February 20, 2010
Saturday was the 5th Annual running of the Black Warrior Trail Runs. Held near Moulton, Alabama in the Bankhead National Forest, the courses for 50km and 25km are mostly single-track trails over rolling terrain. The trails are frequently used by horses and when combined with a wet January, the course typically 'features' shoe-sucking mud with unstable footing. The lead in to both distances includes an immediate mile long climb on a gravel road, ascending up 275' before cresting out and continuing on for another mile and half. Then the single track section begins with the 25km running just the Key Mill (Orange Blaze) 10 mile loop before returning to the trail head and running the gravel road back to the finish.This year I was running the 25km distance as a final tune up for next weekend's goal race at Mount Cheaha 50km. Cheaha is part of the Ultra Cup so the competition is sure to be top notch. Last year at Black Warrior I managed a 4:15 and 4th overall place in the 50km under similar conditions. In 2009 most of the top-tier competition ran in the longer distance, with the top 8 finishing under 4:30 and top 14 under 5 hours. This year that trend did not hold true as the top runners were all doing the same thing as me; using it as a final hard run before an upcoming race. That just meant better competition to help push me to run my best.