The Tour de Salisbury has become an annual summer tradition. I’ve participated in every Tour de Salisbury since it began in 2020, including the two winter tours and The Islands Tour last year. This was the last one — at least, the last summer one for sure — and it’s always a fun addition to the summer that also gets me running a few longer runs during the most difficult running season for me.
In the Tour de Salisbury, participants complete 12 Strava segments in whatever order they like, over two months — June 1 to July 31. Then, people log their runs into a site called BrokeRunner, where you can see your progress and if you wish, compare to others’ times to try to get on the podium. If you’re not going for the podium, it’s OK if you don’t get the Strava segment — but I like to anyway, and have each time I’ve run the Tour.
Last year’s Tour was different as we went to further-away islands and had four months to complete the journey, but this year, we were back to the usual two months.
It turned out to be quite the hot and humid summer, though I did finish the event. You can compete for speed to be one of the Top 3 male or female runners, but I’m always in it for the fun experience rather than going for a certain time. Plus, even if I did run race pace at all of them, I wouldn’t be in the Top 3 women anyway — so why not fully enjoy myself?
Matty B’s SBY Fun Run
My first leg of this year’s Tour was a new segment, but one on roads I’m very familiar with. Kimberly, Diana B. and I took on the route together on the first day, June 1, after Kimberly and I picked up our packets (a Tourist shirt, water bottle and mini bib sticker — we also later got stickers for the different routes). It started near Salisbury University and Island Creamery, took us through the campus and then through the nearby neighborhoods.
This was before the summer really got hot, and I completed the 4.01-mile segment in 53:00, a 13:12/mile pace.
New Salisburian TDS
A route from prior Tours was the Salisburian, a seven-mile route that started at North Salisbury Elementary and took runners through nearby neighborhoods, Newtown and through Downtown before heading back through a trail at Deer’s Head.
One of the bridges that was part of the former route was closed, so the route was revamped. This year, the route started at Unity Square in Downtown Salisbury, included some of the same roads and some different, and went the opposite direction.
I ran this one with Kimberly and Diana S. on June 5. After hearing from others that they’d made mistakes on the route, we kept an eye on the course and were able to get the segment on the first try. After finishing our run, we crossed the street to Two Scoops for ice cream treats afterward.
I completed the 7.13-mile segment in 1:45:45, a 14:49/mile pace. None of us were trying to push it for speed, and it was my longest run since the Fast & Furriest Run for Rescues 15K in April. I’d been running, but was usually running about 3-something miles.
Killens Pond
A couple days later, on June 7, Kimberly, Diana B., Diana S. and I all headed up to Killens Pond State Park, in Felton, Delaware. I’d seen the signs for Killens Pond while driving on Route 13, and I’ve wanted to run there, but I’ve never stopped. I’m glad the Tour gave me a definite reason to run there! (There’s also a water park there, which would be fun to check out.)
This was a pretty trail run, and again, we weren’t going for speed. Though I didn’t think it felt too bad out, I was drenched in sweat afterward. It was super humid!
We took a small wrong turn (kept going straight when we were supposed to turn), but we didn’t get far enough off to not get the segment. My time for the 3.83-mile segment was 1:02:20, a 16:16/mile pace.
Vienna
On the eighth day of the Tour, I was already running my fourth segment. After volunteering at IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman in Cambridge all morning, I decided to do the Vienna segment on the way home (I’d thought of this before I left and was prepared to run). Though it was warm out, I figured I’d run it, as the distance was a 5K, so not super long.
While I didn’t really think I could do race pace, I did try to run fast on this one — as fast as I could for starting the run at 12:52 p.m. after being outside volunteering at a race.
I’d done a few runs recently before this where I’d do run-walk intervals, but instead of doing a comfortable run pace, I’d basically go as fast as I could during the run. So, I tried that for this Vienna 5K course, alternating running three minutes fast with one minute of walking.
Vienna is a small town (I’ve actually run all its streets), and the course starts and ends in the town (it can’t really be called a downtown), with an out-and-back on Elliotts Island Road. The end of the course has a small stretch along the Nanticoke River.
I kept up a consistent pace for each mile — 11:30, 11:24 and 11:30, with the last bit at 2:21 (10:46/mile pace).
My time for the 3.16-mile segment was 35:08, an 11:07/mile pace. That doesn’t quite make sense with the above miles, but I think my watch was slightly off, so I just made sure to run past the finish to get the right amount of miles — and I actually had 3.22 on my watch.
Powellville
Powellville was my least favorite route of this year’s Tour. I liked the course itself, but as for how I felt, this was by far the worst. I ran this one June 12. There were some field trips offered, in which we could pay $10 to ride with a group to different courses. Some of them didn’t work with my schedule, but I was excited to see the trip to Powellville.
The Powellville course was point-to-point, a first for the Tour. The 11.41-mile route went from Adkins Mill Park in Powellville to in front of Oaked at The Globe in Berlin.
