Wissahickon Trail Race

My plan for running was again disrupted by work on Wednesday night. It is not exactly the work hours that are killing but that damn commute from Malvern. I get out of my training class at 4:40 but don’t get home until 6:00 or a little later. Luckily, I don’t work out there any longer and the commute is only temporary for this class.

Anyway, it was raining when I got home, I waited for that to pass and then headed out the door with 45 minutes of running in mind but no real route. I wandered around Manayunk and Roxborugh on some familiar streets and some streets that I have never been on. I worked in a couple long hills but took them easy. 6.5 miles in 48 minutes.

The Wissahickon Wanderers running club holds trail races on Thursday’s in May and I had forgotten all about it until my own trail run this week. I saw the telltale signs of lime green arrows and bunches of flour to mark the route that changes every week. I ran a few of these races in September; they are challenging and easy-going at the same time. They are also followed by beer and food, so I joined the Wanderers Thursday night.

I ran four easy miles from house up Forbidden Drive to the race start at Valley Green Restaurant Based on the races last year I thought I had shot at winning as long as a couple people did not show up. Specifically, Stevus and another guy from their club whose name escapes me. When I got to Valley Green there wasn’t a soul from the club and I at first thought they weren’t holding the race, but many quickly arrived and it was on. The fast guy from last year also arrived and although I didn’t really know his fitness from the year before but he didn’t look any slower.

A 3.5 mile route that they tried to explain to me but mostly went in one ear and out the other as it quickly turned on to trails that I wasn’t familiar with. At sign up I was wondering why they wanted a 5K time with my name this year and found out at the start. It was going to be a wave start with slowest first and the fastest last. They started the first group and several more groups before my group of three started last, 14 mintues later. It was about 30 runners in all.

We took off and within 100 feet we were on a long hill. I was quickly huffing and puffing and wishing that there hadn’t been such a long cool down period between my run to Valley Green and the race start, things had definitely tightened up. Fast guy, Matt, and I pulled away from the third runner Chris on the first hill but ½ mile later we missed a poorly marked turn. With some yelling and screaming Chris let us know our mistake and we turned things around, only losing about 1 minute in the process.

Chris was, of course, ahead of us now and Matt passed me on a long hill. My hill workouts have been lacking as of late and it showed. I was forced to walk a little on a steep section. Matt continued to pull ahead and out of sight, Chris stayed within sight and made for a good rabbit for me to catch as the race progressed. We hit many trails that I was unfamiliar with and would have made Ron Horn proud, I was forced to use my hands to scale some especially steep and rocky sections.

The entire way I was slowly reeling in Chris and due to the wave start, we began to pass some of the runners that had started ahead of us. I eventually was able to get head of Chris and now was just trying to hold on to my lead. On the final downhill, I could hear his footsteps coming behind me and gave it all I had, nearly losing control on the steep and rocky path, but I was able to maintain the lead.

I crossed the line in 31 minutes in what I eventually found out was 3rd place. For my efforts, I was awarded a gigantic jug of lime Gatorade. Afterwards I enjoyed some beers and food with Heather, who met me at the finish with some dry clothes, and the rest of the wanderers club. I am already looking forward to next weeks race.

For the day 7.5 miles in 1 hour.