Sunday I ran my first ever Trail Race when I participated in the Ray Cherenzia Back Road Ramble. With 115 participants it was a great turnout for a local race.
With a blood sugar at 163 thirty minutes before the race I was feeling confident as I began my stretches and warmup. As always the adrenaline was pumping as the gun signaled the start of the race. I was off like a rocket, my watch telling me that I ran the first quarter mile of the race at 5:10 mile pace. It was at that point that I knew I needed to slow down and get to my normal race pace. I would run the first mile in 7:32 as the race course had me jumping over logs and ducking under fallen trees.
The rest of the race went very smoothly and I was enjoying each and every step. I also learned that when you are trail running the paths are narrow and you need to take advantage of the opportunity to pass someone when you have it. The last quarter mile I was boxed in and the person in front of me had clearly hit a wall. Once off the path I was able to sprint the final quarter mile and finish in 21st place.
I was happy with my results but very happy with the 150 blood sugar twenty minutes after the race. I have a lot to learn when it comes to trail runs but I love it and can't wait for my next trail race