Tough Trexler

After three weeks off in December, I wasn't ready to run at Trexler last week.  I wasn't ready to run again today, I probably won't be next week and maybe not next month either.  However, that won't stop me from going there.

The brutal hills are such a great way to get into shape, so I just have to keep going back and back.  I need to conquer them if I want to achieve one of my two main goals for the year (Top 20 finish at Quadzilla).

Yesterday was relatively warm.  Today, was even more amazing.  After still being in the 40s yesterday, it was over 50 degrees today.  The only downfall was that it was very windy and there was some rain.  The worst of the rain actually came right at the end of my run and after it was over.

I got to enjoy a winter run with shorts and a short sleeve shirt.  It wasn't all fun though.  It was still very hard.  I thought that the lack of cold air might help my breathing a lot, but it didn't matter with these hills.  There was also a lot of moisture in the air, so it felt rather humid.

Since I always start going the counterclockwise direction, I decided to change it up today and run clockwise.  It has been a long time since I went that way.  Part of it was that I wanted a different route and another part was that I was pretty sure the start is easier in that direction.  Not that anything at Trexler is ever easy.  It always throws out its best and makes you work.

I was correct.  That direction was definitely easier.  However, I did run into one major problem, which I discovered early on.  That would be mud.  In the other direction, the trail is a mix of dirt and rocks.  The way I was going it was almost all dirt.  With recent rain and snow melt, that made for one muddy mess.  Add to that some of the steepest hills around and you have a very challenging run.

It was amazing that I never fell.  I was slipping and sliding all over the place.  It was worse going downhill, but it wasn't easy uphill, on flats or slight hills either.  My feet could never get any grip.  It was like I was ice skating, my feet were sliding under me so much.  Some of the switchbacks are narrow and steep and it was incredibly difficult not to slip and fall down the hill.

The first part of the run was definitely tough, but it was mostly downhill until the Orchard Road crossing.  After that, was a challenging climb, but luckily it is very brief.  This area is so interesting.  All the tree branches are gone and the grass that is high in the summer time is dead.  It looks almost like a desert or maybe the old west.  You can see a lot more of the trail from far off.  The sight lines here in the winter are much better than summer.  It gives a different perspective.  Although a lot of the vegetation is dead, it is still a beautiful sight.

After the climb, this section does wind in and out.  It is a lot of gentle rolling hills.  It was still muddy and slippery.  I had fun taking pictures with my GoPro Camera throughout the beginning of the run.  The first mile was tough, but it was fast (8:54)

After coming out of that section, it is on to an old dirt road.  There is a lot more rock here and it is flatter.  It was still muddy, but much more runnable than the first section.  Last time I ran in this direction, I never did find where the Border Trail goes into the woods.  I've come out of the woods going the other way, but never into them.  Thankfully they have the trail marked with red triangles.  I didn't miss it this time.

The hill in the woods is always one of the more difficult climbs I encounter when I come the other direction.  With all the mud, it was probably the trickiest part off the whole run.  I was sliding downhill the whole time.  I was as cautious as I could be.  Usually, I'm reckless when I'm descending.  Today, I took it easy and ran downhill carefully, the same way I assume normal people run trails in normal conditions.  I went off of the trail and onto the grass alongside of it and was able to find more grip.  Even so, I was still sliding a lot in the grass.  Towards the bottom of the hill there were a couple sections with rock and that made such a difference on grip.

I got through the downhill section and then crossed the road.  There was a little uphill here.  After being careful on some more downhill, I emerged along one of the roads.  You have to take a bridge over the creek.  I did that and saw that the creek was almost completely frozen.  That would've made it difficult to cross at the other spot if I went that far.  I would've had to take the long way.  I wasn't going there anyway.

I faced a dilemma around this time.  I wanted to run out and back, but with the long steep hill and the other tough hill by the Environmental Center, I knew that I would never make it and I'd just have to walk.  Therefore, I just kept going and hoped that I would make it to the zoo area.

