Trail Blazing: Coaching the Inaugural Summer Trails Training Group

 AKA: I Get Lost So Others Don't Have To

So this summer, Fleet Feet Fort Mill decided offer something a bit new, a Trails Training Group. And since I am, I assume, the craziest of the current coaching staff, they asked me to coach it. So I get to spend the summer building a new program from scratch and showing off some of my favorite trails in the area to run. 

Coach Lissa reporting for duty!

It was crazy fun and super challenging and I loved every moment of it, even if it was a lot of work at times. See trails aren't like roads. You can't quite trust where they go, so each week before I took a group out onto the trail, I would have to run it first alone (or recruit a friend to go with). That way you can learn things like, there's actually a down tree blocking this path or the trail is flooded, or in one rare instance, a new trail had been cut and the old one no longer accessible. We ran as a group twice a week so I was getting in 4 trail runs a week! 

My Trail Blazing Trail Blazers!

Since the full group consisted of 8 of us all different levels, I had to make maps and route directions in case there were gaps between runners and we got out of eye sight of each other. I even posted electronic versions of the route online on 2 different websites including Garmin Connect so Garmin users could download the route straight to their watches (if their watch version supported that). Overall, however, the runs were no drop and supported with a coach and at least 1 mentor so no one ever ran alone. We even made arrangements with out some trail vendors like Altra, Nathan and Hoka to do some demos. All in all, I feel it was a strong program.

On Thursday evenings we ran the trails in Baxter Village. These trails are easy to access from the store, Fleet Feet is directly across the street from Baxter Village, so they have the convenience factor going for them. Otherwise... well let's just say, they are a bit challenging. Most of that has to do with the fact that currently no trail maps exist (seriously, the Baxter Village HOA took them all down) and the trails are not named, or marked with the exception of some paint marks (red, blue or white depending on the trail) but those are crazy confusing as you can make like 3 turns and still be on the same color trail. I've run Baxter trails numerous times, heck I run a New Years race on them every January 1st, and I still get lost on them. And the lack of any markings makes it hard to make a route (turn right at the... um... tree). This is especially and issue when you have different abilities out there so the group doesn't stick together. While I may know the trail (because I pre-ran each route before the group run and even then, had a misstep or two) I couldn't lead everyone at the same time. Thus I relied on an "assistant". 

Is this the right way?

Bless my assistant. I handpicked her when I got this assignment. She and I have run trails together, including these trails, for years. And despite this. Despite having a map. Despite having written directions. She got lost every run she did in Baxter (and took the back of the pack with her). The last run epically so. But she insisted it was my fault for inaccurate directions. For example, I had put "Sharp Right" and she said it should have read "Hairpin Right" cause those terms are SO different. So there's that. We all managed to make it in and out of the woods safely though. And what more can you ask for really?

On Sundays we ran on trails I am way more comfortable on, the ones at Anne Springs Close Greenway. I love the Greenway. It's loads of amazing (and well marked) trails. I've been running there for years including several races and training for a 50K out there, and still I was able to find a few new trails to experience with this group. Five weeks was not enough to explore this property. Heck, there are 5 entrances, with multiple trail options at each. It was hard to narrow down which routes to run, but I made sure to hit the high points - Lake Hagler, the Horse Barns, the Grist Mill and Millstone and a major portion of the Millstone 50K route. My assistant also has run here with me, including training for the same 50K, but again, managed to get lost (but just once to be fair). The last run of the session I even had her lead and she managed to go the correct way. So obviously, these trails are way easier to navigate. 

You gotta touch the Mill Stone. It's the "rule"

The Summer Trails Group Session may now be over, but I am excited on how awesome the season went and hope to lead more trail runs in the future. I'd love to get the opportunity to share more trails with more runners going forward with my Fleet Feet Crew! 

**If you are local to the Rock Hill/Fort Mill area and interested in checking out training with Fleet Feet Fort Mill, check us out here: https://www.fleetfeet.com/training?s=fortmill We are just about to kick off the Fall Training season with groups training for 5L, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon. COME RUN WITH US!

Just Call Me Coach RunNerdGirl

 So last post I said that 2022 has been A LOT. That doesn't necessarily mean bad, just that a lot has happened over the first half of 2022. In fact, there were a few amazing things that happened in 2022. 

An early win that I experienced that I briefly mentioned in my January posts is that I sat for and passed my RRCA Running Coach Certification. And not only am I now a "Coach" on paper...

I was lucky enough to be brought on as a Program Training Coach with Fleet Feet Sports: Fort Mill.

In fact, it is all because of Fleet Feet that I decided to pull the trigger on becoming RRCA Certified in the first place. I had been toying with the idea off an on for a bit, but it was a short conversation after a race that really got the ball rolling. I mean, if you've not figured it out from this blog or my socials (if you don't follow me on Instagram or Twitter, please do, links will be at the bottom of the post) and when I love something, I learn everything I can about it. And that leads to wanting to help others love it as well. So I had given some advice when asked, written the occasional training plan for others here and there and even "trained" a friend who had just started running for his first few races (which he awesomely dropped 17 minutes from his Half Marathon time in 5 months!) But yeah, all of that was just one runner helping out other runners out. Then came Around the Crown.

Me after Around the Crown

One of my favorite Charlotte-area races is the Around the Crown 10K. It's awesome. They close down the I-277 loop around the city and let runners literally run around Charlotte. It is the coolest. I'll be honest, it is a Charlotte race which means it is hilly, so it is not an easy course, but the Around the Crown is my 10K PB just for the pure reason that it is the most fun 10K I've run. I spent the whole first time I ran it in 2019 (the inaugural year) just kinda giggling as I ran it. So much fun. Anyway, at the finish of the 2021 race, I swung by the Fleet Feet Sports Fort Mill tent to say hi. I had run off and on with Fleet Feet for several years. I ran in their Training Program, occasionally served as a mentor, was on their Racing Team and just kind of came and went as my race schedule allowed. As I was chatting with a few runners, the then Managing Partner asked if he could speak to me to the side. Turns out he wanted me to join the Training Program as a Coach. A bit surprised and flattered, I told him I'd think about it.

Obviously I decided that yes, I did want that. And when the next opportunity arose to take an RRCA certification course came up, I enrolled and the rest is history! I'm a Coach now! And it has been pretty awesome.

I'm currently coaching my 3rd session with Fleet Feet Sports Fort Mill the Summer Trails Training Group. So far, this has been my hardest session to coach for a number of reasons which I will be sure to blog all about it, but I do love it. Even when it's hard, its exactly what I want to be doing. 

Love leading this group through the woods!

If you happen to be local and are interested in checking out the Fleet Feel Sports Fort Mill Training Groups, visit this link: https://www.fleetfeet.com/training?s=fortmill for more information and to sign up for one of our sessions (Trails is ending in 2 weeks, but Summer Sizzlin' 5K and 10K programs just started with goal races of the Greek Festival 5K and Around the Crown 10K (both that I will be running). 

Find me on Socials here:

Instagram: @runderdgirl

Twitter: @runnerdgirl

Running Happy with Brooks Ghosts 14s - Shoe Review

I received a pair of Brooks Ghost 14s as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.