The Medoc Marathon takes place on the trails at the Medoc Mountain State Park located in Hollister, NC, on the third weekend in October. After running the local trails here in Newport News, VA, I figured Medoc would be the next logical race in my growing portfolio. Plus, being held in late October I knew there would be a chance to enjoy the fall weather. This would be my first race since the Seattle Rock ‘n Roll in June and would be my first time running a race through the woods. Not to grandma’s house either! This race would also be my final one before retiring from the Air Force.

I heard early on this was a first-class event from my local running friends, so I felt I had to sign up for this one. I quickly learned the race director had a witty sense of humor. This quote was from an email he sent out prior to race day, “This is a long email, so grab your iPhone and head to the bathroom for some “alone time.” There is a big prize if you read it all. Please don’t forget to flush and wash your hands….” Not sure if I read it on the toilet or not!

More often than not, when signing up for a race there is a spot for a nickname. We had two options in this race: pick a nickname or one would be bestowed upon you. The majority of my bibs have “Dewey,” so for fun, I went with the latter option. I wanted to see what I would be anointed on my race through the woods. When I opened the envelope at packet pickup, I discovered I would be known as the Newport Ninny…a foolish person from Newport News. The name was fitting as I crossed the finish line…more on that later.

Read the rest of the story here: http://deweyspath.com/medoc-trail-marathon/