Good, Long, Slow, Trail Run. Exceeded Marathon Distance.

I haven't been able to run the last few days.  Between thunder storms and coaching baseball it has been hard to get free time.  Yesterday was the last baseball game so I'm being set free.

This morning I had planned to run the 1.2 mile path at the Helmer Nature Center in Irondequoit.  It is a relatively flat, unexciting trail, but it is close to home and the small loop makes it easy to set up a personal aid station.  I planned to run for five hours.  Upon arriving at the nature center I noticed LOTS of cars.  Apparently there was a softball tournament or something going on.  I don't like crowds and decided to drive to Mendon Ponds Park where I know I'll be mostly alone.

I decided to run multiple laps of the East Esker Trail/North Meadow Trail.  I do this loop frequently.  It is 6.59 miles and most of it is the path used in the Mendon Ponds 50k in November.  Today I ran it in the opposite direction of the race.  I don't know why, just felt like it.

This path is very hilly and fairly tough.  To use it for my long run I have to be smart about it.  I decided to run it as I would in an ultra.  That meant walking the uphills, running the flats easily and hammering the downhills.  After each lap stopped at the car, refilled my water bottle and grabbed a peanut butter sandwich.  I need to get used to eating while running.

The run itself was uneventful.  I didn't press too hard.  I slowed down a few times when I passed hikers with dogs.  I was afraid of getting the pups excited and getting bit.  I had one older couple make a comment when I passed them the third time.  It was cute watching them walk holding hands.  I know that I need to work on walking uphill faster and have to practice running again after walking.  All in all, it felt pretty good.

In the end I completed 4 loops for 26.36 miles in just over 5 hours.  It is the first time I've exceeded marathon distance.  I could have run further.  I could have run faster.  I don't think I could have done both.  My right Achilles tendon is a little sore, but not too bad.  My shoulders and lower back feel tight.  Nothing that will stop me from doing a light recovery run tomorrow.  A little ice and ibuprofen can't fix it.

As much as I enjoy coaching baseball I am glad the season is over.  It's hard to get runs in when three days a week are tied up.  Now there is nothing stopping me from getting out every day.

Mendon Ponds Park Trail Run

As I was getting ready for my evening run (ie. eating a sandwich and taking a nap in the A/C) I got a text from Chrissy asking if she could join me on my run.  Good deal.  It's always nice to have company.

The run was pretty uneventful.  We did the 6.5 mile loop around East Esker and North Meadow trails.  We kept a nice, easy pace and chatted as we ran.  We walked two or three steep uphills, but ran most of them.  It felt pretty good.  It was nice to have a running partner to talk to.  Keeping the conversation going stopped us from running too fast as well.

After the run we walked over to the South Meadow trail planning to do a three mile walk.  We looped all the way around and came off on the road.  Not thinking we walked in the wrong direction for a mile or two before realizing the cars were parked back at the other trail.  Our short walk turned into about six miles.  All together we were on our feet for about 2.5 hours.  Not too bad.  Felt very good.

Trail Run at Mendon Ponds Park

After work I decided to hit Mendon Ponds Park for a little run on the trails. My plan was to start at the south side of the East Esker Trail, work my way up the eastern portion of the path, then switch to the North Meadow Trail just after the water tower. I would then loop around and reconnect with the East Esker Trail. It would be about a 6.5 mile run. There are a fair number of hills in Mendon Ponds Park. I planned to run the small hills, flats and downhills and walk the steep uphills. This is the strategy I will need to employ when I start entering Ultras. I plan to spend at least one day a week practicing walking uphill quickly and restarting running after a walk.

I was moving along pretty well for a half mile of so when I came across this sign:

At first I thought "Oh crap!" But then I decided it would be fun and give me a lot of practice at run/walking. I pressed on. I was feeling great until I was coming down a fairly steep hill with a bit of loose sand. I was moving along at a pretty good clip and trying to be sure of every footfall. Wiping out here would suck. I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a large deer with two fawns. That moment of distraction was enough for me to slide a little bit and twist my ankle. I sat down to evaluate the situation.

My ankle was sore, but not too bad. I could continue running, but there was no sense risking injury. If it was a race I would have gone on, but decided it was best to just walk back to the car. I had gone 2.94 miles in 34:35. Not fast by any means, but not bad considering the terrain. Rather than complete the loop I walked back out the way I came. I did come across a few more deer as I walked:

I'm a little disappointed with the run, but I did learn a few things. First is that I need to get more practice running more technical trails. Most of the trail running I've done has been on pretty established routes where footing isn't much of a problem. I need to learn how to pay attention and avoid the things that can hurt me. Second, I need to pick up some trail shoes. I normally run trails in my Asics Gel Strike 2s. A more agressive lug pattern and greater protection in the sole will serve me well in longer runs over more difficult trails.

Now I'm sitting here with my foot elevated with ice. It's a bit swollen with a little purple in it, but not too bad. I coach little league baseball and have games on Wednesday nights so tomorrow is a scheduled rest day anyway. I don't think I'll need to miss any runs because of the ankle. Thursday I'll run short and light to see how it feels, but I don't think any major damage was done.