This weekend I kicked off my running season with a 20K trail race in Bucks County, PA. I had originally anticipated the Philadelphia Love Run to be my first event of the year, but found an inexpensive trail race just under the half marathon mark in a park we love to visit in the warmer weather for the trails and fantastic playground area Eamon enjoys.

When we arrived for check in it was a balmy 27 degrees with some wind and still enough snow and ice on the grassy areas to sink your feet into. Anticipating warmer weather, I had planned on wearing shorts and a long sleeved wicking top, but luckily I am an over packer for everything and had some warmer tights and my rain jacket. Brrr. They boys actually ended up waiting in the car the entire time from check in until the near end - who could blame them. Icy ground and sub freezing temps are not something you can really have fun in.


The race was both a 10K and a 20K Double Run and took place mainly on the horse trails at the park. I was only familiar with the paved trails and one section of wooded trails prior to this day, so running in the grassy horse trails was a new challenge for me. The ice covered divots in the ground were grabbing at my footing so, tiptoeing around, I made sure to be extra careful since I already have a foot injury I am nursing and I was not about to mess myself up further while preparing for my marathon next month.

Miles 3 and 4 crossed a snow covered field with a nice view. The ground crunched under my feet with every step, and I tried my best to scuttle across while still maintaining a decent time. I originally wanted to complete the race in under 2 hours, but that was not happening with the conditions. There was only one or two actual hills, about a mile on the road, but the terrain was slick with more holes than Philadelphia's streets.

As I was forcing myself to pull my pace under ten minute miles in the snow and mud a mother an her little girl were ahead of me doing their 10K run. I would not push past them (even though another girl so rudely did without announcing herself). They were adorable in their every step and it was nice sharing the track with them. The mother asked her daughter about halfway through their run if she was having fun. "Remember, there's no point in running if you are not having fun," she reminded the little girl. It was a nice reminder of why I like running the trails. They are hard. They are miserable at times. But the sights are beautiful. The trees, the wildlife, the sunrise starts. You don't get that with neighborhood runs. And at the turnaround for the double, I got to give that smiling little girl a high five because she was awesome.

During the run I felt great. When I am on the dreadmill I get tuckered around 10 miles, but that might just be because I am bored. I had recently changed my fueling strategy after the Hammer gels I had been using the past year suddenly starting giving me terrible pains in my stomach and I was worried about taking something new into the first run of the year. I tried so many different brands and different powders for fuel, but nothing helped me in longer runs. It is so weird how your body can change, but I knew that I needed to hurry up and find something that works or I would never be able to be ready for my first marathon this April.

My USAT membership had given me a coupon to try SIS gels at a discount, so I gave it a go. Now, it seems that they are the only thing I can use without feeling sick. They are isotonic gels, so the density of the gel itself is much different that brands like GU or Hammer. They are more liquid in consistency and do not require consumption of water in order to properly digest, so I can alternate sipping on water or electrolyte drink and taking a sip of my gels from my flask every 20 minutes or so. They are lower in calorie and lower in carb per gel than others, so I always carry an extra with me on runs or rides going over 2 hours. I packed two of the caffeine gels in my flask to sip on and stashed an electrolyte gel in my vest with my water in case I needed more, which I did because, in Karla fashion, I ended up missing a turn in the final miles of the race on a road section and having to backtrack to where I was supposed to go. In the first loop there was someone pointing at the intersection since there were no trees to hang the green ribbon to mark the trail, and I didn't see anyone there the second time around, so, I, and a few other people, instinctively went straight because there were runners on the road - they were not part of the race apparently :)


I was actually kind of mad that I lost ten minutes and added a mile to my run, but it made it a true half marathon and I still ended up placing third in my age group. I'll take it.

There were lots of pancakes and sausages at the end of the event left over for the double runners, along with awesome pom pom hats, t-shirts, pint glasses, plastic cups, and other fun stuff. You definitely got your race fee worth of swag and the on site crew froze their bums off waiting for everyone to get done, hydrate, and fill them with carbs.


I was so ready to leave after my pancakes: not because it was not a fun ride, but the weather just wanted me to curl up in clean clothes. We made it a family fun day, went to see Black Panther in the theater, ate a lot of popcorn, and went a got a toy for the little man who put up with the wait while I ran!

Hoping next year's run will be a little warmer. <3