Racing fast in January on the trails; that is something I have never been able to successfully do. That was my thought when I registered for South Mountain Marathon in November. Best case, it would be a good fitness indicator and worst case it would be a painful reminder that Spring race season was quickly approaching. Luckily, the first scenario played out and I walked away confident in what I am currently doing.
Friday before the race, I was able to get out for a quick shakeout run at Umstead, checking out the local Raleigh single track with a good friend that lives there. Aside from feeling sluggish, I couldn't help to be jealous by how lucky he is to have such a gorgeous park in the back of his yard. My legs didn't feel great, but that is typical following a plane ride...especially with a toddler occupying the majority of the seating arrangement. Going into the race, there were a few things I liked. For starters, I had a good four week build that had a number of hard workouts and averaged around 70 miles per week. Additionally, I had fallen into a great weightlifting routine three times a week that really tuned up my legs and core. Minus a two day calf tweak, my training was good and I had a few early indicators of promising results. Aside from longer than wanted travel and an odd diet that was lower on calories and more towards fast food, the race could go pretty well.
We woke up in the morning to a dense fog - basically a heavy mist. The drive to the state park was pretty short and the check-in hassle free. The vibe was what trail running used to be, but often isn't anymore. It was a misfit group of oddly layered mountainous individuals - running shorts, flannels, beards, down jackets, old cars, and welcoming stories. South Mountain is a smaller race due to allowable permit size as the trails in the area are quite possible. Overall, the half and full marathon had a total of around 150 people. Our race was the smaller of the two. After a quick briefing and a casual horn, we were off into the fog.
Friday before the race, I was able to get out for a quick shakeout run at Umstead, checking out the local Raleigh single track with a good friend that lives there. Aside from feeling sluggish, I couldn't help to be jealous by how lucky he is to have such a gorgeous park in the back of his yard. My legs didn't feel great, but that is typical following a plane ride...especially with a toddler occupying the majority of the seating arrangement. Going into the race, there were a few things I liked. For starters, I had a good four week build that had a number of hard workouts and averaged around 70 miles per week. Additionally, I had fallen into a great weightlifting routine three times a week that really tuned up my legs and core. Minus a two day calf tweak, my training was good and I had a few early indicators of promising results. Aside from longer than wanted travel and an odd diet that was lower on calories and more towards fast food, the race could go pretty well.
We woke up in the morning to a dense fog - basically a heavy mist. The drive to the state park was pretty short and the check-in hassle free. The vibe was what trail running used to be, but often isn't anymore. It was a misfit group of oddly layered mountainous individuals - running shorts, flannels, beards, down jackets, old cars, and welcoming stories. South Mountain is a smaller race due to allowable permit size as the trails in the area are quite possible. Overall, the half and full marathon had a total of around 150 people. Our race was the smaller of the two. After a quick briefing and a casual horn, we were off into the fog.