What's It Like Out There?

As I was running through Monte Sano State Park this afternoon, I started yearning for some ridge/mountain running. I like to read Scott Dunlap's blog and other western runners, and their runs always seem to be over mountain and next to the ocean and such. Is the running out there really that different. Don't get me wrong, running in the south, in Monte Sano, even in the Withlacoochee in FL, is great. However, it always seems to be in dense forest. It makes me want to go back to the Smokies to run along the ridges this fall. California runners, tell me this, do you all get wrapped up in spider webs too? I'm getting more used to it, but getting hit in the face repeatedly with webs is not the best feeling.

Today's Run

I did about 5 mi today in the southern portion of Monte Sano today. I went up the Natural Well Trail and then looped back on Arrowhead Trail. It was one of my favorite runs to date. The trails were not exceptional (pretty hard). The views were similar to the rest of the park (trees). It just felt different. The Natural Well Trail would be awesome in the early spring (or whenever water is abundant) because of all the crossings. It's namesake is essentially a giant hole in the ground, offering a neat view of different rock layers. Beyond that the trail criss-crosses what seem to be waterfalls along with streams. I suppose my imagination ran away with those dry water beds, stoney trails, and shimmering sunlight making the trail even better than it was. Despite the challenging terrain, I fell in love with that portion of the trail.

The Arrowhead, while also beautiful - undulating with the slopes - did not attract me as much. That might be in part to the greater elevation change, however. Much of the Arrowhead heading back south to the Natural Well Trail is steadily uphill. My heartrate increased from the mid 140s to upwards of 155-160 as I climbed. Because I am still running fairly short distances on the trail, I only resort to walking when the trail is really steep (when my running and walking are about equivalent speeds).

All in all, it was a very satisfying run. After struggling with young children throwing tantrums for most of the day, escaping to the woods was what I needed. And as I get deeper into this marathon training and trail running, I feel the desire to simply keep running growing.

Trail Report

- Natural Well: a mix of gravel, stone, and dirt. Not great elevation change, but substantial descending going North. Many water crossing. Nice views of stone cliffs.
- Arrowhead: more narrow with some overgrowth. Steady elevation change for much of trail

Mixed Feelings

I ran at the Huntsville Land Trust today after work. I went into it excited because a storm was brewing and the idea of running in the rain seemed fun. I had looked up the trails on the internet and on a Monte Sano map - no trail ratings or distances - and figured some 3-4mi routes I could run. I got going in the overcast weather (a nice reprieve from the 100 degree heat). My route: Bluffline Trail southward and then cut west and come back north on Alms House Trail. The Monte Sano map showed a couple little trails connecting the two big ones - sounded like a good plan. Parts of these trails make up portions of Mountain Mist 50k.

The trails were not very good. Overgrown. Very rocky. Poorly marked. When I went to cut west on Annandale Trail and then Thomas Trail, I felt that I had made a wrong move. Well, it turns out that the Thomas Trail must have been decommissioned or it is so small and overgrown and poorly marked that I missed it. I ended up going farther south and cutting over on Waterline before going back north on Alms House. I went 4mi instead of 3. Not a big deal. I had a pretty good time out on the trail in cooler weather - I should be happy. Still, if I would choose Monte Sano trails over the Land Trust's any day.

Trails:
-Bluffline: not too bad. Rocky and slightly overgrown like all of them but no problems.
-Annandale: the trail to take to really escape from civilization; very rocky (often big slabs); very overgrown
-Waterline: pretty narrow but not bad. Fair amount of rocks.
- Alms House: like the others but with some steep incline going to/from the trailhead

These trails were pretty rough but my shoes held up well. The "ballistic rock shield" as Brooks calls it does the job protecting my feet against rocks and roots. One drawback was that a layer of manure-like mud stuck to the sole and made navigating the rocks slabs dangerous. I can definitely see how those slabs can be a problem in Mt Mist if covered in ice. It took a thorough smacking afterward to dislodge the mud.

Half Way!

The Marathon: 26.2 miles - a daunting thought to me just a few months ago. I have always known that I could do it once I decided upon it. Each week, as I continue to run regularly, longer and faster, I grow more confident. This morning's run was a landmark one, for I passed the halfway point.

I was at a lake overnight Friday and wakeboarding Saturday morning, so my long run was postponed to Sunday. Also, Saturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of seeing some the kids I've been working with perform a play- It was marvelous.

At 5:50 am I awoke, ate a Quaker Chewy granola bar, drank a cup of V8 V-fusion, laced 'em up and hit the road. My course was the Cottonrow 10k here in Huntsville. I would run two laps plus the ~0.5 mi to the course and back.

The Run
I started with a very conservative pace to warm up and insure that I would finish. I felt good, my heart rate was low (mostly 60-70%). Well, that conservative pace was a little too conservative. I ran the first 5.5 mi in about an hour. I intended on a 10:00 pace and was not hitting it . . . so I sped up. The next 10k I ran in about 60 mins. It felt great! My heart rate increased substantially (up to 75-80%) but I could sustain it. After reaching about mile 12, I just cruised in. What was interesting was that once I slowed down, that's when I felt bad. My legs were sore and tired. I essentially shuffled the last 3/4 mi or so. All in all, it was about 13.4mi in 2:15 for just over a 10:00 pace.

When I got back, I took a cool dip in the pool followed by a hot shower. I considered taking an ice bath, but my legs felt much better, so I passed. I ate a big plate of chicken parm and wheat spaghetti with some gatorade. On a side note, my fueling plan during the run seemed to work well. I drank Gatorade Rain every 20mins and ate another Chewy bar about mile 6. I was neither hungry nor felt drained at any point.

Then it was off to church. Great Success!!

Now I think I'll take a nap.