Cheryl's First Trail Run! The "WTF" Run Complete!

What does WTF stand for?  

The WTF Shirt. 

Cheryl finally has had a taste of what trail runs are like.  This was her first race that was off road, on a winding, narrow trail.    Complete with all the "conditions" that nature throws in front of you to make your spiritual journey memorable.   It is called the WTF for a reason.  They say it stands for Winter Trail Frosty.  But there was very little winter, and no frost to speak of.   Every one really knows that there is another meaning for the WTF during a race.  ( Where's The Finish!)

Pre Race Pics. 

The Truth about it is that instead of frost, there was MUD!   Lots of mud.   The kind that sucks on to your shoe and pulls it off your foot.   The kind that slows you down,  trips your up, cushions your fall, and turns your clothes a different color!  ( unless you are wearing gray or brown!)   The trail run is more of a test of the mind and navigation skills rather than simply a test of endurance for the body. (Although, I'm sure some level of physical endurance is required)  But let's get into the actual race. 

Staying warm in the subaru. 

The "Sweet Spot" for runners/

The race took place in a state park.  We had to pay to get in and park, but it was not too expensive.  Once in, we found a parking spot and settled in.   The temps were 45 degrees with No rain and No snow!  Cheryl calls it the "sweet Spot" for running.   She was able to run in shorts, which always is preferable.   

Channeling the Inner Ox.

Pre-race Bathroom Visit.

The trails and conditions looked good from my view point.   I thought the trails seemed firm and not as muddy as predicted.  I figured there were going to be at least a  few sections of muddiness.  The announcer even warned that if you planned on staying clean and mud free,  Think otherwise.   But for the most part, I figured without the rain,  the conditions would be far better than forecast. 

Getting ready to run.

First wave!   Bat Man Leads!

We  milled around the area a bit and did all the "Pre-race Preperations." Soon enough,  it was time to go.   At least there were Mats for the Timing chips.   Unlike the Hypothermic Half,   this one was timed and  they sent people out in waves to avoid any clustering up on the narrow trail.   Your time would be 100% Chip time;  starting when you crossed the Mats. 

The map of the trails. 

Third wave!  Hey,  There she is!

Similar to the Hypothermic, (I will probably make many comparisons to that very difficult race)  the race course was a looped route.   Instead of trying to catch Cheryl at various parts,  I hung out around the start/finish/half way point.  I figured I would have a better and easier chance to catch here here.   AND... I did not want to lose my parking spot. ( Like I did last weekend.) 

Trail looks ok.... For Now.

Clustered at the Front.

Things looked rather shaky at first.   The people were clustered up and unable to pass each other.   Cheryl is not as "sure footed" as me,   she would rather run on a paved surface. (without the brambles, branches, roots and steep hills.)

Cheryl runs by.  Notice the lady wearing white.  Not going to
stay that way for long...

 Not to mention her sense of direction is flawed. ( As demonstrated by last weeks race...) and the Trail was "clearly marked" with small cones, small signs, and scraps of pink tape.   Add in that the trails were open to the public with non-racers walking their dogs on the same trail...  there were plenty of things  for me to worry about. 

Navigating he trail. 

Things are looking muddier.

Definatly getting muddier now. 

I caught her at several places.   All of them were near the start/half-way/ finish area. On the first loop,  I noted that folks were coming across slightly muddy.   I figured there must have been muddy sections. Not a huge surprise.  But as the front runners started pouring in,  I noted the quality of the trail began to degenerate.    The firm ground was becoming more and more soft with each runner chopping it up.   By the time Cheryl came across,  she was ready to get rid of her "spirit Animal" hat and focus on the  real task:   Navigating the Conditions!

Pink Tutu's   Will they grant wishes?

Hey!   Is that Batman?

Speaking of costumes,  I figured a trail run would bring out the "hardcore" folks and leave the mascots and tutu's at home.   I was wrong!   Even in the mud and brambles of a trail run,  there were Tutu's and Masked Avengers!  (The pink Tutu's almost looked like fairy's floating through the forest.)   It was kind of strange watching Batman running through the woods.  

Will anyone belive me with
Photo Proof?

I can only imagine how that must have looked to outside bystanders.   "Hey Look!  There is a Masked Man running through the forest?"   Seems totally normal to me.   Maybe the WTF stands for Who's The Freak(s)?   ( By the way,  Batman WON the quarter Marathon.    Not only does he fight crime, but he also is a pretty good trail runner!) 

Careful of those roots!  And Mud... and Vines.

As the first lap was completed,  Cheryl lost most of the people around her.    I had forgot that some folks only signed up for one loop.   For the "Bad Ass" runners,  they headed out for the second loop for the full half-marathon.   Now Cheryl had room to avoid those muddy spots and could avoid passing the slower "Walkers".   I waited for her second loop and ultimate finish.  

