Yesterday was the first day of the summer running series we are involved in. It's a lot of fun. We belong to a running club called the Milers. We get together on Tuesdays and run 3.1 miles thru the woods being timed the whole while. This is the second year of doing this. Last year we had an outlet store called Saucony come to town and I'm thinking they started the ball rolling here for this running series. The course this year has been slightly changed and is a true 3.1 trail run a bit longer than last year.
It's alot harder than running on the roads. There are alot of roots and debris to watch out for. There is a pretty good sized hill in the second mile and a huge downhill that I almost fell down I was running so fast on. The categories go by age. There will be nine races and we can throw out our slowest three or have the option of missing out on three. We get scored on our best six races and prizes will be given out according to how we fared in our respective age categories. We have young kids as well as those that are in their 60's running this. Not sure if we have 70's represented or not but we do have milers in that age category.
Last year I started out fairly slow. I didn't know the course and it's pretty easy to get lost on. There are arrows on trees but sometimes I miss them because I'm too busy watching the roots. I do not need another sprained ankle. So I was like in fifth or sixth place or so for my age working my way up, and then by the end of the series I finished third. I'll never catch the lady that finished in first last year. She is very buff and about 4 years younger than I am and is doing it again this year. If you win, you get free shoes for a year. My goal is to get my butt back in shape.
David finished second overall. Last year he won his age category and got free shoes. He has to beat a kid named Kevin tho to finish first overall. I think yesterday he was about 5 seconds behind this kid. Kevin is known as a mountain runner and is about 3 or four years older than David. Funny how that works. In your 20's older is better. In your 40's and 50's younger is better.
I remember last year feeling so much better as a runner after doing this series. It really kicks you in higher gear, and it definitely made me much stronger by season's end. It was nice to check the clock each time as I finished and set a new goal as I lowered my times almost every race.
So the first time out, I decided to take it slow and easy and see where I'm at and get reacquainted with the course (I got lost twice going off the trial). So next week I should be hopefully a minute or so faster.