Snow Run Near Reading

I wasn't able to fall asleep last night, so I knew I wouldn't wake up this morning.  That meant no BCR run and that I would have to fit in my run some other time.  I was heading to Reading for the 2nd time this week for some afternoon high school basketball.  I decided to pack the sneakers and gear again and try running there.  It is nice to be able to run on the go.

The plan was to just get in 4 miles to hit 30 total miles for the week.  It wasn't as cold as it has been, but it was cold enough that it snowed most of the day.  The snow stuck to the grass and here and there on the roads.

I looked at places to run near Reading last night.  I saw that there was a Muhlenberg Rail Trail north of the city.  I sort of knew where it was located and how to get there in general, but I wasn't sure exactly.  It was a perfect size because it is only 1.75 miles long.

I didn't feel great after the basketball games.  My right hamstring was sore.  I didn't drink much, so I think I was dehydrated.  With the snow, I wasn't crazy about running.  I figured that I would just head in the direction of the trail and see if I could find it.  If I couldn't, it would be no running for me today.

I wasn't sure where I was at one point, so I stopped and hooked up my GPS.  Having the map there, I then headed in what I thought was the correct direction.  My instincts were right and with half a mile, I found the parking lot and the trailhead.

I wasn't crazy about running the snow, but I figured I could manage 4 easy miles.  That would be over quickly and then I could be done for the week.

It wasn't that cold, so I wasn't going to wear a jacket.  As I changed clothes, it began to snow or sleet kind of heavy.  I opted for a jacket, gloves and headband to go along with my tights.  I also threw on a hat to keep the snow out of my eyes.

I started off nice and slow.  My calves were a little tight.  This route goes behind some houses and next to a few parks.  It is a very plain Jane run, but that's all I needed.  The snow made the setting a little nice.

The beginning of the trail had no snow.  Running there wasn't too bad.  The problem was when I got farther down the trail.  I don't know if it was different pavement or what, but the trail was snow covered.

There wasn't a lot of snow, but it was just enough to be annoying.  It made the footing a little tough and slippery.  Running was a slow go.  I tried to make fresh footprints.  That seemed to help.  I came across a couple kids walking on the trail, but few people were out.

Before I knew it, I was at the end of the trail.  I came across a guy heading onto the trail.  I was at 1.7 miles into the run.  I decided I would run on the road until I hit the 2 mile point.  Earlier, I had thought about seeing if I could run on the road instead of the trail.  I thought they might be clearer.  Now that I was on the road, I'm glad I didn't run on roads any more than I had to.  They were full of slush.  My sock got soaked and I had to puddle hop.

I then headed back and most of the run was uneventful.  It was just the same old boring trail.  I kept looking at my watch and watching the mileage tick off.  The footing wasn't great, but the miles did get faster and faster throughout the run.  The 1st one was 9:15, the 2nd one was 8:34, the 3rd one was 8:21 and the final mile was an 8:01.

The only interesting thing on the way back was a couple dogs out in a yard near the end.  They barked at me on the way out, but I had forgotten about them.  They ended up scaring the crap out of me.  I was done shortly after that and glad to be through the week.  My Garmin does say I only ran 29.99 miles this week.  Maybe I should go back out and run .01 miles.

Tomorrow will be an off day after 3 straight days of running.  I'm hoping for a long run on Monday.  It will likely be 13 and probably at the D&L Trail somewhere.  I look forward to another good week.  I feel like I'm making progress. 

4 miles - 34:11 (8:33 pace)