Don't miss the cones.  You will get
lost!

One side note.  At least three people missed a key turn and took the wrong trail.   I can only imagine how easy it would be.   Head down, exhausted,   no person in front of you... and you miss the arrows telling you to turn.   We called out to the guy who missed the turn, but he apparently could not hear us.   I'm sure he must have figured it out eventually when he finally came upon other runners.  But there were other areas where that might not have ever happened!   One lady who made the wrong turn, figured it out and doubled back.   I could see from her expression she was not very happy about it.  In that case,  WTF must have stood for Where's The Flag?  They were there,   she just missed them.    (Just like Cheryl last week...)

Cheryl brings it is. 
-squish-, -squish-,-squish-

As the Half Marathon runners came in,  I noted that the Muddiness of all of them had increased!  Folks looked like they had been wading in a mud pit. As Cheryl came across,  she had mud all up and down her backside.   She was not alone.  More than one person had mud on places that suggested they had fallen.   The mud was more clay like and was finally slippery enough to trip people up.  (Maybe WTF should stand for Wallow, Trip, & Fall!)   

The pavement used to be clean!

Time for Cake! 

Cheryl clamored and clomped towards the finish line, leaving a trail of muddy footprints in her wake.  (Along with every one else.)   Note how the side of the hill looks brown.   AND the pavement looks like  Iowa Farm Equipment had been using it. 

Look at my scars!

Showing off the Medal.

   Cheryl got her medal,  grabbed some cake, (Oh yea!  There was CAKE!)  and was eager to show off her scars from all the obstacles.  (What was she?  A little kid again?)  I was just relieved she had not twisted an ankle, broken a femur,  gotten lost, or been abducted by aliens!  Oh,  and the cake was pretty good. 

As is she was playing in the
mud.

Looks like she wins an age group
award.

We eventually checked out her results.   It was definitely not a fast race for her.   ( I can only imagine the reason(s))  But she still managed to pull off an age group award.    Even with the age groups being larger than normal!  Eating all those donuts and ice cream must have paid off in the end.  She still thinks her bad times are because of the extra pounds and lack of training.... and not all that "other stuff". ( mud, rocks, roots, brambles, elevation,  narrow trail, etc.)

The finished Product. 

Everyone needs a WTF coaster.

Overall,   She noted that she did not "hate" this  race.   Being her first official trail run,  I was prepared for it to be her last.   It certainly had me on the edge of my seat.   But she noted  running through the trees made her seem faster!

Mud, Medal, Scraps, And an
age group Coaster.

Time to clean that mud off before you
climb into Subie.

  AND that passing people on the trail was fun and exhilarating. (Probably not for them, though.)    There is that Competitive Nature in her that the trail run seemed to tap into.   It is possible that the next trail run would be completely different, but we shall see if that ever happens.  

The conditions for the trip home. 

Driving at night was bad. 

Good thing I put RainX on the
Windshield.

The way home was not as easy as the trip out there.   The rain that was predicted had finally arrived and we hit it about in the middle of Illinois.   I was just thankful that the temps were above freezing and we did not have to fight snow or ice.   Even then,  as the darkness fell,  the lights from oncoming traffic were reflected like mirrors.   The glare was worse than if it has been just  snowing.  

But Cheryl is happy.

Especially in the rain. 

But we did make it home and survived to tell the tale.   Cheryl's first Trail run.   She wanted me to make that as apparent as possible.    FIRST TRAIL RUN!   And she had a pretty good time.  

Clean, dry clothes will do that for you.

 Now she has to recover from a few scratches,  a few bruises, and a LOT of muddy clothes.   Oh,  and a fun side note,   She changed her clothes in the parking lot!   In the open... In public.  Apparently,  runners have no shame after completing a difficult race.   No one seemed to notice or care. (I noted that other people were doing the same.) And the fresh clothes were most likely more comfortable to ride home in than wet, muddy  shorts and shoes.    At least she did not get the Subaru's interior muddy.  You have to have priorities, after all. 

The snowflake captures our entire
winter outlook this year.

Will she wear the shirt? 

And lastly,   the weather has turned... or remained the same here in Iowa.   Cold, wind,  a little bit of snow.  All that rain we got last night is now ice.   The wind is a constant 25-45 MPH.  I hear there is a power outage in West Chester.   For that reason I plan on staying home and fixing my bike.  Hopefully once and for all.   And the Subie need a break from all that driving...  as well as Cheryl and myself.   I like having all day to post a long blog.   It stirs my inner writer...  Not that anyone will read this entire thing.   But it is fun to jot down my memories with pictures.    Hope everyone is staying warm and dry.    And stay out of that nasty Iowa Wind.  ( or Minnesota... ah.. Minnesota wind is the worst!)