Central Park 5m Trail Run

The sixth race of the Dirty Spokes Trail racing series falls under the category of a D.N.S. (Did not start.)

The course is not to far from the house however due to other family events I was not able to make this race. The course I have run before is a 2.5 mile course. The first 1 to 1.5 is a nice single track through the woods. The last mile or so is in open fields. This makes for a tough finish in June.

Hope all went well and I am sure the Dirty Spokes Crew put on an excellent event.

Ready for the Series finale at Sawnee Mountain Preserve.

Mt. Tabor 8m Trail Run

Fifth race in a seven race Dirty Spokes Trail Race Series.

The course is a 4 mile loop which is run twice to get you to the 8 mile mark. The first two miles or so is the best part of the trail. The last two twist and turn through some open grass/weed areas. For some reason this trail race is the least favorite. The last two miles is exposed to the elements so on a warm day it can get a bit hot.

This race was not my best by far, nor was I that prepared for it either. The time showed as I crossed the line several minutes slower than last year.

The DirtySpokes Crew does put on an excellent event though. The kids race was fun to watch. Thanks to the volunteers and DirtySpokes.

On to the next race...

Gainesville St. College 5.3m Trail Run

Fourth race of a seven race series Dirty Spokes Trail Race Series took place at Gainesville State College trail system in Oakwood GA.

This was a second new venue for the year. The course was a fairly flat fast 5.3 mile. The first 2 miles was shared with the 2.5 mile run. The weather was nice for April. A bit of a rain during the week has left the area a bit muddy which added to the fun. The wood bridge crossings were wet which would be a bit of a challenge for several of the racers.

I was glad to finish the 5.3m with a good time but most off all was able to see the awards ceremony for the 2.5 mile run which both boys participated.

This event was very special in that both of my boys ran the 2.5 mile race. Each of the placed in there age groups which was awesome.

Dirty Spokes had laid out easter eggs around the area for competitors to find to redeem for prizes. Scored another beer glass while the kiddos scored a shirt and a water bottle.

Another awesome venue. Thank you Dirty Spokes and volunteers for a great race.

Olde Rope Mill Park 6.5m Trail Run

Third race of a seven race series Dirty Spokes Trail Race Series took place on the mountain bike trails at the Olde Rope Mill Park, Woodstock, GA.

I was not sure I was going to make this race. The night before the water heater decided it did want to hold water so it was a long night cleaning up water in the basement.

This was a new venue for the series. There were two sections of the course which felt like a figure eight. The first half of the 6.5 mile course was a fairly easy run. I decided after the last race I would go out a little slower. After the first three miles I was wondering if I should have done that. The decision proved to be a wise one as the second half of the course was more difficult with several rolling hills to deal with along with a good stretch of fresh cut trail. I felt good through most of the race until the very last mile. I had not been training beyond 4 to 5 miles so I could feel the hills and new trails taking a toll. The last half mile I was running with Danielle as we approach the finish line we both made a mad sprint for the finish. I thank her for the extra encouragement to push me over the finish line.

As usual the Dirty Spokes crew have posted the results. Awesome venue. Thank you Dirty Spokes and volunteers for a great race.

Next up... 5.5 in Oakwood GA. Can't wait.

Running The Rocks 10K Trail Run

Second race of a seven race series Dirty Spokes Trail Race Series took place on the mountain bike trail at the Georgia International Horse Park, Conyers, GA. This same weekend there was also a mountain bike 12hr/6hr race that started after the trail race.

The location was the same as last years Runnin the Rocks however the course was changed a bit to keep it interesting. The weather could not have been better with a cool 56 degree start without a cloud in the sky. The race as usual started promptly at 8:30. The 10K races headed in one direction while the 5K races headed the opposite direction. The first mile of the race was on crush-n-run. I was feeling really good the first 1.5 miles despite spending very little time training. The first mile split same in under 8:15. The pace slowed down as I came up on the single track however was still feeling good. By mile 3 the reduced amount of training had caught up with me and my pace was way off. I switched from an all run to a fast hike up the hills with a run on the flats and down. This worked well to finish the course. The course was in great shape with great views of the creeks and the foliage showing the first signs of spring.

I was not too happy with the 1:04 finish however what can you expect when you do little training. Looking to build on the first couple mile splits as well as the sprint to the finish.

Once again thank you to the volunteers and the Dirty Spokes crew for putting on a great race!

Next up Olde Rope Mill for race 3 on April 2nd.

Heritage Park 8m Trail Run

First race of the 2011 Dirty Spokes Trail Running series started on a cold wet February day in Oconee County Georgia. There were 176 racers this weekend. Very good turn out despite the cold and rain.

The drizzle cleared before the 8:30 start of the 8 mile run. At the start the runners ran the crush n run around the park before heading off into the woods for some nice single track racing. The course was well marked with two creek crossing. Both crossing managed to soak at least one foot if not both of most runners. The course was was very scenic. The rain during the week and weekend had left the course very muddy.

The course had many challenges between the hills and rocks, muddy conditions, and the 8 miles. There was also on and off drizzle during the race which collected on the glasses which slowed navigating the single track trails.

Despite the slow down in training over the winter I had a very good time. It was nice to get back out on the trails.

Thank you to the volunteers and Dirty Spokes for a great race and an exciting new location.

Next up Race 2....

Dirty Spokes 2010 Trail Running Series

This was the inaugural running of the Dirty Spokes Trail Running Series. This was a six race series that took the competitor to various location across the northern arc of Atlanta. While putting on trail races is not anything new to the Dirty Spokes Team, this series was well done. For those looking to enter trail running with the short distances or just looking to have fun in the woods the series was not a let down.

The races ranged from 5k to 8 miles with all sorts of surprises from the wall in Canton, many a water crossing, and capping it off with 2 mile up hill followed by a 1 mile down hill.

It took a few races to get use to things since this was my first venture into trail running. After figuring out a few things including changing my training habits and going out to have a good time, the series really became very enjoyable. When you talk to other runners you get all sorts of advice. Some of it you do not get until you really figure it out for yourself. Once you figure out what works for you and what you want to accomplish the rest starts to fall in place.

With the close of the series it was a nice reward to have completed all 6 runs and also place second in my age division in points. I will say that I just racked up enough points by going to all of the events.

I am thankful to the Dirty Spokes Team for putting the series together. I do know I am looking for to participating in additional trail runs in the future. For now I am looking to recover a couple of sore points, get back to hiking and backpacking, get into a bit of mountain biking, and keeping an eye out for any trail runs that pop up around the area. As the adventures come my way I will log each of them.

See you on a trail......