From a runner who ventured out in the pouring rain

Check out this post from our Guest Writer:  Kelly Melang.  Kelly joined us for our Black Walnut Festival Fun Run.  As an avid runner and triathlete Kelly doesn't shy away from an occassional run in the run... this one was a special one...

Black Walnut Social Run

We thought about building an ark for the people on this run as the heavens opened up and the rain came in sheets 15 minutes before we were scheduled to start. But true to Fleet Feet’s luck, the skies cleared exactly at 10:30am. This social run is a quick 3 miles through historic Bethania in celebration of the Black Walnut Festival.

Bethania, NC is a tiny jewel hidden in Forsyth County. Bethania was founded in 1759 as the first settlement of the Moravians. The Black Walnut Festival celebrates this historic town and vendors are setting up booths while a wood fire is lit beneath a black cauldron. There’s not many of us (there weren’t many on the ark) and Stacey is there to cheer us on. We start from the visitor’s center and go up Main Street, the beautiful leaves of trees framing the street, the rain falling softly. We turn halfway towards the first school house in Forsyth County, the school bell sits silent as we hear the soft crunch of feet on the gravel road.

The run then moves down past the historic buildings complete with a beautiful authentic log cabin. What’s different from the other buildings is true to the atmosphere, there’s an old man sitting on the porch in overalls and on a rocker, playing banjo music. No, not the type of banjo music that makes you run faster, music that fits right in with the buildings, the falling leaves, and the light chill of a fall day. You half expect to see someone go by on horse and buggy. We come back through the festival before turning onto a wooden trail behind the restored church.

The trail is quiet, we can hear our breath as we run, watching people ahead of us dodge puddles, roots and other items on the trail. There’s the squish of mud, the splash of puddles, the crunch of leaves. It feels like we’re out in the backwoods somewhere, though 100 yards away the road and civilization. The trees are in varying stages of fall, and each turn in the trail brings a beautiful view. We come back as the festival comes to life, the run just long enough to enjoy the morning, but short enough that everyone emerges from the trail happy. There are prizes for the runners, beer for the festival, and as we walk back to our car we know we’ll be back after that hot shower. We didn’t need the ark anyway.