Happy Trails

I've had this thought and it wouldn't leave my head. It was fairly beautiful last weekend and I thought to myself.....it would be cool to do a little trail running with the leaves all changing and the air so crisp and the sun still semi warm. So, I decided I would go trail running the next weekend since I didn't have my son. I searched the internet for trails that I could run and decided I would go to Canton and run in Newton Hills State Park. I've always liked it there. It's this little oasis in the middle of the prairie really. The person I wanted to trail run with is running the New York Marathon next weekend so I didn't want to ask her to go.  I decided I would go by myself. Of course it rained all week and pretty much all the leaves blew off the trees and it looks prematurely like winter, but I decided to go anyway.

Saturday morning, I woke around 8:30 (God it was great to sleep in!) and had a very nice and lazy conversation with my main man. It was around 10:30 when I decided to go for my run. The actual forecast was supposed to be sunny and 55 degrees with some wind. It never was sunny and there was little wind, so the cold didn't feel so bad. It was around 45 degrees when I started out. Newton Hills is about a 30 minute drive. I had to call one of my friends for directions. It had been awhile since I have been to the park so I sort of forgot how to get there quickly. Anyhoo, I started down I-29 totally rockin to the 80's. The music was awesome! I was belting out the tunes and generally excited for my run. I exited the interstate and was the only one on the highway. I thought that was kind of cool so I snapped a picture while driving.

I forget how pretty the prairie can actually be.  As you get closer to Newton Hills the terrain totally changes.  It's just not flat anymore.

Way off in the distance of the above picture you can see Lake Lakota, the other part of the State Park.

By this time Journey was on the radio singing "Don't Stop Believin"....that song totally rocks.  The Ranger station was closed but I was a good girl and paid my $4 fee.  I believe in the State Parks so I do my part.  There is a one way street that goes away from the campground to that's where I headed.  It takes you to picnic areas and the trails.  The leaves were off the trees and covering roadway.  Like I said, it was grey out and it was really kinda spooky......

The first trail was the Woodland trail and was only 3/4 mile long.  I did not want to do that, plus I thought it might be a little muddy.  I went a little further and found the trailhead for the area I wanted.  It was the multi-purpose trail.  Mountain bikes, horses and foot traffic could use this trail.  I thought it might be best to stay on that trail since it had rained so much during the week.  I got myself ready and headed to the trailhead.  I looked at the map to see where I was going and then noticed this sign....

Gulp....I never even thought of that.  Hmmm....well, I wasn't wearing an orange vest but I did have my purple thermal on.  I pretty much thought no one would mistake purple for an animal of some sort, plus my I was sure my wheezing and sniffling would warn someone far enough away that something other than a nimble deer was on the horizon.   Then, I stopped for a moment and just listened.  You know how you don't do that often enough, so I thought I should.  It was really quiet.  The first thing I noticed was there was no wind so it was pretty silent.  Next I heard cows mooing.  Yes mooing.  I kind of smiled to myself and headed toward the bridge to start my run.  Now I don't mind bridges but I get a little freaked with suspension bridges.  I HATE the swaying motion of suspension bridges.  It was fine as I crossed, it only began to sway as I neared the end.

I had to pee too.  I drank a whole can of Rumba on the way to the park and knew I would have to pee.  In the right side of the above photo you can see the rest room.  Yep, I used it.  I knew it wouldn't be totally gross, but I could smell it before I got there.  I held my breath and went in.  It was loaded with ladybugs!  Yuck.  They were everywhere.  So, I squatted quickly and got out of there.  EEEEWWWW.  Well, had to be done and my gut felt much better.

 

I started off on the trail and it was pretty much all up.  I had forgotten how hard trail running was (other than the hills).  It was slippery in spots, muddy in spots, and very uneven.  I even had to dodge horse droppings.  I could tell there were some people on horseback at some point that morning.  The hoof marks in the mud were pretty evident.  I was really glad at this point that I was not as heavy as a horse because everywhere the horses stepped they pretty much indented.  My nimble foot strikes kept me high and dry.....most of the time.  I was about 2 miles into my run when I started to encounter this....a lot!

