On May 19th, 2018, 6 members from the Skid Row Running Club and Back of My Feet - Los Angeles, took on the challenge of the Malibu Creek Trail Run sponsored by our friends over at Generic Events.
I've run Malibu Creek by myself before. It's a tough race, its uphill from mile 2 - 7 and then a steep down hill run. Suffice to say, it's brutal on your hamstrings going up and wrecks your quads on the way down. Fortunately, this year, unlike in the past, the weather was actually cool because of clouds moving in from the ocean.
The route is essentially the same one as the famous Bull Dog Trail Run this is held in August every year.
I got into trial running awhile back because I wanted to experience a different kind of running. Unlike road races, where runners focus on their time, trail runs are a different beast. Because of the unsure footing, it's wise to run without music so that you can focus on where your feet are landing. You don't want to twist an ankle or fall (as I have many times.) Also the type of terrain tends to change frequently. One moment you are running on a fire trail, the next you might be running on limestone. Sometimes there are nice tall trees which make the race very pleasant temp wise but sometimes the lack of shade means you are dealing with brutal conditions.
As runners in the Skid Row Running Club have expanded and some of our runners have begun to take running extremely seriously, we began looking for other challenges to develop our skills and increase our focus while we run. We've been fortunate to have the opportunity to run with our goods friends at Pasadena's Run with Us, which hosts weekly trail runs every Sunday.
Trail running can be very different from running on the road, but it's a lot of fun. For me, it's easy to get 'lost' in nature when I am out on the trials.
Happy Running!