Shortly after the bridge, I had to change plans.  The trail went uphill.  It was challenging my lungs and my feet.  I was sliding everywhere.  I looked down at my watch and decided that since I was right at 2 miles, I would call it a day.  I was very frustrated that I couldn't run farther than last week.  I had quite the walk back to the Environmental Center.

After walking for a few minutes and recovering, I decided that I might as well start running again.  I really should've just kept the watch going while I was walking and kept track of those miles and that time too.  Instead, I just reset the watch and started over.

I started off on a downhill section again.  This was easy, other than the footing.  This place never gives you much downhill though.  Before I knew it, I was headed back uphill.  At one point, it was so muddy that while I was trying to go up the narrow trail, I had no choice but to stick my hand in the mud.  I then spent the next few minutes shaking it off.

I noticed a couple old abandoned cars in this area.  I thought that was odd.  I didn't remember seeing them before.  I struggled and struggled up the hill as my lungs burned.  That is both such a good and awful feeling.  It hurts, but it feels like you are accomplishing something.  I got to a fork in the trail and saw that the border trail went uphill, so I took the yellow trail that was going downhill.  I also noticed that a sign said, "New Border Trail" and was pointing the direction I had come from.  I didn't think that part of the trail was familiar.

I took the yellow trial and went downhill.  This is the one time where I really came close to falling.  Gravity took me down faster than I wanted and there was just no way to slow down.  I just had to pick the best landing spots and go with it.  It was a miracle that I didn't fall.  This part of the trail is the beginning of Quadzilla.  It meets up with a gravel path along the creek.  When I got there, I was able to cruise and rest.

I'm so glad that there is a pedestrian bridge over the creek, because I didn't want to go through the Ford.  It was weird because last time I was in this area, in the summer, there were a lot of kids playing in the creek.  Now, not a soul.  I started on the aqua marked trail back up towards the Environmental Center.  This was narrow and slick, but it did have some rocks for grip.  After a short while, I got to a small water crossing.  I decided I would go back and find another way back to the start point.

I went along the gravel trail next to the creek.  At first I thought it was the Border Trail because it was red, but then I realized it was two red triangles, not one.  I took this out to the road next to the covered bridge.  At this point, I was nearing 2 miles in the segment of the run and 4 miles overall.  I decided to stop at that point and walk back along the road.

I was hoping I could find the trail and use it to get back, but then I realized that it was actually in the opposite direction.  After a walk that must've been over half a mile, I got back to the first road crossing.  I was right near the Environmental Center.  I could've taken the road, instead I went up the trail.  I started running a 3rd segment.

It began raining harder now and the wind was really blowing.  Conditions were difficult.  Making matters worse was that the trail was longer than I thought and not only did it climb, but it dropped back down and then climbed again too.

I knew this last little bit of a hill would be a struggle.  It killed me for sure, but I pushed an pushed and tried to ignore the pain.  When I finally got to what I thought was the top, I saw there was still some more to go.  I just stopped at that point.  I was beat.  This segment was .29 miles, but it was a highly difficult short segment.  I now had a brief walk to finish up. 

When I got to the car, I was thrilled with how much I pushed myself.  I developed some blisters on my feet.  It was definitely hard work, but it was so rewarding.  I love the setting so much that I sat at the Environmental Center in the rain and wind for a few minutes.  I just had to soak it all it.  This place is so different from everywhere else I run.  It's almost like another planet instead of nearby.  It is so inspiring.  I guess this is what people feel like when they run in some of the most beautiful places in the country, like the Grand Canyon, the Rockies or the trails along the ocean on the west coast.  This place needs to be a regular destination for me, even if it is a half hour drive.

Tomorrow I will be running in the evening with the LVRR Group Run.  I think the weather is still supposed to be decent, before it gets cold heading into the weekend.  Hopefully some people will show up and I won't be forced to run alone.  This will be my first time running back to back days since December.  We'll see how it goes.  So far, this cautious, gradual approach has been great for my quads.  Hopefully it will stay that way.

2 miles - 18:16 (9:09 pace)
2 miles - 19:28 (9:44 pace)
.29 miles - 2:46 (9:36 pace)