I wanted to make sure I got this one done relatively early, since I had some trips planned. However, a few things conspired against me this day:
- I had not run anywhere near 11.41 miles since I paced the Coastal Delaware Half Marathon in April
- It was early in the summer and I was not yet used to the heat and humidity
- There was nowhere to stop along the way for aid (like a gas station)
- I’d soaked my soft flask bottles the night before in a diluted Simple Green mixture and my water tasted like Simple Green
For the ride, you could either park in Powellville, run to the finish and get a ride back at 9 a.m., or you could drive to Berlin and get a ride to the start at 9 a.m.
I chose to get a ride to the start. Only Steve and I chose this, and a large group of people had already run and only had negative things to say about how it felt out there. So, I rode to the start already not feeling extremely hopeful.
My first mile didn’t feel too bad. After that, it all went downhill. I brought a water bottle with me that I’d gotten from Trent, who drove Steve and me to the start, along with a couple runners who were returning to the park after finishing.
I was listening to a book and also had my intervals app on. I’d sent my watch out for a replacement because the heart rate had stopped working, so I was also using the Strava app — three apps total.
It was hot and humid out, and I knew I’d started the run too late. By the time we actually got started, it was 9:40 a.m. Steve and I each did our own thing, and I had hoped to finish a lot faster than I did.
I changed the intervals along the way of the rural course to include more walking, and around mile 5 or 6, I finished the first water and realized that the water I’d brought with me tasted like Simple Green. Thankfully, my now-fiance, Mike, left what he was doing to bring me some delicious cold water. Even though I only had about two miles left when he was able to get to me, he was a total lifesaver. Those water bottles brought me back to life!
Because I was using Strava to track my run, I knew I couldn’t let my phone die, so for the last few miles, I wasn’t using the intervals app and decided to choose something like a light pole to run to, and then I’d do some walking, and then I’d run again. I did keep listening to the book. Thankfully, I was able to make it to the finish with my phone still surviving, so I could save my run on Strava — it was on about 5 percent battery.
I finished the 11.41-mile segment in 3:04:42, a 16:11/mile pace. I was glad that I made it to the end in one piece. I don’t think I’d run this again in the summer, though if a group wanted to go, I would run it in cooler weather, and I could probably easily cut at least a half-hour off.
Sharptown
I took off work June 20, the day before we left to go to Nashville. I took off because I wanted to get things ready and do some cleaning, but I also wanted to start the day out with a run. I ran this one by myself, and like the Vienna run, I did run/walk intervals, with the run faster than usual, until I did end up slowing down. It was pretty warm out.
I had run in Sharptown before, but I did enjoy the change of scenery, and part of the course was on a short trail I’d never run on before. I’d seen some photos of some interesting sculptures along the water and also noticed those during my run (for example, an alligator in the water). There was also a pier on the course, and this run, like Vienna, also included views of the Nanticoke River.
I finished the 5.1-mile segment in 1:10:40, a 13:51/mile pace.
Naylor Mill TDS The Final Cut
After returning from Nashville and running the Spectrum Superstars 5K, I took on the revised Naylor Mill course with Emily, Ashley, Melissa and Jenny the morning of June 29. The course had to be revised partway through the Tour because some of the trails were closed off. I didn’t get to this one until the course was already revised, so I only ran it once.
I’ve run at Naylor Mill plenty of times, many of those for the Naylor Mill 7K or as part of the Tour. I’d say it’s the toughest place to run in Salisbury — single-track trails with some steep hills. The course runs through the woods — the Naylor Mill Forest — and it’s rooty. My running pace really isn’t drastically different from my walking pace here. We started out running, adding walking as needed, but it was hot and humid, and we ended up walking a decent amount of the course.
I was just in it for the segment and the time with friends, which I got! I finished the 5.12-mile segment in 1:51:00, a 21:39/mile pace.
I felt good to have completed seven of the 12 runs in June. Then, I went on a trip to Florida before resuming the Tour.
Assateague
Assateague is a constant of the Summer Tour. The courses always change, but this one has been part of it every year. The 6.99-mile course starts and ends at the visitor center and takes runners across the Verrazano Bridge on the paved trail to the beach. Then, we run a mile-and-a-half out on the beach and a mile-and-a-half back, before retracing our steps and going past the visitor center on the road and then a pretty wooded trail.
This is one of the few runs each year that I normally get up for to run at sunrise, and I met Kimberly very early to drive to Assateague together and meet a group of other runners, which also included Anna, Janet, Laura and M. Todd. We started the run at 5:33 a.m., and the smaller group I ran with included Kimberly and Anna.
I felt good, and the sand felt more sturdy than usual. My time of 1:35:14 was actually a personal record for this course, which I have run seven times over the years. We ran the first mile, then did run-walk intervals. I always do have to go a little past the end to get the full mileage on this one, but for the 6.99-mile segment, the pace was 13:36/mile.
Boards & Sand
There was supposed to be a segment in Pocomoke City, but right at the start of the Tour, part of that route was closed (and it still hasn’t opened, as far as I’m aware). So, the Boards & Sand segment — with half on the Ocean City Boardwalk and the other half on the beach — was created quickly to fill its place.
