Winter Trail Frosty (WTF) Quarter Marathon Trail Run … “easier said than run”
When before the race, the announcer says it’s icy out there and the trails are more slick than the stairs and bridges, my mind (and stomach) started turning with anxiety. Upon saying this to my friend, Hannah, she said, “The sun is out, it’s a beautiful day, we’re outside, we get cake at the end … it’ll be FUN!”
After seeing just how icy the trails/stairs/bridges were during just mile one, my goal for this race immediately changed. It was not going to be about time. It was about finishing and not falling or getting hurt. … So I descended all those icy stairs (even though I didn’t think I could) … I ran up every single hill … I figured out that changing my stride/cadence made it “easier” to run on the ice … all this while wearing road shoes. The result: I finished and didn’t fall once.
This race was no PR. But I’m proud of myself for fighting through a huge mental barrier, and for the physical strength I’ve built.