I’ve been distracted from blogging by various things, but not from running. So I’m back, with a review of the Tyler 10K Trail Run, put on by the Delco Road Runners. This is usually the first trail race that I run each year, so it serves as sort of a baseline. It’s normally my slowest race, and it gives me the opportunity to see just how much ground I’ve lost throughout long winter. Maybe I should start by explaining my training regime. I have none. I don’t train for races, I just sort of casually run on some schedule that seems to make sense to me, and if I do a race on the weekend, then that’s either my long run for the week, or what passes as a speed workout for me. So, usually I start out very very slow in spring races, and by mid-summer I’m, well, less slow. I run my fastes race typically in August. Anyway, back to Tyler.
The race, which is capped at 400 participants, is a low-key event, at the beautiful Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA. The TTR is part of the Mid-Atlantic USATF off-road series, ( I ran for the Greater Philadelphia Track Club). It’s a true trail race, an up-and-back with lots of elevation change, and four shallow stream crossings. The secret to this race, I think, is in the stream crossings. The streams are really shallow, so it’s completely unnecessary to cross on the rocks, in fact, it’s probably harder to run across the rcoks because they’re slippery, yet there’s always a backlog of people waiting to cross on the rocks. So, just run through the freakin’ water!
The lowdown: it starts on time, there’s pre-race coffee, enough rest rooms, the food is good, and award ceremony is reasonably timely. I like that participants receive a native plant or tree courtesy of the arboretum. This year, I brought home an Echinacea, which I planted in my back yard. (I’m developing a Run Garden, with all plants from both this race and the Wissahickon Trail Classic.) If you do this race, don’t forget to enjoy the trees and flowers of the Arboretum. (As seen in the pictures below, the skunk cabbage was in full-swing during the race, but luckily the course didn’t take us through any skunk cabbage because it’s pretty stinky when stomped on).
I'm Running As Fast As I Can 