Last Wednesday, December 30th was the second race in the 2015-2016 Snow Cheap Winter Trail Series. It was a cooler day, with high temperatures barely into the 40s (F) and even cooler by race time that night. The day started out pretty nicely, and I decided to warm up for the evening’s event by going for a short hike with a friend of mine early that afternoon.
We hiked about 4 miles through the trails of Seneca Park in the northern part of Rochester, NY. This park features great trails along the eastern side of the Genesee River gorge. The park’s location, adjacent to the zoo, also means hikers might be lucky enough to catch a peak of the elephants from one of the trails!
It was cool and cloudy during our hike, but otherwise a nice afternoon. We brought my friend’s dog along and ran into a handful of other runners, hikers, mountain bikers and dogs on the trails. All in all it was a pleasant outing and a wonderful time catching up with a fellow trail-loving friend. We both find trail time to be incredibly therapeutic!
The agreeable weather ended shortly after our hike, however, and turned into cold rain for the entire evening. So not only were us Snow Cheap runners soaking wet, but the trails were incredibly muddy and slippery. I did manage to fall pretty spectacularly early in the race.
The race was about 3.5 miles and took 2 loops through Cobbs Hill Park. Besides being muddy and slippery, this course was also notably hilly – adding yet another challenging element. My strategy for this race was slow and steady, as I repeated the mantra “Don’t get hurt, Alli. Don’t get hurt!”
Since we had just booked an Adirondack hiking and snowboarding getaway for the following day, which included $85 nonrefundable lift tickets, injury was simply not an option at this event. Besides my little slip-and-fall early in the first lap, my strategy paid off and I managed to stay on my feet the rest of the race. I finished with an embarrassingly slow finish time (I can imagine many runners felt that way this night!) but no injuries, making the night a success.
Thanks to the conditions that night there were more than a couple of times I seriously considered quitting – something that almost never crosses my mind mid-race. However, I stuck with it, had a couple of good laughs, and finished strong and injury-free. That’s worth more than a fast finish time in my book!
Has there ever been a time when you were close to giving up? Did you quit, or finish what you started? There’s no shame in honoring yourself and listening to your body! Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Keep exploring,
Alli Mincher 