I broke my streak of running every Naylor Mill 7K when I attended Brooks Hype Fest in California last year, but this year, I was back on the challenging trails of Naylor Mill to represent Team Bacon.
This race is always held on a Friday night in the summer in Salisbury, so of course, it was hot. However, I had returned from a trip to Florida two days before race day, which was Aug. 16, and it was brutally humid there. So really, the heat and humidity didn’t feel anywhere near as bad to me at Naylor Mill as it did in Florida. Plus, I already knew I wouldn’t be at my max race speed because of the trail terrain. So, I felt strong and confident throughout the race.
The course was different than 2022, although it was the same as the Winter Tour course (and it was the same as the 2023 race that I missed). The course has changed over the years — and I think it’s gotten longer — but my time of 1:14:20 was actually my fastest at this race since 2020. That year, I ran 1:07:56, and the year before that, I ran under an hour at this race.
Although the race course has changed, there’s always a section of the race at the beginning that is not on the single-track trail, which allows runners to find their place beforehand so there isn’t constant passing.
The start and finish line were on Paleo Lane, and we ran behind some of the baseball/softball fields before entering the trail. In addition to this first half-mile, the first part of the trail is less technical than later on. So, I was able to run the first mile in 11:00. I knew that would not last, but I’ve run on this trail — with it feeling difficult — with miles in the 18:00s, so I was glad that even my slowest mile was 16:34 (at least, according to my watch, which logged 5.2 miles — even though the Strava segment shows the course is 4.82 miles, it’s a trail and everyone always gets different distances on their watches here).
I ended up running with Renee pretty much the whole time, which was nice. I was also near Janet for much of the race, and there became a group of about five or so toward the end. The trails are unlike anything else found in Salisbury — single-track and hilly. Not only can the uphills be challenging, but the downhills are, too. I brought a water bottle with me and stopped to refill it at the water stop — then saw Chelsea taking photos right after the stop.
The trail twists and turns so much that sometimes it can be hard to figure out where you are. You can see people who are behind you and in front of you at different parts on the trail. However, it was well-marked for the race, and it was not difficult to determine where to go. I also appreciated how cleared out the trail was for the race.
Once we exited the trail, there was another chance to run on flat and easy terrain, so Renee and I were able to speed up and still finish steps apart.
Afterward, I had some bacon to represent my team, along with some chorizo sandwiches. The main two competitors are Team Bacon and Team Scrapple, although there’s also Team Veggie, and new additions this year of Team Chorizo and Team Pork Roll.
Although it’s a challenge, I always enjoy this event. Runners got a race T-shirt and customized bib.
I also made it into the PAC-14 video below!
Splits
Mile 1: 11:00
Mile 2: 14:01
Mile 3: 16:03
Mile 4: 16:34
Mile 5: 14:52
Last part (.20): 1:54 (9:41 pace)
Final: 1:14:27, 14:20 pace on watch (my watch had 5.2 miles; watches are notoriously different here)
1:14:20 on results (Strava segment, which must start and end a little earlier, had 1:13:07/15:09 pace)
She Runs by the Seashore 