Today's post is both a race review and a look at my thoughts on actually getting to compete in that race. The two go hand-in-hand really and I saw no reason to separate them so I'm taking my writing liberties and mashing them together!
Yesterday was a big day for me. I finally got the chance to run an event I've wanted to for four years! That event was the 25K Susquehanna Super Hike. This event, along with the 50K Ultra Trail Run, is held by the Keystone Trails Association (KTA). Participates can hike or run either distance.
Both events start in Lancaster County and end in York County Pennsylvania. The 25K starts at Holtwood Recreation Area and follows the Conestoga Trail south, crosses the Norman Wood bridge to York County, makes a quick southbound loop using part of the Mason-Dixon Trail, then proceeds north on the Mason-Dixon Trail to Otter Creek Campground. The 50K uses the same route, just adding a start about 9 or 10 miles further north on the Conestoga Trail at Pequea Creek Campground, and a roughly 5 mile loop north of Otter Creek Campground at the end of the race.
The course is a trail event, only running on roads for two stretches. The vast majority of both the trails are single track, but there are spots where you can pass someone if needed. The trails are not easy, especially the Conestoga section for the 50K. That section is very hilly and can wear you out if you're not used to hill work. Most of the course is technical too. You'll easily encounter rocks, roots, stumps, water crossings and occasionally go either over or under a fallen tree. To me it adds to the fun of the challenge. In both races there are some sections where you need to climb over some huge rocks too, so if they're slippery it can be difficult and you need to be careful or you could potentially get hurt. I talked to a few participates of the 25K after the race and they told me how this was there first race. Not just their first 25K race—but their first race ever. This really shocked me but all said they enjoyed it!
The upside to running (or hiking) such hilly course is, in my opinion, the serenity of it. For one, I didn't know until a couple of years ago that these trails existed so close to home and thus had the chance to feel like I was hiking someplace far away that was really only a 45–60 minute drive. There is such a feeling of being out in nature and away from it all, that for me at least, takes me to another world in a sense. When out on either of these trails I tend to forget my stresses and be at peace. I can't wait for what I might see or find. The water rushing over rocks, birds singing their song, flowers blooming at the side of the trail—all these draw me in and make me want to explore what the trail(s) have to offer. I think the water running down the various small streams along the course is what calms me the most.
I would encourage any readers of this post to get out and explore either one of these trails if you like getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
That covers the topic of the race and the course. Switching to how I did and felt about the race, I have to backtrack and cover why this race was important to me.
In 2011, when I first signed up for this event, hurricane Irene (I believe?) barreled up the east coast of the US and flooding of the Susquehanna River forced cancellation of the event. This was such a bummer to me because I was so excited to do this event! It was around this time when I first starting getting into hiking and trail running so the learner and explorer in me was in full gear. Going on a group preview hike of the course really had sparked my interest, and even though I would have to hike the event I was ready. The flood forced me to wait to 2012, but at least this gave me time to truly prepare, and in fact build up my endurance to actually run the race instead of hiking it. I likely over-trained though. I did a lot a trail running and focused on hill climbing because I knew I would need it for the race. My body did not cooperate. The day before the race I woke up with a cold. I rested as much as I could but when I woke up early on race day, I knew my cold had defeated me. So I did not go the race—I knew it was too much. It was another year of disappointment! By 2013, I had started college and had decreased my running. By 2014, I was in the physical therapy program for my career reinvention and that was in full swing. Running in 2014 was just to maintain a base, there was no time for long distance racing.
Now it is 2015. While I knew that I'd only get to do the 25K, since 50K training was just too fast for me to ramp up to, I did know this was year was finally the year to line up at the starting line. I almost added another reason I didn't get to do this event when and episode of shin splints started bothering me 4 weeks ago! I had to CAREFULLY manage that episode, mainly because I had discomfort when just walking for extended time, yet alone tasks like faster hiking or (especially) running. In my last post I discussed this if you’d like to more reading on it. Getting in the proper rest did allow me to heal and slowly get back to running to prep for this event. Honestly, I was probably under-trained though—at least for where I would have liked to have been. I did the best I could though with the hand I was dealt.
