start 30min early, but that would probably be up to the timing company, and also do I really want to have (likely) all of the other runners in the race passing me?

Yes, there's a good chance that a trail run race director will let you start early - I have definitely seen this. Usually it's 1 hour early. In that case, you often wouldn't be allowed to get any prizes (i.e., age group prize). (Yes, this is relevant when there may only be three people in your age group, even a 10-year-range age group. Trail races can be small.)

You said your race has a 9-hour limit, but I think I missed what distance it was. Marathon?

Michigan has a lot of great trail racing. And relatively easy, because Michigan is pretty flat and not so rocky as eastern US (Appalachians) or western US (Rockies).

Regarding other runners passing you: as stated by others - no one cares about your pace. But it is a reality that being passed a lot on singletrack can be annoying. If you can start with everyone else in the race, then place yourself toward the back, and it's not problem. But if you start early, you'll get that eventually, but hopefully by then the others will be spread out enough to make it better. (And is the race singletrack? Or wider trails?) Trail races aren't usually that big, so it's not like the thousands in a Disney race would be passing, either.

Happy to chat about a specific race.

 

[avondale]

following, as new house has expansive trail network just out the back door of the neighborhood.

I do a bunch of hiking with scouts and running for myself but have never really done any trail running.

Curious where you're at?

 

[avondale]

I’ve done this! Race director had an optional 1 hour early start and I finished with the last few people. I feel like I at least got so see everyone in the race, but being passed by literally everyone is….a thing for sure. Whatever, it was a 30 mile trail race so I just have to be proud I did it.

So I finished my first 50k (it was actually about 33.5 miles) in one minute less than 9 hours. I was third-to-last to finish, but there were only about 42 people in the race. We had apocalyptic rain starting several hours before the race and into the first few hours (in the 40s F), and then of course that meant that the whole trail was full of mud. I had had a cold that I was over, but was coughing horribly and hadn't had more than 90 min of sleep in a row for over a week because of that. Not the best situation.

The volunteers stayed on the course for everyone - they had radios and toward the end, I could tell I must have been one of the last runners, because they started reporting back to the race director where I was (i.e., aid station X) so they were keeping track of everyone still on the course. The last three of us were spread WAY out. The race director was picking up signs from an earlier part of the course and met up with me and ran in with me the last mile or so. (Way too perky!)

Because of the cold and rain, there wasn't much party atmosphere after that one, but the race director and several volunteers were still there - they were waiting on the last two folks, and no complaints about it.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Yes, there's a good chance that a trail run race director will let you start early - I have definitely seen this. Usually it's 1 hour early. In that case, you often wouldn't be allowed to get any prizes (i.e., age group prize). (Yes, this is relevant when there may only be three people in your age group, even a 10-year-range age group. Trail races can be small.)

It looks like last year my age group had 7 women, and 112 total racers. The "only" 2 races on Sunday are the 50k and the HM, and they start the HM about 2 hours after the 50k.

You said your race has a 9-hour limit, but I think I missed what distance it was. Marathon?

it's a 50k. They offer a HM, a M, a 50mi, and the 50k. And it's offered on 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) so they can do "back to back" challenge-type things (50mi on Saturday and 50k on Sunday sort of nonsense)

Michigan has a lot of great trail racing. And relatively easy, because Michigan is pretty flat and not so rocky as eastern US (Appalachians) or western US (Rockies).

Regarding other runners passing you: as stated by others - no one cares about your pace. But it is a reality that being passed a lot on singletrack can be annoying.

This is my concern.

If you can start with everyone else in the race, then place yourself toward the back, and it's not problem. But if you start early, you'll get that eventually, but hopefully by then the others will be spread out enough to make it better. (And is the race singletrack? Or wider trails?) Trail races aren't usually that big, so it's not like the thousands in a Disney race would be passing, either.

Happy to chat about a specific race.

I've dug through quite a bit of stuff, and it's mountain bike trail and possibly some access roads. So a lot of singletrack I think? Assuming a normal start, I'd likely start in the back as to not be an impediment to those who are going to finish hours before me.

 

[Psymonds]

Curious where you're at?

near Mt Diablo in California. back side of our development opens into Shell ridge and Diablo foothills. There's a 50k to the summit in April if someone is so inclined. only 4000ft.

 

[avondale]

@The Expert Note to self: visit Vermont in the summer!

Oh, that was Vermont for @The Expert ? That is killer trails in the mountains - talk about a lot of elevation gain and really technical, too. Other folks were talking about Michigan. Michigan has super easy trails compared to Vermont.

 

[The Expert]

Oh, that was Vermont for @The Expert ? That is killer trails in the mountains - talk about a lot of elevation gain and really technical, too. Other folks were talking about Michigan. Michigan has super easy trails compared to Vermont.

Yes, Vermonter here, with the Star Wars themed trails on the mountain nearby. Coming from Utah where we have much bigger peaks, this didn't seem that steep or technical to me, but I only ever did two short trail races out there (in @Professor_Cookie 's area). It is definitely more lush and shady here, though!