I had to do even more off-roading than what I was already doing, but I never fell on my ass and I made it through those obstacles without too much mud on my shoes.  I was really enjoying myself at this point.  I didn't feel like I was running that fast but I was really working.  I wasn't worried about time or anything, I just wanted to enjoy.  I was glad I was running by myself and really just glad to be running.  It's nice to be out in nature.  It clears the head.   I worked my way around more mud and came to a crossroads in the trail.  I wasn't sure where to go so I had to consult the map.  This is what I found.

Which way to go?????  I won't hold you in suspense, I took D.  Neither Boobs nor Cock took me where I needed to go (this time).  So, off to D I went.  Now D was very muddy in lots of areas because I was now in the valley so to speak.  I did a lot of traversing around gigantic mud puddles.  But it was fun.  I loved the adventure of it all.  I turned a sharp corner and looked right at a mud area and then noticed this.....

Yup, straight up.  This is not exaggeration.  It was pretty slippery with the wet leaves but I made it up to the top only to have it traverse to the right and even higher.  I was huffing pretty good at this point.  A good glute workout for sure.  Once I reached the top it opened up to prairie again.  My heaving wheezing and sniffling scared up some deer at this point so I stopped to admire them.  They were pretty quick so I couldn't get a pic of them, just the openess.

 

I finished up my run working pretty hard and ending at just over 4 miles.  It was great and I was still all alone.

It really was the perfect temp out and I was pretty sweaty when done.  I was getting cold too.  So I headed back to the car.  Here are a few more pics of my adventure.

Going back across the suspension bridge.

 

View off the side of the suspension bridge.

 

The observation Tower.

 

View from the observation tower.

After I finished snapping pictures, I wished I had done this earlier when the leaves were on and changing.  Note to self next year I guess.  Springtime would be great too as the forest is reinventing itself.  I enjoyed my quiet time today in the woods.  I never encountered another human being and I left the ipod at home.  Trail running is hard, but I liked  the challenge and I definitely liked being one with nature.  I was just glad to be doing what I was doing.  I don't often appreciate the moment I am in, always looking to the future (or god forbid, looking back).  So it was nice to appreciate the moments I was there.

On a side note, I bought a bathing suit, some goggles, and a swim cap.  I suppose I will be back with that adventure......until then....CHEERS!  

May the Force Be With You

I just got back from a run this morning.  I ran about 6 miles in just about 1 hour.  I have to tell you this is just the icing on the cake of a week of AWESOME workouts.  I needed the long slow run today just to top it off.  I don't think I could have done a really intense workout.  I was beat from the week.  Here it is in a nutshell.

• Monday: Went to gym, ran for 25 minutes on the treadmill, 30 minutes on the step mill, then some more running on the track.  I sprinted 2 laps and walked one.  Did this 4 times.  Felt pretty good when done.
• Tuesday:  Took spin circuit class at endurance.  That class totally kicks ass.  Weights and cycling together and separate.  Was a dripping mess when done.
• Wednesday:  Attended a heated cycling class, 1 hour.  Amy had us use weights while on the bike.  The room was around 85 degrees.  I was a sweaty mess and completely exhausted when done.  Felt sooooo good though.
• Thursday:  Cardio Core class with Traci (uh, starting to rethink that I might want her as personal trainer, she's tough!).  Was awesome.  My stomach muscles hurt so bad on Friday.  I also walked Thursday eve for 30 minutes while my son was at swim lessons.
• Friday:  Day off (much needed too!)

I look back on this week and feel that I really pushed myself.  I pushed much harder than I have in a long time.  My eating was pretty on track this week too.  I finally dropped 5 pounds that my body was hanging on to for the last 2 weeks.  Overall, I'm feeling pretty good.  Let's hope this continues on.  I want it to, so maybe it will.  I'll keep trying that for sure.

I had a funky dream last night too.  I was doing my first triathlon.  It was so disorganized and people weren't doing the right things at the right time.  Instead of a swim we had to run on a little tramp or do the step mill.  I kept falling on the tramp so I went to the step mill.  When I got to the bike, my helmet was the Boba Fett Helmet.  In my dream I wore it with my tank and tri shorts.  What a dork!  Can't you just picture it?!?!

Picture compliments of "Wookiepedia"

The dream was just a mash of what my son wants to be for Halloween, I watched a triathlon last night on television, and probably all my workouts from the week.  Have I gone Mad???

I slept in until 9am today.  I'm going shopping this afternoon and I'm off to Vegas next week.  Got lots to do and things to buy and more workouts to be done this week.  Until next time, may the force be with you!  Cheers!