Snail on the Trail

My plan after coming back from Newfoundland and the Relay for Hope was to keep running about 40 miles a week, but I’ve averaged 32. No big deal though. The only race I have in the near future is the Baltimore 10-Miler this Saturday, and I don’t really “race” that one, because it’s in June, and I may have mentioned how much I hate running in the summer.

You know what, though? I can bitch and moan about it, or I can try to conquer it. Never mind that I say that every year. This year, I actually am making a couple changes, instead of doing the same thing, and expecting different results. First: I’m no longer running in the mornings. What’s that, you say? It’s cooler and there’s no evil hellsphere floating in the sky and taunting me in the morning? That’s true, it is a lot warmer in the afternoons, which is when I’ve been running. But as much as the sun and heat suck the energy right out of me, that’s offset by the fact that I have a lot more energy to lose in the afternoon than I do at 4 in the morning. In short, even though it might be hotter in the afternoons, I still manage to go a little faster, because I’m just more awake. Plus, it is nice having a more consistent sleep schedule. I like to stick to 8 hours of sleep a night, so if I was getting up at 4 to run, that meant going to bed at 8 – when it’s still light out, this time of year. So, no more of that. It’s going well so far, but we haven’t gotten into the really brutally hot parts of summer yet, so let’s see how long I can keep that up.

Another change I’m going to make to help me get through the summer is: more running on trails! Trails tend to be shadier than my usual running route in the neighborhood. I’ve noticed that when it’s hot out, it’s really direct sunlight that kills me more than anything. As an added bonus, I wanted to run more trails anyway, because ultramarathons are almost universally run on trails, and if I want to run an ultramarathon this year, I’m going to need to get some practice running trails.

Oh, by the way, I’m going to try to run an ultramarathon this year.

So I found a local group that runs on trails, and last Saturday, I met up with them for a run. They were all training for the Catoctin 50k, and we were actually training on part of the course. In case you’re wondering if I’m going to try to run the Catoctin 50k this year, I won’t be, for two reasons. One, because it’s in July, and I won’t quite be ready for that kind of distance by then; and two, because it’s in July.

So many hydration vests

Most of the group, which is called the Shed Heads, were going to run 10 miles out, where they had stashed a cooler with some water for refills, and then run 10 miles back. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do 20 miles yet on trails, but I figured I could do 12, so my plan was to go out 6, and then come back. And believe it or not, I made it 6 miles out, and made it 6 miles back without any problems, other than the fact that I ran out of water with about 3 miles left, which isn’t a huge deal, although not something I would want to do often.

In fact, for a little while on the way back, I was worried that I hadn’t gotten enough of a workout. The first 6 miles were uphill, so even when we had to walk on the rougher terrain, I was still breathing hard, and feeling like I was getting a workout. But the 6 miles coming back were downhill, so the parts that I was forced to walk felt almost too easy. But later that afternoon, I could tell by the way my legs felt that they’d gotten a workout.

And then Sunday morning, my calves were extremely stiff and sore. “That’s great!” I thought. “I really did get a good workout! So now I can strengthen my calves more by running more trails, and maybe it will translate into more speed on the roads!” I went for an easy run to work out the stiffness, and made it just 2 miles.

Monday, I could barely walk, plus my right Achilles tendon was extremely stiff and sore. “Ok! Definitely got that workout I was looking for! Message received, loud and clear, trails are hard!”

My ankle still hurt Tuesday, so I actually had to skip my Tuesday run. “Gotcha! Definitely need a lot of work before I can do 12 trail miles again!”

Everything was fine by Wednesday, fortunately. But, there are still a couple things I need to think about (i.e., purchase) before I get back out there, at least if I’m going to do more than 12 miles or be able to walk the next day. First thing, I need to get trail shoes. My running shoes are built for the road – they’re big, fluffy, and loose. Trail shoes tend to be more svelte, with a harder sole (for running on sharp rocks), and with a little tighter fit (to prevent blisters). The second thing I need is a hydration vest. My 20 ounce handheld water bottle lasted me 9 miles last Saturday, and that was with a bit of conservation near the end, and it wasn’t even that hot. A hydration vest will usually carry around 60-70 ounces, which should be plenty, especially if there are refill stops. There are a lot of different ones out there, so I’ve got some reviews to read and some price comparisons to do. Plus, it’s vitally important that I get the right color.

Oh, also, I need bug spray. Lots and lots of bug spray.

I do have another trail run scheduled for Sunday, but it will be a little easier terrain, and with more beer. But first, the Baltimore 10-Miler on Saturday. Stay tuned…