"There's only one hard and fast rule in running: sometimes you have to run one hard and fast."








Monday, March 15, 2010

Afton: glaciers melt in 30 minutes

Sea Legs Girl asked me to write a chapter on a favorite trail and I decided I'd do Afton. Then I thought: I should DO Afton - today! So, I headed out there to get in a training run.

Start of my chapter

Most people, when they think of trails, think of some pristine, out-of-the-way place, but I'm a city boy and I prefer somewhere I can fit in with my head full of pop culture and my belly full of designer drugs. The caterpillar that crawled out of my nose informed me I needed a new parking sticker, preferably one that was self-adhesive, because I'd spent the morning licking blotter acid left over from a 1960's concert.

(according to her blog, I'm going to have to rewrite that in iambic pantameter)

Back to reality

It was 40 degrees when I started running and the trail was compacted ice with water running over it, so the footing was iffy even wearing Yaktrax (egads, I'm awfully close to an endorsement there). By the end of the run, it was 55 degrees and I was overdressed, overheated and completely muddy. The bridge crossing the trout stream in the Back 40 had two inches of muddy water flowing over the top of it when I got there. The whole park melted during the run! The railroad path had two inches of water on it and it's raised and completely flat.

I didn't run nearly as far as I'd hoped. Saturday, I started off with a few fast miles, again not as far or as fast as I'd hoped, but I was still sore from Wednesday's run, and I ended up cutting that run short as well. This idea of doing a long run the day after a hard run is not panning out! I end up doing mediocre runs both days.

As a last desperate measure, I'm going to have to do a very long run this coming weekend when fairly rested, just to know I can do it. Fewer than 9 weeks to go before the 50K and I have no clear idea of what condition I'm in!

3 comments:

sea legs girl said...

Wow. I am glad I inspire such, um, insanity? I think that "back to reality" part was closer to what I had in mind. I hope you don't find iambic pentameter to be too constraining.

Glaven Q. Heisenberg said...

If you've licked up some righteous '60s acid and "reality" is melting before your very eyes and Tim Burton is starting to look at you as though you're weird then it's clear to me what condition you're in.

Condition: Groovy.

Scream'n Turtle said...

Long runs, was doing great until last weekend. Had a 25 miler and not in the mood for a run , went outside lasted .18 miles, then said not today. Do or die next weekend hitting my 27 miler!!!
I've noticed in my training log, sunny days, run all day, gloomy outside and body feels the same way. Cabin fever? not sure, just give me some Fricken SUN for a change.
Keep bang'n out those blogs and runs-you'll be ready !