I’d been wanting to run the Neal SmithTrail for a while, and I figured if I was ever going to do it, I just needed to get out there and make it happen. Life nearly got in the way, and I ended up starting later than I would have liked, which meant I had to run the entire route in the dark by headlamp.
All in all, it was a beautiful night for a run with cooler temps, a refreshing breeze, and more mosquitoes than I could count, which definitely helped keep me moving. I felt great out of the gate, but I ran low on water after hoping to find some along the course. Unfortunately, I didn’t spot any until the last stretch of the route near the Birdland Marina.
The route itself was a great one, starting in the dark and finishing under the lights of downtown Des Moines. A fun, challenging effort and a memorable night on the trail.