WTF TRAIL RUN (Middleville - 2020 - 13.1 Mile)

  WTF Winter Trail Fest 2020 Photos

122 Mile Drive

The WTF (Winter Trail Fest) was really something amazing.  I love trails and had never done a trail half marathon, let alone in the winter.  My longest trail event before this run was my nine miles at Winter Loops.  I was really excited when I signed up for it.  When I read over the race details email I got a little concerned when I saw, “water crossing” in their finishing mile notes.  I emailed the race director and got a surprising response about a creek crossing around 12.6 miles. The water would be at least least knee deep.  Runners didn’t have to get into the creek.  If you choose to go around there was a short .25 mile penalty.  I was frustrated because RunSignUp mentioned the creek but it didn't say you had to go in it or else! (insert evil voice)  I thought the water would be crossed over a cool bridge.  When they said, “WTF were you thinking racing a trail half marathon that crosses a creek in the middle of winter?”  

…They meant it.  Lesson learned. 

I’ve done obstacle runs.  I’ve gotten covered in mud from head to toe.  I will cross through a creek waist high during a Spring, Summer or Fall run, but I didn't want to go into water in winter.  I was already nerouvs with the temperature being out in the woods.  I couldn’t imagine getting soaked for even a minute and then running a half mile exhausted and freezing with soaked shoes.  With the right temperatures soaked shoes and legs can be the perfect recipe for frostbite.  

There is an adrenaline rush with the creek crossing for the thrill seeking runners who like a unique challenge,  I think it's cool, but I don't understand penalizing other runners.  On the bright side, I found out the penalty track was not a full quarter mile.  It was closer to one sixth of a mile which was not that bad.  At the time of the water crossing I was running behind a group of eight runners that all took the water crossing path.  I was all alone running my penalty run through more hills.  All I could hear below me were screams of shock.  Men and women were yelling out when they hit the ice water. I was glad to be on my penalty run and not in the water.

The course was shockingly warm due to the bright and beautiful sun for the first ten miles.  We hit some densely shaded areas after mile nine and I got suddenly uncomfortably cold.  It came on so quick it actually scared me.  I couldn’t run fast enough at that point to conquer the cold.  Power walking up hills didn’t get my body temperature up fast enough.  I had to battle through cold, feirce exhaustion and a very angry bladder.  

My need to go to the bathroom was a trademark of this half marathon.  I drank a lot on our two hour drive out to Middleville.  We stopped at one rest area but didn’t have time to stop at a second.  When we got to Yankee Springs State Park we were at the halfway half point and not by the start.  I was really cutting it short by the time we fixed my navigation mistake.  I normally always go to the bathroom before a race starts regardless if it means starting late.  The combination of long bathroom lines and reading about outhouses on the course in the Tuesday info email made me change my mind.  I knew I wasn’t running to break any time records.  I decided I would leisurely stop for the first time ever in my racing history to go to the bathroom while on a course.

Not using the bathroom during races is like placing fourth at the Burton Hot Fudge Run and being the last to get to and leave runs.  It’s becoming a running trademark of mine.  At WTF I held a full bladder for 13.16 miles.  There were plenty of aid stations and I asked three of them about outhouses.   No one I asked knew where a bathroom was.  I lost hope by the third aid station at mile 6.5.  By mile eight the pain seemed to diminish and it was more comfortable to run.  I had thoughts of my body using the pee to hydrate myself and I grossed myself out real good.  I wish peeing in the woods had been an option.  It was winter and the harsh reality was that I would have been seen anywhere unless I wanted to walk off course hundreds of feet.  I was totally jealous of men after seeing two walk off to in the woods. ^_^

Moral of the Story:  Always go to the bathroom before a race, especially before half marathons.  

Water crossing and bathroom dilemmas aside, the WTF race was absolutely gorgeous.  Ninety percent of my photos from this half marathon are of the beauty of the course.  I was able to take in nature during winter in Michigan.  I didn’t wear headphones for any part of it.  The sun was shining bright.  You couldn’t have asked for a better morning for a trail half marathon.  The course was very intense with its elevation changes.   For all the climbing up we did I felt like we only came down twice.  There was one mega downhill that made me feel like I was flying.  I have never been on a downhill that big.  It came at a stellar time as I needed an energy boost around the halfway point.

