I love running in smaller races. Races that draw large crowds have their place, but my preference is to aim for neighborhood runs. I’m especially fortunate to have a few that run through my neighborhood or are close enough to run to as a warmup.
The Grandin Court Road and Trail Challenge fits that description. Sponsored by a Baptist church, the race is held about a mile from my home and uses a lot of the streets and trails I regularly run for the course. It started as a 5K but organizers later added a 10K option, which is basically a second lap. The 5K is still the popular choice, drawing more than 100 participants this year. The 10K had 18 runners total.
I’ve come to appreciate the 10K distance a lot recently. To me, it requires more strategy and endurance than a 5K. My times running a 10K have improved, especially in the last few years now that I’ve done more training for marathons. The 10K is also the distance I mark off when I’m doing a marathon. After 20 miles, I tell myself “Now, it’s only a 10K.”
The first mile of the course followed rolling hills through neighborhood streets in SW Roanoke City. Runners then entered the woods for the trail portion, which followed a curvy path for another mile. There were certain places where we had to loop around, which I think caused some confusion among the leaders of both races. When I hit the trail portion, it looks like the marshals got confused and directed some of the lead runners to go in a different direction. Not sure how they ended up or if they recovered their lead.
Since it was near my house, I knew the trail well and enjoyed running through the paths. It had rained that morning, which made the path muddy and some of the rocks slick. The last half-mile left the trail and returned to the roads for the finish.
Those of us doing the 10K were directed to run the course again. I felt faster and stronger the second time through, and especially enjoyed hitting the trail again. I crossed the line at 51:37. That’s slower than my PR, but I was pleased with the time given that part of the run was over trails that I typically do at a slower pace.
Since I didn’t drive to the race, I made a plan to walk/run back to my house as part of a cooldown. The rain returned with a downpour which soaked me as I ran through the woods home. Some of the marshals were still on the course and thought I was in the race. I had to wave and tell them that no, I was headed home. I was drenched and muddy when I got home, but I felt great.
Next up is a 5k race at the local high school, also in the neighborhood. Beyond that, I’ll start training for the Blue Ridge Relay (my first relay event since high school) in September. I’m also signed up for a speed training camp that the Roanoke Fleet Feet store is holding at the track near my house.
Bring on summer.
Holy crap, is that a skunk? 