It’s on like Donkey Kong, well minus the ladder climbing and barrel jumping, but finally the XTERRA Trail Run  Series is coming to Colorado!  Colorado has always been a major place to trail run, that’s why SeriousRunning.com has 117 trails to run listed in that state alone, so why hasn’t the largest trail running series, the XTERRA Trail Run Series, been in Colorado yet?  I don’t know why, but I can forgive them because they are there now with the inagural race on October 3rd, 2009!

The Inagural Marathon of Trail Races at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs will feature a 5k, half-marathon and marathon trail races at Cheyenne Mountain National Park tails.  This race is part of a three race series which is part of the 2010 Championship Series.    The marathon will be a double loop and the half marathon will be a single loop on a packed, groomed, and extra wide race course.  This race will be both challenging and rewarding, but then again, aren’t all challenges accomplished rewarding?  This race is going to be a full race production with water stations, aid stations, and everything else you would expect from a XTERRA Trail Run in the new Colorado Series.

So forget what you might of heard, the Inagural Marathon of Trail Races at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs is on like Donkey Kong.  Don’t be a donkey and miss out.

Courtesy Defiant Photography Atlanta

Don’t miss out on this awesome race in Gainsville, GA (not FL, sorry Tom Petty) on April 25th.  Chicopee Woods 10k is organized by Dirty Spokes Productions, LLC who have been organizing great mountain biking and trail running events all over North Georgia the past couple of years.  I’ve run a couple of trail running events with them and have been very impressed with how well organized the races are.  There is always plenty of food and water, easy registration and packet pick-up, and great awards ceremonies, but the best part is that they always pick the best trails in the area to race.  They take the guess work out of the equation for you!  How thoughtful.

Chicoppe Woods 10k is a single and double track trail race.  It has a large starting area so runners can get their spacing before going into the singletrack portions of the race course.  The trail travels over rolling hills, singletrack, doubletrack, technical sections, and creek crossings.  However, it is not too technical for novice trail runners.  This race is open to any type of runner who just wants to get out of the city on a Saturday morning and run some trails.  The only requirement is that you are able to complete the race at a 16 minutes per mile pace or less.  I’m sure you can walk faster than a 16 minute mile.  If not, then start working on your walking.  It’s ok, some people need a good walking base before they can start running seriously.  You can work out simply by parking your car at the far end of the parking lot!  This race isn’t an asphalt walk though, it’s a nature trail run, so practice walking in the woods to make sure you are fully prepared for the race.

If you are a fast runner you may be able to finish in the top 3 of your respective age group.  I was able to finish first in my age group at the last XTERRA Georgia Trail Run Series Race, Runnin the Rocks, and my life hasn’t been the same since.  I’ve already added it to my resume!  I impress people.  Even if you don’t finish in the top 3 of your age group you will still receive a Sorrel Dri Balance Shirt.  These are really nice, high performance T-shirts.  As soon as you put one on your productivity rises 27%!

You can register for this race online now.  If you are old school (you’re not that old school if you are reading this blog) then you can mail in your paper entry. Currently the entry fee is 30 dollars (the T-shirt alone is probably 25 bucks) but the price will go up after April 15th.  Why act like your not going to run it?  Save some cash for this weekend and register now!  Don’t be lame.

Courtesy of Defiant Photography Atlanta

Be a part of history and run the trails at the Georgia Horse Park where the Olympic Mountain Biking competition was held in 1996.  The XTERRA Georgia Trail Race Series Runnin the Rocks 10k Race is a great trail race at the horse park put on by Dirty Spokes Productions, LLC.  I know what you are thinking about this race.  6.2 miles isn’t that serious.  Well, you’re wrong.  This is a very difficult course with a number of inclines and technical downhills that will challenge you and leave you breathless.  Breathing is for suckers anyways.

This race may have been a little more difficult for me than other runners because I started it a bit too fast.  Although I held my position from my quick start, passing two runners and not allowing any to pass me during the race, I thought I was going to throw up at about mile two.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it.  The runner in front of me had been slowing down so I figured what better time to pass him than when I was exhausted.  I decided to blaze past him on the uphill.  About two minutes later I heard him gagging and throwing up loudly!  It sounded like he was feeling just as bad as I was.  When running competitively don’t focus negatively on how poorly you are feeling personally, but think about how slow and tired the other runners in front of you are.  You’re always thinking of yourself anyways.  Maybe you should think of others sometime.  Then pass them!

