Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Week of Contrasts

What a difference a week makes. Last weekend I was snowshoeing through 16 inches of snow bundled up to protect myself from the cold, 13 degree temperature and howling winds. This weekend the temperature hit 60+ degrees and I ran in shorts through water, mud and the remnants of the early winter’s snow. These extremes are what make New England trail runners a hearty bunch.

On Friday I took my friend RunninRob on a tour of some of the trails in Breakheart Reservation. There was still a lot of deep snow on the trails. The top layer was crusty but not hard enough to support our weight. This made the run very tiring as we kept breaking through the surface and post-holing our way on most of the run. When we were thoroughly exhausted we got out of the woods and ran on the paved path where the snow had been compacted by runners, walkers and XC skiers.

On Sunday, Rob and I were back in Breakheart to take on the mud, water and remaining snow. The warmer temps and “improved” trail conditions encouraged us to go a little longer this time. It was nearly impossible to avoid getting your feet wet but Rob and I tried very hard by going around puddles, jumping over puddles and using rocks and roots as stepping stones. As the run progressed, and we got wetter, we no longer felt the need to avoid the water obstacles. On one long incline the water was running down the trail like a raging river. Rob and I ran thought the middle of the running water like children playing on a warm summer’s day. Actually, it was a lot of fun and we continued seeking out water to splash through for the remainder on our run. It was a blast!

Weekly Re-Cap

Total Miles: 16
# Of Runs: 4
Avg. Miles: 4
Trail Miles: 100%

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a lot of fun, wet but fun! I am going to miss trail running for a while, due to my marathon traing, but perhaps in the late spring I'll venture into the Breakheart Reservation. Seems like a wonderful place to run!
    Happy New Year, Ana

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