This weekend, 4 friends and I hit the road to check West Virginia off the 50 Races in 50 States checklist. After an 8 hour adventure to get there (a misguided GPS, an ALMOST reckless driving ticket, twisty and dark and icy roads, and great conversation) we got to Fairmont, WV. We ate a late dinner at the hotel and headed to bed.
Normally this next part talks about how we got up early to head the the race. Not so this time. The Literacy Volunteers of Marion County Run to Read Half Marathon started at 2:00 in the afternoon. This was very uncomfortable for me. I mean, I get it....winter in the mountains of West Virginia....they needed all the time they could get for it to warm up. A 7am start time would have been a bit nippy. However, every race is a learning experience and I learned that I don't know how to fuel for an afternoon race. To make matters worse, the whole day just felt funny since I didn't fall out of bed and run.
At about 12:30, we made our way to Pricketts Fort State Park to pick up our packets. Packet pick-up was in the "Old Visitors Center" which a nice man directed us to. We parked, got our packets (which didn't have a shirt, but had a knit hat and a pair of gloves), and headed up the snowy hill to look around.
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| Thanks to Kristobel McNamee for the picture. |
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| Thanks to Kristobel McNamee for the picture. |
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| The running girls....thanks to Kristobel McNamee for the picture |
After a couple of potty stops, some looking around, and a few minutes warming up in the car, we made our way to the top of the hill to the starting line. We lucked out on the weather in West Virginia in January. The temperature at the start of the race was about 45 degrees. This was a teeny, tiny race. There were 267 finishers. And, even though the race was marketed as being "walker friendly," it was FAST field. I mean, FAST. I knew it going in, but that just gave me hope that I could win one of the awards they had for the back of the pack. (SPOILER ALERT - I was slow, but I wasn't slow enough...no winning for being the biggest loser this time)
The gun went off, the fast people went off, and then I went off. From the beginning, something just didn't feel right. The lungs and the legs and the music and the trail...were just off. But, when the going gets tough, the slow people just slow down. The course was a two leg out and back. The first leg was 2 miles up a paved trail, which had been very well cleared. After about a mile, the trail led through an old train tunnel. It was dark, sort of long, and really cool! It was probably my favorite part of the race! At the 2 mile turnaround, there was a water stop and then we headed back (though the tunnel again) toward the starting line. After we passed by where we started, the trail went down a little hill beside the river where the finish line would be.
Then things got a little tricky! I have mentioned before that I am not a huge fan of winter or mud or yuck. I am also a pretty big fan of pavement. All of my least favorite things collided for just about 9 miles. The trail (while quite pretty) was muddy...yucky, wet, mucky mud....with patches of snow and ice in the shady spots. (Huge props to the park service for clearing the trails as much as they did!) The second out and back took us for 4.5 miles along the river.
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| Thanks to Kristobel McNamee for the picture. |
So, let's focus on the good:
- The company, my BRF, my fast friend, and 2 brand new running friends on a road trip. Thanks girls! I hope we can do it again soon!
- The Literacy Volunteers of Marion County were some of the NICEST people I have ever met. They had great communication leading up to the race and on race day. I think the race director thanked everyone for coming at least 20 times.
- The race was also VERY walker friendly, even though it was a fast field.
- While I didn't have any of the post-race chili, it was all homemade and the other girls said that it was really good. I did, however, have 2 kinds of the homemade cookies and they were FANTASTIC!!
- The snowy background for the run, with the frozen waterfalls, was beautiful.
- The temperatures were just how I like them!!
- My fast friend Susan took 2nd place in her age group! Yay for fast friends and driving a winner home!!
- I met some other Half Fanatics who were great support and just nice people. I hope to see them again at some races soon.
- West Virginia: DONE
So, what wasn't so good:
- It was a long, lonely course. It is most like running the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail out here in Chesapeake.
- The on course support was lacking. They had water stops (not as many as a J&A race, but enough that there was water and a smiling face when you needed it), but we get spoiled by the signs and the cheering down at the Oceanfront.
- There were no trashcans at the water stops. I probably lost 5 minutes at water stops because I don't fancy myself so important that I need to throw my cup on the ground. I also stopped to chat with the water stop volunteer at the last one.
- Paper cups.....paper cups...paper cups. Styrofoam doesn't bend.
- It got cold....fast. I really wanted my gloves and hat at about mile 6.
What went wrong?
- I need to train better. (Check back to that post on New Year's Resolutions.) Running more makes it easier. I've done just enough to maintain, but I am not seeing consistent progress.
- 2:00 in the afternoon is not my best time for running. I think I rather like the early wake ups. (It would have gotten us home before midnight.)
- Could the altitude have thrown a wrench into things?
So, next up - Myrtle Beach on February 15. Maybe the beach is where I run best! Don't worry...I'll let you know.
Fantastic, Jessica. As soon as I know where we will be stationed next I'll let you know in case you need to cross it off your list and need a place to stay. :) And MAYBE a running buddy.
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