Runnin the Rocks 10K

Second trail race of the Dirty Spokes Trail Race series was held at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers Georgia.

As usual the race started promptly at 8:30am.  The weather was great.  The trail was a new layout which was awesome!  The course utilized the mountain bike trails.  We started in the Steeplechase area coming across the grass leading on to double track.  A little less than a mile in the open double track dumped us into the woods for some very nice single track trail.  I was afraid with the rain we had earlier in the week the trail would be very sloppy however that was the not the case.   The new layout had three major hills to be tackled.  The first coming at mile 1.  Made quick work of that one.  From there is was getting into a groove.  The second would come around the half way mark before the only water station on the course.   This is the one section that I speed hiked up however as soon as I crested the hill I was back at it right past the water station.  The course continued for another mile or so before the last major hill.  I was determined to push through it.  Once at the top I cruised through the rest of the single track.  The single track dumped out on the field giving the runners about a 1/2 mile sprint to the finish line.

I was pleased with my time until I realized I just missed 3rd place in my AG by 12 seconds.  I got out sprinted to the finish.

Thank you to all the volunteers, course designers, and Dirty Spokes.  Love the new course for sure.

Next stop race 3 at Olde Rope Mill Park.

See ya on the trails!

Assault on Pine Mountain 5K trail race

Second race of the year however this was the first race of the Mountain Goat Adventure Trail race series.  There are four in total.  The race was out of Cooper's Furnace Day Use Area which is below the Allatoona dam on the Etowah river.

You could not have asked for better weather for the 5K trail run.  The race started  at 8:36 am after the 9 mile races had started.

The first 3/4 of a mile was on the road which after a hair pin turn we hopped on some single track winding out way back towards the landmark furnace.   From the furnace it was up the forest service road back on to the trail starting the 500 feet of climb we would do for the day.  Aid station was at the 1.5 mile mark about 1/4 the way up the climb.  Continue to climb making the way through the narrow single track, boulders, and stairs.  At mile 2.5 we began the decent with the trail popping out on the forest service road.  All down hill from there until we cross the finish line beside the furnace.

Finished 2nd in my age group.  Most of the participants were there to do the 9 mile race however there was still some good competition in the 5K.  The only confusing part which has never happened before but the garmin time was longer than the timing chip by 1:09.  I expect the distance to be off since the trails twist and turn however not the time.  I will go with the race time however I do not think I was that fast on the trail.

Thanks to the volunteers and Mountain Goat Adventures.  Looking forward to race #2 in the MGA Trail Race Series.

Heritage Park 8m Trail Run

First race of the 2012 Dirty Spokes Trail Running series started with a nice February day in Oconee County Georgia. The weather stayed clear for the race.

The race had its typical 8:30 start for 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. The first creek was down a bit so no water in the shoes. The second creek crossing was a breeze since there was no water in the creak.

The course was mostly downhill for the couple of miles and then was up and down until the finish uphill to the line. The first half of the race was fast and good. Could still feel the uphills. Going to need to improve on the uphill running in order to improve in the series.

The positive is that I did manage to cross the line a minute faster this year.

Thank you to the volunteers and Dirty Spokes for a great race and a great start to the series.

Next up Race 2....

Lake Zwerner 5K Trail Run

Nice cool windy October day for a trail run around Lake Zwerner in Dahlonega Georgia to raise money for No One alone. The course was a trail run with the first part being on Highway 60.
The day turned out to be a nice day despite the wind.

First off, I under estimated the number of hills in the course.

Started off the race on the road from the park heading across the bridge over the lake before we ducked into the woods and the nice double track trail. The first mile clocked in at 8:28 minutes which was going to be a good pace. I was exited until 2.25 when the first major hill hit. From that point on I realized the course was not flat nor would I be keeping the 8:30 pace. There were two major hills that I had to speed hike up. The rest of the way was a good pace run around the winding trails.

The last quarter mile you popped out of the woods and started to make your way to the foot bridge over the damn to cross the finish line. Finished with a solid 30 minute run around the lake to capture a 3rd place in my age group.

Lesson for this race was never under estimate the course.

This event also had a kayak race as well. That was a lot of fun to watch. Maybe next year I will enter the run & paddle.

Run the Farm for FOCUS 5k

Run the Farm for FOCUS 5k in Newnan, GA in support of FOCUS had an excellent turn out to raise money for FOCUS.

The three events were sponsored by work. The other two events were a 10k trail run and a 1m family walk.

The 5K course was fast and flat for the first 1.5 miles. The trail ran along the banks of a creek which made it a pleasure to run and kept the trail cool. The conditions were a little wet from the rain however the course was in good condition. The middle mile had a few hills that were tackled however slowed the pace down. The trail finished with a short section of running on crush and run gravel to cross the finish line.

I was pleased with the results. 27:03 for a 5K trail race with netted an 8:43 average pace which resulted in a first place in age group and 8th place overall in the 5K.

The rest of the event was spent socializing with the FOCUS folks and cheering on the participants from work that were running in the 10K or doing the 1 mile walk.

In the end a nice corporate event and great time with friends from work.

Dawson Dash 5K

Dawson Dash 5k at Rock Creek Park in Dawsonville GA to support Young Life Dawson County was a nice change of pace from the trail. The course itself was pretty flat.

I used this as an opportunity to see how fast the legs could go and shoot for a 5K PR.

The course itself was pretty much three laps around the asphalt trail. There were several participates from work as well that made the event enjoyable. The race was short and sweet.

Crossed the line with a new 5K pr of 25:27 which scored me a 4th in age group and 38th overall. Good finish for the first time back on the road in a long time.

Sawnee Mountain 3.5m Trail Run

The final race of the season for the Dirty Spokes Trail Racing Series is located at Sawnee Mountain Preserve. The course is a 3.5m trail run starting on the Spot road entrance, running up the right side of Laurel Ridge trail with a transition to Indian Seats trail back to Laurel Ridge to finish at the Sport road park entrance.

The course is a tough 3.5 miles with the first 2.5 miles gradually making your way to the top of the mountain to then spend the next mile running downhill.

It was a bit of a cloudy/misty day which kept the July race cool.

As usual the start was 8:30. Battling the uphill and navigating the downhill I was determined not to take a spill as I did the year before. 35 minutes later crossed the finish line to finish the race and the series. It was a good race and a good series.

The last race of the series is also when the series awards are given out. Due to missing a race and not placing well in the new age group, I did not expect to place this year. To much of my surprise persistence pays off attending 6 of 7 races I had enough points to squeeze out a 3rd place in my age group overall.

So ended the series with a nice reminder why I do what I do. Hopefully I will do better and compete better in 2012. Until we meet again, see you on the trail.