Trails and towers

In between hurricanes, flooding, and generally gray, dreary days, I've managed to get out for a few nice hikes and runs.

On Labor Day weekend, I went for a 5-mile hike with my own personal guide and bear protector (that's what we call boyfriends nowadays) in a local state forest, where we hiked to a fire tower and through some trails that he frequently mountain bikes on. The tower was stable and didn't sway very much, but it was all see-through mesh, including the stair steps, so you could see all the way down. Luckily I'm not afraid of heights, and getting to the top was worth the climb.

The view from the top was a little misty, but still amazing.

My tour guide's 3-year old German Shepard came along and enjoyed scampering around in the woods (read: treeing a family of bears). My favorite trick is when she hops up on a rock on command. So cute!

The trail to the tower was steep, and my calves were really feeling the burn on the way up. I could tell that I was not in great shape, but I really enjoyed getting out and walking in the woods after being cooped up inside with no electricity and lots of rain for ages. After hiking back down the mountain and taking a loop around some other trails, I was itching to run, and it made me realize how little trail running I've done this summer.

After hiking, we kayaked on pedal kayaks. Very cool. You push the pedals back and forth with your feet and steer with a little knob that works the rudder. It takes a lot less energy than paddling with your upper body. (Believe me, I stopped pedaling, raised the rudder, and used the paddles instead just to see, and it was quite difficult in comparison - and wetter.) The only downfall is that you can't go backwards. It was a lot of fun and made for a great day of outdoor activities.

So this morning I woke up to a gloriously bright sunny day. It was 60 degrees and just perfect, so I put on some running gear, packed my bug spray, and drove down to a state park to go for a run.

I've run a few trails here several times, but there are still some that I haven't been on before, so I decided to do a little exploring and check out a new one. It turned out to be a great choice. Aside from a few rocky areas and stream crossings, it has great footing for running. It has just the right balance of technicality and runability. It was still a little wet from all of the rain we've had lately, which was a little bit of a hindrance, but in drier conditions, it could be one of my best trail-running options close to home.


I noticed in the beginning that I was feeling pretty good - entirely better than I was two weeks ago on the day I saw Momma bear and babies. This time I felt lighter and nimbler and more powerful. Maybe the fire tower hike had some good effects on me, and maybe the other exercise I've been doing is improving my fitness a little. Whatever it was, I was in a great mood and was just thankful to have the opportunity to be able to go out and enjoy the forest like that in the morning before work.

If the weather cooperates tomorrow, my tour guide/bear protector and I might go for another hike, location to be determined. Should be fun!

Maybe it's an addiction

This afternoon found me driving around, not knowing where I was going, and totally rocking out to James Blunt's latest CD. I had a serious runner's high. It wasn't 72 degrees, but there was a zero chance of rain, it had been a nearly perfect day, and I got to run some great trails for the second weekend in a row.

Last Sunday was my first time out on a technical trail since December. I originally was just going to go for a run on the road, but my brain turned on, and I realized that I would be able to navigate hills, rocks, and tree roots without worrying about ice or snow. (I never did buy any traction devices this winter). I visited a local state park about 15-20 minutes away and started on the trail that had become my standard run in that park. I did a little bit of hiking on some of the steeper and rockier parts, but it wasn't long before I got warmed up and got to running, high-stepping around the rocks and flying down hills with my arms windmilling.

When I got to a cross-road, instead of taking the path to the end of the trail I had been on, I decided to turn right and try a new trail. I didn't know what to expect from this one, and I honestly didn't think that it would be that steep. There were a few flat stretches, but for the most part, it was very steep, leading down the mountain to a lake. And it was amazing. I had to walk down some of the steepest parts, which had terrible footing from being littered with leaf-covered rocks, and it was very poorly marked, but as I got closer to the lake, I saw hints of green creeping up along the edges of the trail. Green ferns began to grow thickly on either side, and a stream ran down along one edge of the trail while the other side was cast in the shadow of giant rock formations that had been dropped there long ago by the glacier that carved out the mountain ridge. At that point, this became my new favorite trail in the park. I followed it down to the lake and stopped for a little to admire the scenery.

