Is there anything darker than the "Dark Side", you know, The Dark Side AKA Triathlon?
I think there might be to us Road Runners....it is called Trail Running. It is amazing and horrible and wonderful and painful and glorious and terrifying and great and awful all at the same time. It is confusing to have all these feelings about one thing to say the least.
This past weekend my newest running buddy invited me to hit some trails. I felt the need to attempt to totally redeem myself of the Raven Rock 10 Mile Trail Race Epic Fail. My first week of half marathon training has gone quite well with me logging a whopping 15 miles. Ugh...that's all?! Well it will only get better from here on out. I did my weekly runs on the road and felt pretty good considering I am definitely starting from scratch with my base. To spice things up a bit for my weekend long run of 5 miles I headed out to The Umstead National Park to hit the trails. I've wanted to do this for quite some time but had a few road blocks. Running trails is a bit intimidating to me, especially when they are new and unfamiliar to me and if I'm by myself.
The plan, at least for me, was 5 miles, but as I am learning trail running isn't always laid out in perfectly measured even distances that allow for me stop on the dot when the Garmin beeps "5.00". Either way, the run was beautiful, at least the parts I dared to look up and around at. Mostly I was watching my feet so I wouldn't bite it, like I did a few weeks ago (I'm healing up quite well, thanks for asking...). I finished up with 5.75 miles. Totally redeemed myself.
Trail running is a whole new ball game. With road/sidewalk running you just have to watch for the occasional crack in the sidewalk or dip in the road. Heaven knows I have eaten my fair share of pavement, and it tastes, well....like pavement. I really didn't want to fall so I watched each step and am proud to say I didn't fall...not once! Win!
Looking at the elevation I now see why mile three to four was so awful...a full mile up! I need more hills in my life...
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| Elevation |
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| GPS of the run Yes, I took a few pictures of the trail, only when the trail was safe enough (read flat and no trees or rocks to maneuver through, across, over, under) for me.
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It certainly was pretty and a nice change of pace/scenery and I am excited to head back out there for as many of my long runs as I can. So maybe I wont fight the conversion to trail running after all....
