Thanks to everyone for their advice on trail running training last week. I started my week long holiday trail running escapades yesterday with a 6km out and back on the first hill of the race called the horseshoe and I’m pretty sure I could've hiked it faster than I “ran” it. There were many factors at play: including not drinking enough water the day before when it was 35C (and perhaps too many alcoholic beverages), meeting new friends and staying up a lot later than usual resulting in getting a much later start than planned, meeting up with some other runners at the trail head and chatting delaying my start even more. However by 8:30 am (and 24C) I was starting my run. I decided to just focus on the first hill doing an out and back since I’ve only run it one direction and race day is an out and back. The “back” was harder than anticipated - it was a long gradual uphill that was fun running on the “out” but made for a slow go on the way back (there was definitely no negative splits today!). It gave me a lot of opportunities to stop and enjoy my surroundings while catching my breath and taking a drink. I could hear roseabi’s voice in my ear as I was creeping up a skinny hillside trail asking “Do I enjoy trail running?” and I reminded myself why I wanted to do this - to challenge myself, take the pressure off of trying to run at a certain pace and always being worried about getting faster, and doing something that many haven’t done. It is about the experience, the scenery, being one with nature. I saw a deer, heard some rustling in the bushes adjacent to the trail (which I normally wouldn’t have heard because I normally run with music but decided I needed to be more vigilant about my surroundings) and a couple of horseback riders below me in the valley. It was hard work, I huffed and I puffed, I walked a lot, but it was a huge feeling of accomplishment....I just have to remind myself to ignore how long it took.
Next plan...tackle the second hill of the race tomorrow morning but I will work harder at getting up and moving a lot earlier.
And ya....as hard as it is, I can safely say I do enjoy running the trails.
Written by
SaskAlliecat
Half Marathon
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Holy f'in sh..! Sorry, there are no other words for that trail. So, we've established you are bonkers! But since you're out there, doing it, can I just tell you how impressed I am! Way to go. Just be careful, they don't look easy and I imagine it'd be real easy to hurt yourself with one missed step.
I might be a little 🤪 but as I tell my son “Normal is boring!” I definitely walked that portion of the trail, even on the downhill because I was really hot and tired. And the way back walking uphill was pretty much at a crawl, I couldn’t even call it hiking 😆. It was also part of the 5k race I did last year and it didn’t seem as narrow and sketchy as this year; the other runners I met up with felt the same way but maybe we just blocked it from our minds. At least that portion of the trail has junipers under it. There is another portion that is as narrow but it has a green algae covered pond at the bottom of the slope. It is a great excuse to walk and keep it slow, though.
It's fantastic that you managed it at all, call or what you like, walking, hiking or running. You're right too tell your son that - you want him growing up with a sense of adventure...Life is too short! 😘
Who cares if it was your slowest 6k! I don't think anyone was around to watch.
Your run sounds as though you were at one with nature, I know that sounds very 'love, peace and granola'. 😀This is a great post and I did like hearing about how you were more aware of your surroundings with the deer and the horseback riders. It sounded really neat.
Thanks Mama, there was definitely nobody else on the trail by then - it was way too hot! I’m always a little self conscious when I see other runners on the trails because I don’t feel like a “real” trail runner but so far it’s all been either at the start of my run I see others who have finished or after my run I see others heading out. I’m sure as race day gets closer, there will be even more. They got the trails marked nice and early this year and they’re seeing a lot more use, which is great!
Hah! A real runner. Other people look like real runners when they give off this aura of confidence. I look in the mirror and I see an aging mum and although she's not doing bad for an old bird she is not a real runner. I can't see you, but you have an aura of confidence in your posts. Other people probably look at me and think that I'm a real runner, but they probably need glasses.
I think many of us can relate to that! The majority of the others you see though, may well be in the same boat! 😀 You are doing fabulously, so don't do yourself down 😘
You know, you’re right, it really is about confidence and we are all runners - fast, slow, continuous or with walking breaks. It really doesn't matter. We’re out there moving and taking care of ourselves. We should all be proud of how far we have come in such a short period of time!
Absolutely - you have summed up the enjoyment of trails perfectly! Some of it is definitely not fun at the time, but the rewards are amazing! I'm just sorry you had my nagging voice in your head, that must have been terrible I do apologise
And as others said - that's a helluva trail!!!!!! Well done indeed.
No need to apologize! It was during the slow crawl on the way back on the trail in the top picture as I had my hands on my knees creeping up the hill, it came to me. But it really got me thinking. I stopped, looked around and took in both the beauty of my surroundings and why I was doing it. So Thanks! are in order 🙂. I’ll be heading out for the second part of the race route in the next hour. It’s on an interpretive trail so a lot less rugged but we’ll see if I stop there. I might just have to venture over the top of the hill and back into the game trail that is part of the 50k race. It’s going to be a scorcher though so I’ll be playing it by ear this morning.
That is one mad looking trail Sask. 🤪Well done for even attempting it! It looks like the kind of place where nature might have a better soundtrack than headphones too. Happy you had a good trail experience and here’s to many more!
Thanks Decker. It’s a weird feeling to run without music and listening to my huffing and puffing but it is nice to hear the birds. The rustling in the bushes is a little more freaky - you just don’t know what it could be and i’m not sticking around to find out 😂
I was hyper-vigilant on my run this morning - I ran over a large bull snake on my way to the trail head (was too busy looking up at the hills and wasn’t paying attention until I felt the thunk thunk and saw it in my rear view mirror). Then when I parked at the trail head there was a cute little garter snake sunning himself on the parking block. But fortunately I didn’t see any snakes in the trail today, just lots of birds and I could hear lots of crickets. It was a much easier run today. I ran 5 k in under 43 minutes and only 161m of elevation change 😅
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IT’S FRIDAY! SO WAKE UP THOSE HIBERNATING POMS POMS AND FALL IN!! We have runners to cheer…… 
HU 10KM done and dusted, give and take a few hills!!