In the past, I've had a hate-hate relationship with hills, but now that I've gotten into the habit of running up mountains, I have begun to respect and really enjoy them. I knew that the way back up this trail would be a steady incline, and I wanted to run as much of it as possible. So I started, and once I got into a fairly steady rhythm, I didn't have much trouble at all. I think that all of the foundational strength-training I've been doing with the Wii EA Sports Active Personal Trainer program has made a huge difference with my leg strength. And it felt great.

As much as I loved the trail, I did begin to curse it when I got off-course due to poorly placed trail markers. Not only were they faded and difficult to see, but there just weren't enough, and those that were there weren't placed in helpful spots. I actually got "lost" because of this. I made it back all right, though, and I couldn't wait to get back out on the trail again.

Of course, it snowed at least 3 or 4 inches during the week, and I thought that I'd have to wait a long time before running technical trails again. Maybe it's an addiction, but I wanted to get back out again so much that I decided to try some trails even with the snow. So today I drove up to another state park with pretty smooth single track bike trails. My last attempt at running here had turned into a frantic quest to be reunited with civilization when I got lost using a woefully inadequate trail map, so I don't know why I felt so comfortable running here in the snow, but it turned out to be great. Either most of the trails received a huge amount of traffic in the past week, or someone actually cleared the snow, because about 80% of the trails were clear while the rest of the forest was covered in several inches of snow. And I guess that I ran around in circles enough last time to get pretty familiar with the trails, and I had a pretty good idea of where I was most of the time. I was feeling so good that when I finished, I decided to take the dirt fire road up to Tower Hill (there's a cell tower at the top) and back again, just to get some more miles in. I had to do a little walking up the fire road, but I really enjoyed myself, and after I made it to the top, I flew down so fast that I almost lost control a few times in the snow and mud. When I got back to the car, I lay down on the blacktop in the sun and did some relaxing stretches before turning up the volume and completely rocking out to James Blunt. It was pretty awesome.

Can't wait for the snow to leave for good so I can do some more exploring!

The Countdown Begins

Only three days to go before the race, and I'm a little nervous. I left all of my running gear at home this morning, so I can't run after work. I guess I'll have to make do with the treadmill tonight, since it's too dark to run on the roads around my house without a reflective vest (which I really need to get soon).

I read an article written about last year's race that has made me nervous about not being prepared for this run. It describes the course as a "tough 4-Mile Trail that took them through rough sand, sharp turns and over a couple tough sand hills (including Sugar Loaf)." Sand hills? I have no experience running on sand. I've tried to prepare myself for high-stepping over tree roots and running around turns, but who knows how agile I'll be after that many miles over that terrain.

I'm also concerned about the temperature. I live much farther north than the race will be, so it will be a little warmer than I'm used to, but the report keeps changing every day. Right now, it says that the low for the night before is 45 and the high for that day is 56. I'll have to bring all of my gear just in case the report changes again.

Here's a map of the park where the race is held. And here's a photo of a sand ridge from somewhere in the park. Also, here's a little more info I dug up on the web:

"Sugarloaf, a 50-foot high relict sand dune near the bank of the Cape Fear River, is part of an east–west ridge of sand dunes formed thousands of years ago during the late Pleistocene epoch. Gradually trees and grasses stabilized the dunes by holding the sands in place. The massive sand dunes reminded early settlers from Barbados of the mounds of sugar at their home port, and the name “Sugarloaf” stuck. Today, Sugarloaf is a part of Carolina Beach State Park. Sugarloaf appeared on navigational charts as early as 1738 and was an important landmark for river pilots."

Apparently, Sugarloaf dune is the only elevation on the trail, which is a relief to hear. I've looked at some other pictures and it really seems very scenic, and not to mention entirely new. Whether or not I perform well in the race, it is a new adventure for me.