I was browsing a calendar of upcoming races when Running Between the Vines popped up and I decided to look at more info. I’ve been vaguely familiar with it but always thought it was run on grass or trails and wasn’t sure I wanted to try that. When I read the description and learned that it’s actually run on peaceful dirt roads, it got my interest. I like running the dirt roads near me during long runs and it would be a nice change of scenery. I received an email from Running Fit Events that offered a $15 discount on the race and it made me go for it. I had already signed up for the Ann Arbor half marathon the next day so it would be a little ambitious to do back-to-back half marathons, but it wouldn’t be my first time and I like a good challenge. I would just aim to keep things easy and not “race” this one.

The race took place on Saturday, October 3 at Sandhill Crane Vineyards in Jackson which is an hour and a half from me. The 9:00 start was perfect because I could leave by 6:30 – later than I leave for many races! They had us park at an elementary school half a mile down the road and I went to the race site to pick up my bib, which only took a minute.

I opted out of getting a shirt this time because they gave the option to save money and I have SO many shirts. I killed some time walking around the winery and made a porta potty stop early before the line got really long.

It was a cool morning in the high 40s to start so I kept warmer clothes on until I did a little warm up jog just before the race started. There was a tarp on the ground where we could leave bags – a very informal kind of gear check. After such a warm summer, it was really nice to feel cool for a change. I believe this race has taken place in August in past years and have a feeling the early October date was much more ideal for running. I needed that mile of warming up because my shoes got wet from walking around in the grass and my feet were cold. 

The half marathon and 5-mile races started first with the 5K to follow a bit later. There were flags to mark expected paces which I always appreciate because it helps reduce congestion at the start. I lined up at the 8:00 pace sign and there was a small group in front of me. Suddenly the announcer said we had 15 seconds until the start, counted down from five, and we were off. 

There was a brief stretch of grass to run through at the start and finish and we made it out to a paved road in no time. I ran around an 8:00 pace to start, but the goal was to keep things under control so I could still have a solid race in Ann Arbor the next day. I slowed down a little and tried to take it easier after that. It meant that a bunch of people came from behind and passed as I slowed down and I had to be disciplined about not going with them. 

After a couple miles on paved roads we hit a dirt road that ran alongside I-94 for a few minutes, then it turned nice and peaceful. We basically had the roads to ourselves and I may have only seen a couple cars the whole time. 

The early morning sun shone through the trees and gave me the kind of views I had hoped for. Some leaves were just starting to change so there were little bits of color along the way.

There wasn’t a large group running the half – only around 125 people. Once people settled into their paces I ended up mostly on my own. A few people passed then gained enough distance that I could see them up ahead. Otherwise, I didn’t really have anyone around. One guy who was close split off for the 5-mile course then I was back on my own. I enjoyed the scenery and concentrated on keeping my pace “easy” enough. It was a little faster than I would have run my typical long run but still slower than marathon pace.

Halfway through the race we had about half a mile on a paved road where there was still very minimal traffic – maybe one car. Then back to more rolling hills on the dirt roads. There were aid stations scattered throughout which provided a few little bursts of energy along the way, in addition to a few supporters out there to cheer for their people.

About 8 miles into the race we had an out and back stretch that added around a mile, and that’s when I saw the leaders of the race coming back the opposite way. I couldn’t help but count and find that there were six women in front of me. I didn’t think I’d catch any of them, and that stretch was a little tricky for me because I didn’t want it to motivate me to speed up! I felt like maybe I could pick up the pace for the last few miles but the hills helped keep me under control. 

There was one good climb with a couple miles to go that caused one person ahead of me to walk, so I caught up even though I practically came to a crawl myself as I continued to “run” it. Then I crossed an intersection where I was trailing just behind a guy, and the cop stationed there said, “Pass him at the end.” It made me laugh then I quickly realized I wouldn’t have to wait until the end because of how fast I was gaining on him. After passing him, anyone else was a good minute and a half ahead of me. I was back on my own and didn’t have to think about “racing” to catch anyone because they were so far ahead.

Still, I picked it up for the last mile which was mostly paved. At that point I don’t think I could have run a whole lot faster even if I had really hoped to. Although most of the hills weren’t too crazy, they were challenging enough to require some work and I didn’t exactly have a ton of energy left for a speedy finish. Aside from the last quarter mile, I ran the whole thing at 8:00 pace or slower.

After collecting my medal and a glass, I appreciated what a gorgeous morning it was. I took some pictures around the vineyard, put some warm clothes on, then went to collect some food.

I don’t drink wine but we got tickets for wine tastings and I’m sure that’s one big draw for this race.

Since I had opted out getting a race shirt and saved some money on that, I chose to add on a bonus food option and could collect a wrap afterward. Between the normal post-race food and that, it was so much for me that I couldn’t eat the second wrap! Sometimes I get frustrated by races that don’t have much food after a race so that definitely wasn’t the case this time!

I enjoyed my treats on the porch outside of the winery and stopped by the awards table on my way out. I had won my age group and received a coaster for my prize.

This was a nice, small race with just under 400 people between the three events. I enjoyed it so I’m glad I finally looked into it and gave it a try!

When I got home I relaxed the rest of the day, trying to stretch and use the foam roller for calves that felt a little tight. I would hope that I could pull off another half the next day at an even faster pace!

– Janet

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