This was one of few events I felt nervous. There was part of me that wondered if there was some reason I wasn't supposed to do race. Was my injury another reason? Luckily I got to the starting line this year though and for the most part the nervousness was gone as I picked up my race bib and began to prepare mentally prior to the start of the race. I positioned myself mid-pack at the start—in a sense to force myself not to start out too fast. By the point where the course narrowed to single file I was where I should be—up with the runners but not too far up that I would be pushed by their pace. I worked in a just a little (power) walking during the early trail sections but overall felt good early on.
Crossing the Norman Wood Bridge is the area I wasn't sure how to handle. One part of me wanted to get across the bridge as quickly as I could (I find this part boring) and another part wanted to take it slow (I was worried about running on the harder surface.) I ended up taking a conservative approach crossing the bridge since it's only 2 miles into a 15-mile race. Better to be safe than sorry I figured. After crossing the bridge, it was onto a southbound section of trail, some rock scrambling and then a little more road running until the course headed north on the Mason-Dixon Trail. I was glad the forecasted rain didn't start yet for the rock scrambling is the dangerous part if it's wet. The light mist that had started falling did seem to affect the terrain just yet. That had been one of my bigger worries for the course but it was in the past now and was fine.
Now started the first to the two big climbs for the 25K. I was in a pack of a few other runners which slowed me a bit but that was probably a good thing, for later in the race I remember looking at my Garmin GPS watch and thinking how even though I covered nearly 10 miles I still had another major climb and 5+ miles to go—all with a increase intensity of rain that was falling. The climb went better than I expected as well as the descent not being nearly as bad as I remembered. I ran the relatively flat section that followed and then again power walked the second major climb to the second checkpoint. This climb was not nearly as steep as the first but it seems to go on forever so I didn't push the pace here. My main thinking was to save my energy (and postpone any over-exertion of my slightly hurting leg) in order to speed up and minimize time spend in the rain during the road section that followed where I would be out in the open and sure to get wet if the rain really picked up. Luckily the rain slowed and I got through this (boring) section and back into the woods before the rain started to pick up. Being back in the woods and running single track was where I felt at home again and I also knew I was in the home stretch. On the other side of the woods would be the campground and the finish line—not to mention food too! My leg was feeling fine so I was able to run the entire section in the woods and on through to the finish line.
The campground and finish came upon me faster than I thought it would. My watch showed that I roughly two miles to go but I wasn't going to complain when I finally got finished and crossed the finish line in under 3 hours. While I didn't truly have a goal time in my head I was hoping for something in the 3:00 to 3:30 time range if everything went right for me—which it did. My finish time was 2 hours 51 minutes—again faster than I thought it could be. Perhaps the course was short as I heard some other racers say their watch was around the same distance as my (13.64 miles.) 25 kilometers is equal to 15.53 miles. One racer I talked to said the KTA's measurement of the course was within a tenth of a mile of the 25K distance and several runners commented that GPS watches might have lost signal in some of the valleys of the course.
Regardless, I was very happy. My finish time suited me fine and I finally got out was able to do this event which escaped me for one reason or another for several years. And I even beat the heavier rain. It wasn’t long after I finished that it started to rain to the point of it wouldn't take long to get truly wet and by the time the bus came to shuttle runners back to the starting point that it was a complete downpour. I felt bad for the other runners, and especially the hikers, that were still out on the course. I'm sure there were spots that were slowly turning into a sloppy, wet mess. I'm sure some of those were also a slippery, wet mess too!
The other item I’m happy with is the fact that later after the race and even into today I have only very minor discomfort in my leg. I think my careful management of how I felt in both my training and the race yesterday will allow me to keep running and not have to take any sort of significant break from running.
In summary, I'm thankful I (finally) had the chance to do this event and mostly has me looking forward to greater things as far as running goes. I really want to try an ultramarathon some day. I'm really thinking that this might be the event to do it. Honestly the best and most rewarding spots are only seen if you do the 50K. Pinnacle Outlook and Kelly's Run in Lancaster County and Urey Outlook in York County are only covered if you do the 50K—so while both challenging and beautiful, you're really getting cheated in a sense if you "only" do the 25K. I'll see how life allows for training for an ultra, but in the back of my mind I already have my heart set on this goal!
