My final trail run

"There will come a day when you can no longer do this. Today is not that day." It's an old saying, but now I need to modify it, as it applies to me: "There will come a day when you can no longer do this. Today is  that day." 

I already knew that I wasn't a trail runner and that I had no business whatsoever being out there, but a friend asked me to join the fun, and I couldn't say no. I should have. Although the Run with Scissors Half Marathon was indeed fun for a while when said friend and others left me in the dust (I should say, mud), the fun suddenly ended and the misery began.

Did I mention mud? There was gobs of it on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park trails, but also rocks, roots, steep hills, creek crossings, and hairpin turns. All with light rain falling. All were hidden by fallen leaves. Have I ever mentioned that I like trails, but just not for running? Or that I like trails, but they don't like me?

I found myself alone after about mile 5. Only 8 or so to go - what could go wrong? In short, everything. I couldn't wait for the misery to be over with. By and by, I began looking for a way to drop out and get back to my car. This isn't an easy thing to do in the middle of a trail race. I could have possibly cut over to a road or two and run back from there.

But I didn't. Finally, at about 9 1/2 miles, I came to the final aid station at Pine Hollow. Although I could have probably hiked the final four miles on the Salt Run trail, I opted to run straight back and around Kendal Lake, thereby cutting the course and dropping out with only 10 1/2 miles. (I should say that I did get 13 miles in today, considering the warmup I did on the Towpath.) But by and large, I can't remember the last time I was so miserable during a run.

Although I may still do The Buckeye Woods 25K (those trails are fairly gentle), I think I'm truly done done with trails.