While my running journey may have begun on the roads of Tennessee, my move to Montana quickly led to a greater love for trail running. My first trail race was the Prickly Pear Land Trust’s Don’t Fence Me In Trail Run 5k on May 10, 2014, in Helena, Montana.
Helena Montana Trail Systems
Helena, Montana has a gem of single-track trails that begin with trailheads right downtown. Prickly Pear Land Trust works to steward these trails and acres under conservation. At the time, there were 75 miles of single track, which continues to grow.
The Don’t Fence Me In Trail Run takes place on these trails with distances of 5k, 12k, or 30k. For my first trail race, 5k was intimidating, but this race would be a teaser that would add sparks to the fire for my future in ultrarunning.
Leading up to the race, I had begun exploring the trail system little by little with runs around downtown and sneaking in segments of trails. I was intimidated by the thousand-foot climbs up Mounts Ascension and Helena that rise straight up from downtown.
I had gotten glimpses of other trail runners and mountain bikers during my short time in Montana, and I knew I wanted a taste of that adventure, I just really wasn’t sure if I was prepared to tackle it.
Race day would arrive, and I’d have the opportunity to enjoy a morning coffee watching the irrigation sprinklers in the pasture spin. Ice had begun accumulating as temperatures dropped to 29 degrees, and it’d be a good day.
Don’t Fence Me In Trail Run 5k
As any good trail race should, the 5k immediately climbs uphill from a block downtown, a few quick turns on city streets, and we hit the trails. I remember being nervous yet confident that I could knock this one out. I had a couple of 5k runs under my feet. I lined up near the front and took off uphill near the lead pack.
Reality check. Trails are not the same as roads.
That climbing was not fun. Nine years later, I distinctly remember that feeling of struggling to breathe while hiking up the continuous climb while simultaneously being worried about showing signs of struggle for anyone nearby. Thank goodness it didn’t last forever, but at the moment, it felt like it would.
All that feeling and the climbing only lasted to 1.3 in the race. I am so glad I can look back and laugh at my humble beginnings in trail running.
The last mile of the 5k trail run ends up back on the streets of Helena as we wind around the historic buildings to the finish line at Anchor Park. It was a race to the finish ahead of the next person in my division.
I had to look back and double-check these finish line numbers. I wound up as the 13th overall finisher and 1st in the men’s 20-29 division with a finish time of 25:42.
Whew. I was exhausted and not sure what to expect. But even in that moment, as I jumped in the truck to head back home, I knew I wanted more.
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