By Tim Schlitzer
I remember my first road race. It was about 10 years ago. I was in my late 30s and about 60 pounds heavier than I am now. My wife, who also had never run an event in her life, thought it would be “fun.”
I am not sure “fun” was a word I would have used back then to describe running. The only time I ran was either to catch a train, run from my older sister who was always trying to pummel me, or in gym class where I had to run whether I liked it or not.
So to find myself at the starting line of a 5-mile race surrounded by fit-looking people in matching outfits, hundred dollar sneakers, and sleek designer sunglasses, was overwhelming. But start I did, and I continued to plod along as fast as my fat little legs would carry me. About halfway into the run I told my wife to go ahead as she was running strong, whereas all I wanted to do was find a place to lie down for a while.
As she took off, I suddenly got my second wind – not that I had much of a first wind to begin with.
Even though time seemed to drag, I kept moving one step at a time. As more and more runners began to pass me, I found myself very much alone. I thought I had taken a wrong turn until I saw the police taking down the road barriers ahead of me.
I then realized I was in dead last place and they were closing the course in front of me. As I approached the officer I yelled, “Hey! I am still out here!” He said, “Don’t worry, the cars won’t hit you, you’re an awfully large target. You would do more damage to their cars than they would to you.” With these inspiring words, I picked up my pace and never looked back.
Ten years have passed and one important thing has changed. It’s not the fact that I do not finish in last place anymore, or even the fact that I dropped 60 pounds and am in much better health today, but it’s that the word “fun” is what I think of when I think about running.
After running many 5Ks, 10Ks and eventually a number of marathons and triathlons, I was asked to run in a Trail Challenge. I love to hike and I love to run but never thought of putting the two together. At the starting line of my first 5K-Trail Challenge I noticed something was different. People seemed less concerned with their outfits or the name brands on their shoes and sunglasses. This time there were people in khaki pants, leather boots, trail running sneakers and daypacks. At that moment I knew I had found home.
The world of road racing competitions is a world obsessed with time: how fast you finish, your splits, your minutes-per-mile average. But the typical mindset of a trail runner is to finish. Yes, it is nice to finish faster than the year before, or get your own personal record. But most race organizers do not hand out trophies, or put people in age groups, or even have mile markers and clocks on the route.
Trail challenges, like the Ives Run Challenge scheduled for Sunday, October 10th at the US Army Corps of Engineers Ives Run Recreation Center in Tioga, PA, are about the joy of moving through nature and finding the joy of nature moving in you.
Trail challenges may never get the turnout of even the most modest road events, but trail running is becoming one of the fastest growing sports in America. Races like the Megatransect in Lock Haven typically sell out each year in short order. The Masanutten Mountain 100 in Vermont filled its race slots this year in two hours, and the Miwok 100K in California sold out in 10 minutes.
Trail challenges vary in distance depending on the trail. My wife just completed a 42-mile challenge on the Black Forest Trail in the Tiadaghton State Forest, for example. Of course the word “ultra” comes into play in races over the 26.2 mile marathon length, with many ultras covering a distance of 50 or 100 miles in one race.
With this area sporting some of the best challenges on the east coast: the Megatansect in Lock Haven and the Hyner View Run Challenge in Hyner View State Park, our mountain home area makes it convenient to join the trail challenge craze.
The 3rd Annual Ives Run Trail Challenge is a wonderful introduction for the individual ready for the challenge of the trail. If you are a runner looking for an alternative to the joint jarring pavement, or a trail hiker looking to see how fast you can walk or run, then this is the event for you! More information is available at www.stepoutdoors.org
Registration is a mere $20 until September 15st, and that includes one of the best t-shirts for events I have seen.
About Tim
