Trying Something New

“You can’t say you don’t like it if you have never tried it.”  My mom used to tell me this about all the vegetables I claimed I did not like when I was a kid.  As it turns out, the advice is applicable to running as well.

I am a self-proclaimed “urban runner.”  I like running on pavement and along city sidewalks.  I don’t mind stopping at crosswalks some days, or picking up the pace to beat the end of the walk signal other days.  I know how to weave through packs of pedestrians.  I can tell what drivers are completely unaware I exist, and therefore not to try to cut in front of them before they make that left turn.

I will also admit to being a bit clumsy.  I have been known to trip and fall running on more than one occasion, yielding scrapes, bruises and swollen ankles.

So the idea of running a trail race was seemed to me to be as far from enjoyable as I could imagine.  The closest thing to a trail run I had ever done was running along the dirt paths, instead of the pavement ,along the Charles.  But, having gone without running a race since Memorial Day weekend, I was getting antsy and decided last week to register for the VERT Race Series Sasquatch Trail Race.

The word on the street (literally, I heard it while running with friends) was that VERT Sasquatch, a 2.35 mile race, was a great “first-time” trail race.  As I’ve been a little bored with my running lately, I thought a change might be good.  Plus, running this race would give me a basis for opinions about trail running.  I had never tried it, so maybe I would like it.  And if I didn’t, 2.35 miles seemed to be a short enough course that I wouldn’t suffer too much.

I recruited my running pal, Laura, to join me in this adventure.  We were both on the same page that the goal of this race was to have fun (and at least for me, to finish without twisting an ankle).  Humid and 80 degrees this morning, Laura and I ran a warm-up mile that left us dripping with sweat.  I was even more excited this race was only 2.35 miles.

The race had about 900 runners and the start was broken into 3 waves.  We started in the 3rd wave, in about  the middle of the pack.  The first 1/3 of a mile was on grass and then the road.  As soon as we turned onto the trail, I felt my heart rate pick up a bit, despite the fact that we were still on a paved path.  Shortly after we hit the dirt and rocks.

I was a bit nervous and made sure to pick my feet up as we ran over rocks and tree roots.  Slowly, I started to feel more comfortable and began to focus on running and not “not falling”.  We started passing people and picking up the pace.  One significant difference between road and trail races is the need to run single-file on the trails, and the new challenges that results in when trying to pass others.  Seeing 2 runners fall kept me conscious of my own 2 feet and didn’t let me get too cocky with a quicker pace.  One little slip gave me a small scare, and I may had gasped out loud, but I remained upright.  Coming out of the trail, about the last 1/10 of a mile finished on the grass.  Laura and I picked up the pace, and dodging a few runners crossed the finished line together.

And thanks to the excellent photography skills of my always-supportive boyfriend, Brian, we got a great shot of the 2 of us, just feet before the finish.

I must admit, I enjoyed today’s race way more than I had planned.  Instead of now being able to say I know I don’t like trail running because I finally tried it, I kind of want to try it again.  Sort of like brussel sprouts.