While I’ve run in Ocean City plenty of times, I’ve never done this exact run before. I ran this one July 19. I wasn’t going for any specific pace, and I started a little late to try for too fast of a run — 9:49 a.m. — but at some point, I decided to try to finish in under an hour for the 4.2 miles. I did, finishing the segment in 59:53, a 14:15/mile pace.
Because I started so late, the beach was relatively crowded, so I did have some weaving to do, but I didn’t mind. I wore the Tour de Salisbury shirt, as I thought it would be fun to wear the “TOURIST” shirt in Ocean City. Plus, it was a relatively shorter run; the shirt is short-sleeved and I almost always wear tanks during the summer. It turned out to be too hot to run in.
I wore a bathing suit underneath (the top is like a sports bra), and before I even finished the Boardwalk, I decided to take the shirt off and run in just the top and my shorts. I figured it was the beach, so even though I don’t usually run in a sports bra, I wouldn’t stand out too much on the beach — and it was too hot to worry too much about it.
Afterward, I wanted to hang out at the beach a little bit, but it started raining almost as soon as I finished my run. I did get some Thrasher’s French fries, to go along with the “tourist” theme, and because I always like a post-run treat.
Pemberton Half
The Pemberton Half is a course that holds a lot of memories for me. It’s home to my half marathon PR from 2013, 1:50:18 (this was at an unofficial event). I’m quite far away from that time now and even further away during the hot and humid summer. This mid-to-late-June and the month of July felt exceptionally hot and humid compared to previous years; August hasn’t been as bad.
I had no time goals when I set out with Kimberly and Anna at 5:29 a.m. July 20. I just wanted to not feel terrible during this run like I did in Powellville. Having their company was a huge help, and my pace was much faster than for the Powellville segment, even for a longer distance. While I still didn’t do more long runs after Powellville, I did do some more medium-length runs. Plus, we started early and avoided some of the worst humidity, though it was still humid.
The course starts and ends at Pemberton Park, but it’s a road course. The rural roads go through neighborhoods and out to the Hebron area before heading back. It certainly wasn’t easy, but I felt better than I expected. I was definitely ready to be done with about two or three miles to go, but we did run-walk intervals, and that always helps me.
I finished the segment in 3:02:30 for 13.13 miles, a 13:54/mile pace. This was more than two minutes faster per mile than the Powellville run that I struggled through — for a longer distance.
This half marathon was the longest run of this year’s Tour, so it was nice to have the longest run complete. I had two left for the last weekend of July.
Gordon’s Pond
The Gordon’s Pond Trail is a beautiful trail that’s part of Cape Henlopen State Park in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Usually, if I’m running this trail, it’s part of a race that I’m doing in Rehoboth, but this route was making an appearance on its first Summer Tour (it had been a Winter Tour run and a bonus leg, and I didn’t make it out there when it was a bonus leg).
The route takes runners up the Gordon’s Pond Trail, then heads onto the beach and continues back on the sand (are you sensing a trend here?). The trail is crushed stone, with a lengthy bridge. I always enjoy the scenery. When I ran the route July 26, I was doing run-walk intervals, trying to run the “run” parts faster than usual.
When I headed back on the sand, I was surprised to see so many people. I didn’t realize this was a drive-on beach, and I’d only run on the beach before in the winter. There were lots of fishing lines out, most of which I avoided (I accidentally ran into one). The sand felt pretty sturdy.
Again, I didn’t get an early start, and kicked off my run at 9:20 a.m. This and Killens Pond were the two furthest-away legs from Salisbury.
Afterward, I enjoyed some beach time with my book. The only negative about the trip was when I wanted to go into town afterward, there was absolutely nowhere to park — and I was willing to pay. I ended up getting a late lunch at Taco Reho, out of the main downtown area. I was able to get my usual cold brew from Rise Up Coffee.
My time for the segment was 1:04:50, a 14:13/mile pace and a new PR compared to my one other run on the course, as part of that first Winter Tour.
Rumbley
My last run of the Tour was somewhere I’d never been — Rumbley, in Somerset County. I drove down with Kimberly, and we met Diana B., Melissa, Richard, Christine and Anna there.
Part of the reason I’d saved this one till the end was because some people got a ton of bug bites. I’m sensitive to bug bites and got some bad ones in Deal Island last year. However, the bugs really weren’t bad on the day we went for the run — July 27.
We started the run at 7:10 a.m. from the marina area. It started raining as soon as we were about to get started, but we started anyway, and the bad weather was over with quickly.
The course was rural and marshy. It was a pretty place to run, but there wasn’t any shade, and it was hot and humid. I was glad the course was 7.19 miles instead of the half marathon from the weekend before.
With about a mile or so left to go, Christine, who was on her bike, brought us some frozen watermelon, which was delicious!
My time for the segment was 1:41:21, a 14:05/mile pace.
I didn’t re-run any of the segments, but I enjoyed exploring as usual and finished with a time of 18:46:23. I ran six segments with Kimberly, and three each with Diana B. and Anna.
This past weekend, on Aug. 24, there was a celebratory end-of-tour bonfire, which was fun. Although this is the last Tour, hopefully groups will still get together to run past segments (and I’ll certainly post to see if people want to).
She Runs by the Seashore 