A race is a both a test of your training and your reward for it. On Sunday, I ran the Rocks and Roots Trail Series 30k. It was my first race since the Indiana Trail 100 and I went in with very few expectations. Over the past month, I’ve been focusing on increasing my speed and strength, adding in rowing and Pure Barre classes twice a week. Rather than setting a time goal, my plan was to put my training to the test by pushing myself hard from the gun and to hold on for as long as I could.

1st Loop (North)

The course is set up as a figure 8, split into a north loop and a south loop. As we took off on the north loop, the temperature was clear and around 32 degrees, perfect race day weather. Everyone was excited to start moving, jockeying for position on the small bridges and boards, trying to avoid the mud and standing water in the first half mile.

As we settled in, I felt at ease pushing to a pace that hadn’t felt even remotely comfortable in the past. It felt effortless, and my mind wandered to the endless possibilities of my upcoming goals this year. I’m pretty sure I had a smile on my face the entire loop because I was just so happy to be out on the trails racing again. Even a quick fall over a tree branch didn’t phase me and I finished the first 10k in 1:14, ran straight through the aid station and started on the South loop.

2nd Loop (South)

On the South loop, there are multiple stream crossings and tons of downed trees across the trail. As I started into the loop, I chatted with a few other runners about their upcoming races and kept pushing.

I started losing momentum about a mile in, slowing down to get over the fallen trees and wading through the first stream crossing. At this point, I began to get in my head. Questioning how long I could keep up this pace, and also noticing the aches and pains starting to creep in. This led to losing my footing on the technical terrain because I was losing focus on the trail.

This is the battle that we all fight in a race of any length. Can we overcome those voices in our head that tell us that we can’t do it? Luckily, I was able to catch myself and end the downward spiral fairly quickly. I knew that my husband and kids were waiting for me at the end of the loop. Seeing them cheering me on reminded me to get out of my head, be in the moment, keep moving forward and work harder to stay positive.

3rd Loop (North)

As I re-traced the North loop, the temperature had risen to a comfortable 38 degrees. The ground was now soft and there was no way around the mud that now covered the trail. I did my best to stay on my feet, often sliding down the slick declines.

I kept up my pacing until around mile 14 or so when I hit a root with my shoe and turned my ankle. As I yelled out in pain and slowed to a walk, a runner came up behind me and asked if I was OK. I let her know that I just needed a second to shake it off, and she could pass by me. Instead of going by, though, she stayed with me. In a minute or two I forgot all about my ankle as we continued on for the remainder of the race together.

In trail running, we are all out there to see what we are made of. To overcome those doubts that pass through the mind. It’s a race, but when you fall out there on the trails, there is almost always someone there to help you back up.

I finished the race in 4:05:08 which was 39 minutes faster than my time last year. I went into this race with very few expectations but I came of it motivated to work even harder.

Onto the next…50 Miles at The Get Lucky 50/50 on March 21st.

“You are only as mentally tough as your life demands you to be. An easy life fashions a mind that can only handle ease. A challenging life builds a mind that can handle challenge. Like a muscle that atrophies without use, mental strength fades unless it is tested. When life doesn’t challenge you, challenge yourself.“

-James Clear