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!