Juliana Moves

We are only six weeks out from MMT 100, people! SIX WEEKS. I signed up for this race in October and have been training since then. I can’t believe it’s practically around the corner. I did some big training runs on the course this winter which was a huge help in feeling prepared for what’s out there. Some really technical chunks of the course are not too physically demanding, but are very mentally challenging (for me).

It is really mentally fatiguing to pick over rock gardens, try not to trip or catch a foot, still be eating and drinking, and feel like you’re moving as slow as molasses. The whole course isn’t like this (thank god) but there are a few stretches along ridgelines that are particularly brutal. One of those sections? Short Mountain.

Short Mountain is only a few miles into the race. You come out of the start, run on a road for ~3 miles, hit the trail and then begin your climb up the mountain. The climb is also not a chill walk in the woods, but is your classic ascent and doesn’t bother me. Once you get to the top? That ridgeline is the problem. I ran this section in February and so I wanted to come back to practice it again and get more familiar with the rocks up there. Truthfully, it wasn’t as bad as I remembered! Maybe it’s fitness, maybe I’ve gotten better at hurdling over rocks… who knows! I also tried out running in my Hoka Speedgoats instead of my Altra Lone Peaks. I worried the stack on the Speedgoats would be a danger to my ankles amongst all those rocks, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

Another thing that was different this time around? The company! Erica and Derek will be pacing me on later sections of the course, So I convinced them to come out with me to get a good training run in! Unsurprisingly, running challenging trail is more fun with friends. Last time I did it totally solo.

We got a late start and left home at 11:30ish, bringing us to the trailhead at around 1:30. We got started right away because it was very cold and very windy and we needed to start making an effort to warm up. It’s so fun to be in the mountains!

We moved pretty leisurely and took breaks for photos and snacks. While the Massanutten Mountain Trail is pretty punishing, I love that you’re basically just running on the top of mountains for most of it. It still felt pretty wintery up top, so you could really see the mountains surrounding you. 

We did an out and back and finished up with 12 miles total and ~1800 feet of elevation gain. We quickly put on warmer clothes, hopped in the car to head home, and stopped for Mexican food for dinner. The run was the sort of confidence boost I needed for MMT. When I started to get tired or was overthinking where to put my feet, I just kept chanting “forward, forward, forward” in my head. I think that might be my mantra for the race.

Six weeks! Up next on my list to tackle again pre-race? Kerns Mountain. IYKYK.