I will admit I wasn't really looking forward to a RUT (Really Unpleasant Terrain) Race a day after the Rut Challenge but if you haven't been reading my reviews I … MORE
I will admit I wasn’t really looking forward to a RUT (Really Unpleasant Terrain) Race a day after the Rut Challenge but if you haven’t been reading my reviews I am trying to run 100 races this year and with the uncertainty of the Delta variant I am trying to squeeze in as many races this summer as possible in case any fall races get canceled or postponed. Luckily this was not Really Unpleasant Terrain but Really Fun Terrain. This race was held on a Monday evening in Lewiston, NY which is past Buffalo and nearly an hour and a half drive from Rochester. Luckily the race started at 7pm so I could get there after work. The race was super cheap. Under $20. There was no swag though but can’t complain when a race costs this little. There was absolutely no pre-race communication. There may have been one of those kind of generic RunSignUp emails about a price increase but that was it. The website had limited information. Basically just the address and a brief description of the race. I had no idea what to expect. I was driving so far I was really hoping there was going to be a race. Luckily as soon as I got to the address I saw runners. Bib pick-up was under a shelter in the Bond Lake Park. It was easy as this was a small race with about 50 participants. This was described as a European Cross Country course. I had no clue what that meant and just really hoped it didn’t mean a ton of hills. The start was at a field. There was no real start line. We just lined up and went but maybe that is European Cross Country style? Anyways I was pleasantly surprised by how not unpleasant the course was especially since it was 90 degrees and I ran a half marathon yesterday and a 5K and a 10K the day before that. The course was a really fun mix of terrain, a small bit gravel road, some well trimmed grass in a meadow, and some more typical dirt trail. There was the occasional muddy section but it really wasn’t much. There was the occasional root or rock but again nothing too bad. It was the perfect terrain for a bit of a challenge but not too much of a challenge. And as trail is easier on the joint the perfect terrain for my sore joints. There were two hills in this meadowy area with 125 feet of elevation gain total. It was not bad at all. I did walk the hills because it was 90 degrees and I ran a ton this weekend but if it were cooler out and I hadn’t just run a half marathon yesterday I think I could have run the entire course without a walking break. If you are used to road races this would be hard but if you are used to trail races this would be easy so I just marked it’s difficulty in the middle. I had trail shoes but it’d be fine with road shoes. The course was very scenic with some nice views of the lake and extremely well marked. The worst part of the course was the bugs. I was eaten alive. The end had a timing mat and it was chipped timed. I thought my time was good given the terrain, the 90 degree weather and the number of miles I’ve done the 2 days before. You were given a water bottle at the finish. Back at the shelter area there was pizza and soda. And yay this time they had cheese pizza! Overall I surprisingly really, really enjoyed this race despite my sore legs. I thought the course was so much fun and definitely not unpleasant. I am 100% sure my race on Wednesday will be much harder than this. This race was a bit of a drive but it was worth it. I would do this race again as long as it works with my schedule and would recommend it.
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RFT - Really Fun Terrain
I will admit I wasn't really looking forward to a RUT (Really Unpleasant Terrain) Race a day after the Rut Challenge but if you haven't been reading my reviews I … MORE
I will admit I wasn’t really looking forward to a RUT (Really Unpleasant Terrain) Race a day after the Rut Challenge but if you haven’t been reading my reviews I am trying to run 100 races this year and with the uncertainty of the Delta variant I am trying to squeeze in as many races this summer as possible in case any fall races get canceled or postponed. Luckily this was not Really Unpleasant Terrain but Really Fun Terrain. This race was held on a Monday evening in Lewiston, NY which is past Buffalo and nearly an hour and a half drive from Rochester. Luckily the race started at 7pm so I could get there after work. The race was super cheap. Under $20. There was no swag though but can’t complain when a race costs this little. There was absolutely no pre-race communication. There may have been one of those kind of generic RunSignUp emails about a price increase but that was it. The website had limited information. Basically just the address and a brief description of the race. I had no idea what to expect. I was driving so far I was really hoping there was going to be a race. Luckily as soon as I got to the address I saw runners. Bib pick-up was under a shelter in the Bond Lake Park. It was easy as this was a small race with about 50 participants. This was described as a European Cross Country course. I had no clue what that meant and just really hoped it didn’t mean a ton of hills. The start was at a field. There was no real start line. We just lined up and went but maybe that is European Cross Country style? Anyways I was pleasantly surprised by how not unpleasant the course was especially since it was 90 degrees and I ran a half marathon yesterday and a 5K and a 10K the day before that. The course was a really fun mix of terrain, a small bit gravel road, some well trimmed grass in a meadow, and some more typical dirt trail. There was the occasional muddy section but it really wasn’t much. There was the occasional root or rock but again nothing too bad. It was the perfect terrain for a bit of a challenge but not too much of a challenge. And as trail is easier on the joint the perfect terrain for my sore joints. There were two hills in this meadowy area with 125 feet of elevation gain total. It was not bad at all. I did walk the hills because it was 90 degrees and I ran a ton this weekend but if it were cooler out and I hadn’t just run a half marathon yesterday I think I could have run the entire course without a walking break. If you are used to road races this would be hard but if you are used to trail races this would be easy so I just marked it’s difficulty in the middle. I had trail shoes but it’d be fine with road shoes. The course was very scenic with some nice views of the lake and extremely well marked. The worst part of the course was the bugs. I was eaten alive. The end had a timing mat and it was chipped timed. I thought my time was good given the terrain, the 90 degree weather and the number of miles I’ve done the 2 days before. You were given a water bottle at the finish. Back at the shelter area there was pizza and soda. And yay this time they had cheese pizza! Overall I surprisingly really, really enjoyed this race despite my sore legs. I thought the course was so much fun and definitely not unpleasant. I am 100% sure my race on Wednesday will be much harder than this. This race was a bit of a drive but it was worth it. I would do this race again as long as it works with my schedule and would recommend it.