The Hunt For A Run In October

It's the first weekend in October and it's time to get back on the marathon road, except my October running experience will not be on the road, instead I am heading to the Triple Lakes Trail Marathon in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Here are some "interesting" facts:

• Until two weeks ago I had not visited the state of North Carolina since 2000. Two weeks ago, Cathy and I traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to attend the wedding of our friends' daughter. Last week, I was in Charlotte again for a business meeting. Now, for the third consecutive week, I am headed back to the Tar Heel state for a bit of a run.


• FYI, next week I'll be in Atlanta...so it appears the North Carolina visit streak will end at three consecutive weeks.


• I chose the Triple Lakes Trail Marathon because it was (1) relatively close, (2) in a state where I had not previously run a marathon, (3) four weeks prior to the New York City Marathon, which provides time for recovery and a bit of training, and (4) our high school football game was originally scheduled for Thursday night, which meant I could travel, run and return home without missing high school football on Thursday or church on Sunday. The only problem with my plan is the high school football game was moved back to Friday night, so I will end up missing the Briarwood at Talladega tilt.


• According to the list of entries currently available, there is only one other runner entered in the marathon from Alabama--which means I have a chance to win the Alabama division!


• The Triple Lakes Trail Marathon is one of three races held on the same day in the same location. There will also be a half marathon, the marathon (obviously) and a 40 mile race. My goal is to finish the marathon before the 40 milers make it to the finish line.


• The course description is as follows: The course is almost all trail... it is run on Greensboro's Watershed trail system. Running this race is a true adventure that requires more concentration than road running. The terrain is rocky and rooty and can be treacherous. Fallen leaves conceal rocks, roots, sticks, and holes. The course will be well marked with white blazes and signs.


• The marathon start time is 8 a.m., which is almost afternoon compared to the 5 a.m. start for the Tupelo Marathon back in September.


• Here is one of the race rules: Marathoners can not switch and run the 40 mile run. Phew, that's a relief...I was concerned at the end of 26.2 miles I might want to keep running.

The plan for the day is to begin easy and slow down from there. Given the nature of a trail run and the many elevation changes it is my hope to finish in less than five hours. A sub-five hour time would be similar to my marathon times at the Whiskey Row Marathon in May and the Forest of Nisene Marks Marathon in June. However, the real goal is to put 26.2 miles in the record book for the month of October meaning there will be only two months left to achieve my goal.

Truthfully, I look forward to enjoying a run in a new place on what should be a great fall day!