Dirty Spokes Productions, LLC describes the race as, “…a great single and double track off road running experience! The race will start in the “Steeplechase Field” (required for spacing) but will soon lead into the woods. The terrain is rolling hills, single track, double track along with technical sections and creek crossings (about 2-3 feet wide ⁄ 2-3 inches deep). The course is beautiful and offers something for every runner truly wishing to ‘ditch the city’.”  I had a great time ‘ditching the city’ for this run on a beautiful Saturday morning.  I liked that there were logs and other obstacles to hurdle on the course giving you the feeling of really running on a recently blazed trail.  The trail floor was also very technical with a lot of exposed roots and rocks to dodge and maneuver which was a lot of fun.  The switchbacks were great, letting you truly feel like you were escaping the city.  I didn’t even know I was near downtown Conyers, GA!

The XTERRA Georgia Trail Race Series “Runnin the Rocks 10k Race” was a well run running event.  Race registration was quick, there were plenty of restrooms, plenty of food and Gatorade afterward, and again quick race results.  My favorite thing that Dirty Spokes Productions, LLC does that other races don’t seem to do is the overall quick post race operations.  When you are tired after a race you want to relax a little bit, talk to other runners, and refuel, but eventually get back home to take a shower and eat a much deserved lunch.  After the bulk of runners finished the race, the organizers quickly posted the “unofficial” race results.  Any psychologist will tell you, positive reienforcement needs to be quick to be effective.  Same goes for negative reienforcement so no matter how you did in the race you’ll be able to give yourself quick feedback!  Yeah for you!  Dirty Spokes Productions also start the awards ceremony at the right time.  Even though there were still a few participants walking the course, the race organizers went ahead and started the awards ceremony which I really liked.  It allows other participants, who may or may not be receiving anything, to attend the awards ceremony and cheer on their fellow running comrades.  It allows for a fitting celebration for fit individuals.  How fitting.

So next year be a part of history and run this Olympic course in the “Runnin of the Rocks 10k.”  Likewise, if you want to run a well organized and executed trail race then check out one of the other races in the XTERRA Georgia Trail Race Series. Do it.

Courtesy of Defiant Photography of Atlanta

I ran the XTERRA Georgia Trail Race Series Race Thrills in the Hills today and it was just an extremely sloppy event…because it had rained for 24 hours prior.  It was wet out.  I’ll go ahead right now and just tell you; I loved it.  After watching 24 hours of rain and waking up at 6 am, I wasn’t very motivated to run this morning but that soon changed when I got out on the course and started running.

The trail is used for mountain biking and is highly trafficked so the trail floor was good ole’ Georgia red clay.  I love it.  It made the course a little more technical with the abundance of standing water.  Let’s see you do that Pacific Northwest soil!  The start was wide enough to allow for runner’s to space out for the first 800 meters, then it’s 95% singletracks…dot com. The only points that weren’t singletrack were the longer hills traveling up the power lines which worked great for the course on this wet morning.  These hills had grass on the sides of the double-track trail which made going up the hills a little more bearable.  This is where I made my moves.  Three water and Gatorade stations spread out enough that you we still able to get your time in by yourself on the trail.  Overall, the best thing about the course was that it was rolling, allowing you to keep a fast, rhythmical pace.

The race was also very well organized.  It looked like the 400-500 people who registered, showed up for the race even in such harsh conditions!  Race registration was the smoothest I have ever seen it.  I was a race day entry and they got me an ankle chip and a number within 7 minutes of me getting there…and this was less than an hour until the race start!  They probably could have used a couple more porta-potties but I’ve never been to a race that didn’t have a long line to use the restroom.  I pay attention to porta-potty levels because I go to the bathroom before every race I run…maybe you didn’t need to know that.  However, there was an abundance of woods if you had an emergency.  Interesting huh?  My favorite thing about the race organization was how quickly they printed out unofficial results.  I hate having to wait, sometimes until the next day on the Internet, to find out if I broke into the top three in my age group, what place I got overall, and what my official time was.  Everyone you see after the race is going to ask you how you did.  I hate having to say, “I don’t know.”  I know everything.  At Thrills in the Hills they had the times posted about 30 minutes after the first finisher!  Just enough time to enjoy some fruit and Gatorade and talk to other runners.  Mixed crowd, all types of runners; all had extremely dirty calves.  The front of my body was pretty dirty too.  So yes.  I was behind somebody at some point in the race.  Well, about 17 somebodys.  I know this because I saw the results before leaving the race!

Overall, this is a great race and trail to run.  I drove an hour to the race this morning but I would travel at least 2 to run this race!  If you live in Georgia and don’t run this next year you are lame.  I’m cool.  I ran it.