I loved the high-five highway portion of the course.  It was motivating, fun and the name was great.  At the nine mile point I ran out of fuel and ended up power walking a lot with other participants.  There was no more running up the hills.  One hill known as the “WTF Hill” was so exhausting I barely made it power walking up and had to catch my breath at the top.  It reminded me of Mount Baldhead steps.  Pictures don’t do that elevation and slope justice. 

I struggled most during the last mile due to a bunch of factors.

1.  I haven’t been adequately trained this winter, mainly due to being so sick.  

2.  It was a trail and winter run.  I always run slower on trails.  (Normally around a minute per mile)  

3. My left hip has been acting up.  I had to stop during an at home 5K this week due to pain, but then miraculously ran this half with no discomfort.

I set a goal at the start line to finish under three hours and I made that goal!  I love making goals but they have to be realistic based on the situation and race.  I knew coming in under three hours was doable but I still fought for that time with only two minutes to spare at the finish.  I gave it more than I physically had in the last mile.  At the finish I got all sorts of amazing goodies including my first post-race Ramen Noodle snack and Pepsi can!!  Jason stole half my Pepsi on the way home.  It was fair.  ^_^  I found the Porta-John of my dreams after a three hour wait time.  It was the best bathroom experience of my life.

We took a scenic drive around Middleville getting multiple sign pictures because I started to doubt what city Yankee Springs State Park was actually in with Gun Lake and Yankee Springs township being so close.  It turns out Middleville is city 75!  This was an amazing milestone city experience.  This half can be summed up with breath-taking trails and an accomplishment of a lifetime.  My friend Suzy reminded me that running three hours set a new record for my longest length of time running.  I was terrified that my hip was going to give out and I would be stuck in the middle of the woods cold and alone, but I made it.

Things I take from WTF as my fourth half marathon are:  

1. The aide stations! I probably added a minute to my time for each of them I stopped at.  Most had a Gatorade and water combo.  I tried energy gel for the first time.  They weren't bad, but I didn't feel the effects.  They taste like fruit pies squished into gel in a tube.  My favorite aide station was the very last aide station next to the water crossing.  They had rainbow goldfish, gummy bears, sour worms and energy beans!  I did not hold back and took a handful for my pocket. I love candy on half marathons!!  Battle Creek had a candy station.  Some of the longer distance aide stations at WTF had Fireball and other shots of various alcohol.  That was another WTF laughing moment.  I had a major Crim flashback.  

2.  The two runners that almost broke half marathon world records!  When I opened the results page I quickly noticed the overall male and female not only came in minutes apart, but had paces in the high four minutes.  I immediately showed Jason.  I know some people run wicked fast, but four minutes and fify five seconds for 13 miles on a winter trail….that was another WTF moment.  Jason searched half marathon world record times. The results were shocking.  The 40-year-old man came in five minutes short of the world record for a man’s half marathon time.  My suspicion is that these two runners signed up for the half but changed their mind at the half/5 mile break-away point and did not tell race staff.  Two hours after they finished the results still showed them as half marathon winners.  The pre-race email had a big section about changing courses.  They wanted it done prior to race start and warned the penalty could be a ban from future Trivium races.  About a half hour into our drive home I went back on and saw that they were no longer the race winners for male and female.  I could not find them in their age groups for the five mile.  Their stats may have been officially deleted.  I don’t know for sure.  Things happen during races.  Sometimes we can’t race a certain planned distance on a certain day for physical or mental reasons.  Runners should always make it a point to notify race staff if they change course distances.  I hope this is what happened in the case of these two runners.  There are plenty of dishonest runners.  It’s sad when people feel the need to cheat or be dishonest to get fame or set records. The guilt would kill me. 

3. The runner that finished without shoes!  Jason said they looked very wet.  Maybe he took them off due to the water crossing. This qualified as another WTF moment.  Jason sees the craziest things at finish lines.  He saw two people throw up seconds apart in Linden and one runner almost run over Ryan crossing the finish once.  

4.  The amazing medal design and hoodie!  The medium fits so well.  I love it when I get hoodies ar races. I have only gotten two.  The medal is painted on 3D wood.  It’s amazing!  It’s one of my favorite medals.      

5.  The amazing RaceJoy App with its hilarious variety of run cheers.  I love the app and will use it again if my next half is on it.  This was my first time using it.  Thank you to my husband, Suzy and my mom for sending cheers in the app along the way.  I was in desperate need of some trail time from a lack of it this winter.  I definitely got it with these 13 miles. I was so thankful for the opportunity to race and complete another half.  I think my finish line pictures came out great.  I take my happiest finish line photos at half marathons.

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