Since being diagnosed with cancer, I’ve tried to be open-minded when it comes to new experiences. As a result, I agreed to participate in the 10km “Moonbow” trail run in southern Kentucky last year with Nataliya. She had originally planned to go with several friends, but one dropped out, so I filled in.

I’ve never gone trail running and certainly not for 10km. The longest street race I had ever run was a 5k and that was more than a decade ago! I did not prepare at all for the race, although I am in pretty good shape since I’ve been doing CrossFit for several years now. In the summer, workouts usually incorporate running but no more than 1 or 2 miles – only a fraction of the 6-mile trail run!

The trail race was at Cumberland Falls in southern Kentucky and we drove down the day before. We stopped in Lexington for lunch at Good Foods Cooperative. I lived right around the corner from the cooperative while finishing my master’s degree at the University of Kentucky. I loved eating and shopping there, so it was a nice treat to return to my old stomping grounds (gastronomically as well as literally). Nataliya had also fallen in love with their little café while studying at UK as well (although not at the same time as me)! We ran across the street to A Plus Comics as well for a second, which was another of my former hangouts. Before hitting the road again, we took a short hike at Raven Run Sanctuary, which has a great view of the Kentucky River. Eventually, we arrived at our hotel, the Fairfield Inn, in Corbin and had dinner at Sonny’s BBQ. Our hotel was about 30 minutes from the park which has cottages to rent but requires a 2-night minimum stay on the weekends. There’s certainly enough trails and other activities to warrant a full weekend (if not more), but we had to be back home by Saturday night unfortunately.

The race began at 8 a.m. at the visitor’s center at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. The course followed right along the Cumberland River for the first 2 miles and then cut overland for 2 more miles. The final 2-mile leg brought us back along the river. You can see a video map of the course here. There were also 30km and 50km versions available for experienced trail runners. It was a bright day, so I wore my prescription sunglasses which turned out to be a mistake. The trail was well shaded, so I didn’t need them. The trail was quite rocky, and I frequently slipped and tripped over stones and tree roots even though we were not going very fast. My prescription sunglasses made it even harder to see what I was doing! I marveled at the true trail runners who sped ahead and finished the course in about 90 minutes. The river cooled us during the first leg which was fortunate since it was still very hot for September. We began a lengthy uphill section once the trail turned inland, and we lost the river’s cooling effect.

The river and the countryside were quite beautiful and peaceful, although the river came to its crashing crescendo at the finish line. I enjoyed the cool clean air along the river, and the earthy scents. I had visited the Cumberland Falls more than a decade ago when I had lived in Kentucky, and it reminded me that I don’t get out into nature nearly as often these days. The race was also an excellent opportunity to break in my new hiking boots and prepare for our upcoming lengthy journeys in Las Vegas. My legs were quite sore by the end of the race!

We eventually finished at just under 2 hours and 40 minutes, although Nataliya had certainly hoped for better. I thought she might leave me behind, but I kept up well. In reality, we mostly just hiked and only ran on a few brief sections of relatively smooth ground. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the challenge and the natural splendor. I certainly would give it another shot! Nataliya suggested trying the 10km version of the “Hot Hot 100” race this year, but I demurred. The course has more than 1,400 feet of elevation gain and descent, so it’s a lot of running up and down hills. It’s also in August which would be even hotter (hence the name), so I suggested we try to improve our performance at the Moonbow race this year instead.

After the race, we took some pictures at the iconic Cumberland falls before heading home. The water crashes down 68 feet which was earned it the nickname of the “Little Niagara” or the “Niagara of the South.” The Cumberland Falls is also the only location in the Western Hemisphere where you can view a Moonbow, which is a produced by moonlight rather than sunlight. The waterfall’s wide gorge and high walls create the perfect conditions for this unique phenomenon. See a video about it here. The Kentucky state park system publishes a calendar with the ideal dates for viewing the Moonbow. Plus, it’s only 3 hours from Cincinnati, so it’s an ideal destination! The only other place you can see a Moonbow is at Victoria Falls in Africa (although the KET video claims the phenomenon no longer exists due to an earthquake).