I'm starting to become addicted to trails. Today was another fun one at Ridley Creek Park. It is in Delaware County and about 45 minutes away. The drive was worth it though and I'll definitely go back.
The weather was a beautiful near 60 degree day. I forgot to mention that Saturday was excellent weather too. I started near the parking lot on what I thought was the yellow trail. I think I actually had to get off a little bit to follow the actual yellow trail. I was very discouraged because this section was paved. Luckily, it was only a short loop back to the office.
I then hit the paved portion of the park in search of some real trails. I quickly found exactly what I was looking for, in a short muddy and snowy trail segment. I was disappointed that it ended so quickly and that I was back one of the paved park roads again.
After running down the road for awhile, I eventually ended up on the real yellow trail. It was quite a treat. I encountered some tough early hitting. That section of trail was pretty short as well.
It wasn't until a few moments later, when I found the white trail, that things became fun. The white trail was appropriately named for the section that I started out on. It was covered in snow. Of course it was uphill too. It was quite a trek to get up it. My feet didn't slip, but I had to work extra hard to get up the hill.
A lot of the various trails were then interconnected. From time to time, I had to cross a road, but most of the time, I was able to spend on the trail. The uphill portions were extremely tough. I definitely need to get stronger with running on those on trails. They took a lot out of me. I basically had to walk for a short stretch at one point.
The trails provided every challenge I could've asked for. In addition to the hills, there was a great mixture of mud and snow. It made for some interesting terrain to run on. One section had some sticker bushes that fell onto the trail. I had to be careful getting around them. Of course, there were plenty of rocks and roots around as well. Most of the water crossings had bridges on them. There was a small section of stream where I had to cross on the rocks. I didn't get wet though.
I was actually kind of lost for most of the run. I just kept randomly following trails. I figured that I'd eventually find a familiar road. Sure enough, I did and decided to run back along the road. I went by some horse stables and finished up where I started. It was just over an hour after the run began. There are 12 miles of trails at the park and I hope to eventually get to know them well. Today was a blast and I'll be back.
I'm definitely addicted to trail running. I wish I could find sections where I could run for miles and miles. The problem with that though is I could get lost. Nice and short routes like this are very helpful. Eventually I will get stronger and learn how to navigate trails better. Then I can really have some long adventures.
My left big toe hurt me during the run, but the rest of my body felt good. My hamstring is a little sore now, but my IT band only had very minor problems today. I had no issues at all with my Achilles. The softer impact on trails is definitely a big help. I am going to run them more frequently now, in an attempt to stay healthy. I will just have to travel a little.
I actually walked around the John Heinz Wildlife Sancuary before my run. That has some flat trails, which I might run in the future. I'm considering heading to the Forbidden Drive trails in the morning tomorrow. I am leading the run club at City Sports at night. I might want to get in a better workout on a softer surface before that though. We'll see how I feel in the morning.
6.31 miles - 1:00:21 (9:34 pace)
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