Race Recap: Terroir Run 2014

A few months ago, I wrote about the Terroir Run, a fun 11K run in Prince Edward County (PEC) that ends with a catered lunch and wine tasting. This race basically combined all my loves in life: running, wine, great food, a beautiful landscape and great people.

The weekend kicked off with a road trip to Huff Estates Inn with my husband Graham and good friend Tina and her husband Bergen. Huff is a beautiful winery and inn and our deluxe room was perfect for two couples for the night. We were also surprised to find out that Huff had a great breakfast included with our room. This was not just some standard continental (AKA nothing good) breakfast. We were treated to eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, pastries, fruit, yogurt… basically anything you could want and the perfect spread for a pre-race breakfast.

We parked our car at the finish line and took a bus to the start. The bus was actually a limo bus so our race experience was already off to a luxurious start. On top of the abundant breakfast and stylish ride to the start line, it was also a picture-perfect day: warm and sunny with a cool breeze. The day was off to a fine start.

Rebecca LeHeup, the cofounder of the race, welcomed everyone and we took a team photo before kicking things off with the inaugural firing of the bird banger. The route was peaceful and there were several water stations manned by enthusiastic volunteers. It was hot in some stretches, but I tried to focus on the open road and beautiful scenery instead of the fact that I was melting.

I finished the 11.4K route in 1:03, a great run despite a hot, rolling course.

Shortly thereafter, we gathered at Norman Hardie Winery and were treated to a variety of locally sourced food and drinks like spring salads, wood-fired pizzas and PEC wines, beers and cider. After a great run and a glass of wine in my hand by 10:45 in the morning, I was basically in heaven. It was the best post-race party I’ve ever been to. No stale bagel or bananas for this group. We sat on a grassy knoll soaking up the sunshine and eating and drinking till our hearts content. People chatted and dogs frolicked. It was magical.

This run was also great for my ego. I came in 4^th place out of all female runners. That sounds pretty elite… until you find out there were only 88 runners in this year’s race. That said, I still feel pretty proud of my accomplishment. If I was in the top 3, I would have won free registration for next year’s race. I’ll be back next year… and will have my sights set on the top 3.

I’ve clearly found the secret to running success: sign up for smaller races! There’s nothing brag-worthy about coming in 5,897th (which was my actual place in the Sporting Life 10K this year!)

I highly highly recommend this run. It was honestly such a fun, feel-good event. My only regret is that we didn’t book Huff Estates for another night and spend the whole weekend in PEC. Next year’s race is May 23, 2015. Pencil it in your calendar and keep an eye out for early bird registration. I’ll see you there!