Trail Time
by
Mark Jimenez
Nobody has ever mistaken me for a Trail Runner. The running world seems to be made of two groups of people, road runners and trail runners. The groups don't seem to mix that often. People who love trails are rarely on the roads, and people who run roads are rarely on the trails. Of course, these are generalizations and there are always exceptions, so keep in mind that I'm painting a picture with broad strokes here.
At Red Rock Running Company we host a weekly trail run called Trail Time With Tim. The run is led most weeks by Tim McKenzie. Tim is an ultramarathoner who recently completed a 100 mile run in San Diego, putting yet another 100 mile notch in his belt. As Tim says in his description of Trail Time, "It’s a passion of mine to introduce people to the trails that I love. When I first started trail running I had no idea where to go and it wasn’t until I started running with different groups of people that I began to learn about the beautiful trails in our community. My goal is to introduce you to these trails with hope you will enjoy them as much as I do."
Trail Time With Tim happens every Sunday at 7:00am. We change locations around the valley each week on a 10 week cycle so that you can explore all the different trails the Las Vegas Valley has to offer. You can find where Trail Time is at each week by visiting https://www.rrrc.run/events/ or going to https://www.facebook.com/redrockrunningcompany/events
I'm ashamed to say that I have not been a regular at Trail Time. We have group runs 6 days a week, and it's hard for me to get to all of them. I try to get to as many as I can, but by the time Sunday rolls around I'm usually exhausted and choose sleep, or I'm gearing up for a long run on the roads. To be honest, I was never really that excited to go run on trails. Recently, however, Tim was out of town for 3 weeks in a row and I got a chance to lead the run. I have to say, I had a lot of fun out there!
I got to visit three different trails and the good news is that I didn't fall at all! I tried to make sure nobody got lost (I think I did a pretty good job of it) and stopped a lot to enjoy the view! I even took some pretty cool videos for YouTube and Instagram. I'm realizing more and more that Las Vegas really does have some pretty amazing trails. I'd love to get out and explore more of them.
If you want to come out and explore the trails here, then Trail Time is the event for you. Tim does an amazing job of making sure everybody is welcome. He stops frequently to make sure nobody gets lost and he is pretty good with directions. His passion for the trails around us is contagious, and you'll definitely be leaving with a smile and excited to join again the following Sunday.
One caution: use the drop pin in the event description to get to the event. Sometimes the location on Facebook bugs out and send people to the wrong place.
If you're going to come to Trail Time, remember that we live in the desert. It's hot out there and water is an absolute must have! Consider things like a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun in summer months. You'll also want to have a snack with you like an Untapped or GU Energy Waffle in case you get hungry while you're on the trail! Always make sure somebody knows where you are, cell coverage isn't guaranteed while you are on the trail, and in many cases there is no cell reception at all!
The links above provide course maps and parking locations, so be sure to let somebody know before you go!
Come meet Tim this Sunday and see some of the beauty the trails around Vegas have to offer!
*****
Every Run is a Good Run
