Adventurous Trexler Run

The rainy weather wasn't fun yesterday, but it was far better than today.  The temperature reached the upper 80s and it was steamy.  I knew I wasn't going to run in the morning, so that meant it would be a late evening run.  I also planned on running at Trexler, not the best combination.

I headed out there and got started after 7 PM.  I knew trying to get a full loop in would be cutting it close with daylight.  Still, I figured it was worth a try.  I saw a guy walking toward his car as I was about to start.  Someone on the Quadzilla page said they were going to run hill repeats there tonight.  It was likely him.  I should probably do that at Trexler again at some point.

I started off at the Environmental Center because I didn't want to waste time driving to the zoo area.  I was prepared for the heat, at least I thought so.  I wore a lightweight BCR singlet and even carried water.  Bringing my own water is some I absolutely hate to do, but it was a necessity on this unseasonably warm day.

I started off going downhill.  Having the water in my CamelBak slosh around was very awkward.  It also made the early going uncomfortable and slow.  I felt like I was barely moving.  I knew I would be taking it easy this day.

I was happy when I got to the big hill.  It was in the shade, so I was hoping that it would be easy.  I went up it so unbelievably slow.  I felt like I wasn't even running.  I made it to the top though.  I didn't get winded until the very top.

At that point, I realized that I would kill myself if I tried running all the hills like that in the heat.  When I got to the hill by the bison pen, I just decided to walk some of it.  It is very short, but I still wanted to save something.  I was really hoping to complete the loop.

The first mile was so slow.  The pack really killed my pace.  I came through that mile at 11:38.  Usually in nicer weather and with nothing on my back, I do that mile well under 10 minutes.  That actually ended up being the fastest mile of the run.

I do have to say that while I didn't enjoy the heat at all, going along nice and slow was very peaceful otherwise.  I walked often from this point on.  I walked up some of the long hill just past the rocky section.  There were some cars parked there.  I'm assuming they were mountain bikers on the other trail.

I did run up some of the long hill and it felt awful.  My legs were sore.  They clearly weren't recovered from yesterday's tempo run.  They also weren't enjoying carrying a pack either.  It was the usual spot on the inside of my left ankle as well as the bottom of my right foot that bothered me.  I did have on new trail shoes and Trexler probably isn't the best place to break them in at.  Running there after a hard workout isn't too wise either.

I just continued sputtering along.  The second mile was a slow go.  Battling the heat was my first big adventure, but the main one came just before mile 2.  I could already feel my shirt rubbing and it was nearly soaked by this point.  I decided to take it off.  I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings.  I then looked up and was face to face with a skunk.  He was right in the high grass directly next to the trail.  He was no more than 2 feet from me.  I was so startled.  Luckily, he just stared at me.  I had no reason to go into a staring contest with him, so I immediately took off.

The skunk scared the crap out of me.  I knew for sure that there was no way I was going to turn around and run through there again.  I was relieved to get out of there without any issues.  I finished up mile 2.

The next section was the best part of the run.  I was running next to the high grass and up along the hilltop with the great view of the surrounding hills and valleys.  I was reminded of why I love running at Trexler so much.  It was also nearly perfect with the sun low to the horizon and nearly setting.  It made me forget the heat for a few moments.

I got to enjoy some downhill running after that.  I ran some uphill parts here and there, but most of the time, I just walked the hills.  The good thing about walking them is that I could really survey and study them better than I do when I run quickly over them.

There are two tricky hills in this next section.  They are steep for sure, but they are very short.  I call them the "false hills" because they aren't the real challenging ones, but you can't actually tell where the top of the hill is.  I walked up them and it wasn't too bad.

I was then running along the ridge in the back.  This area was covered by trees.  The annoying part was that I had a bug (or bugs) buzzing by my ear for about half a mile.  Either one bug actually chased me the whole way or multiple annoying bugs kept coming up to me.  I couldn't wait to get away from it/them.

Finally, I was to the big hill.  I knew I'd be walking most of this.  It was such a struggle to walk up.  The only good thing is that my legs weren't hurting much any more.  That didn't make it easy though.  I had my hands on my knees the whole time.  My friend Aaron gave me a good reference point of where to try to run to during the Quadzilla race.  I will have to try it.  Having walked up it, I'm thinking that perhaps in race conditions, I might even be able to run all the way to the top.  That is still highly unlikely, given that it is so late in the race.

I got to run for a short while, then it was on to the next big hill.  Having walked up it today, I'm thinking that maybe I give it too much credit.  It is sort of long and gradual, but it isn't anywhere near as difficult as it's big brother.  The issue is that it comes right after the really big hill.  Otherwise, it might be just another hill (another hill by Trexler standards anyway).

I started running at the top and started preparing for the creek crossing.  I knew that would be nice and refreshing.  I took a photo and also a video of the crossing.  The video came out too bouncy though.  Eventually, I'll get a good video of it.

I then crossed over the road and was headed towards the zoo area.  I was about an hour into the run and still had over 3.5 miles to finish the loop.  It was getting dark quickly.  As I walked up another hill, I thought about the hills up ahead.  Like I often do at this point, I folded.  It's just so hard to mentally keep going when you are that exhausted and there is so much ahead.  I guess I need to learn how to push through that.  Giving up was probably the smart thing to do today though given the heat.

I ran a short downhill to the zoo.  I stopped when I hit the 5 mile mark.  That was right around the Quadzilla finish line.  I still had about a mile walk back to the car.  With some more uphill, it wasn't easy.  I was so soaked by the end.  It looked like I just stepped out of a pool.

I would've liked to have done more, but considering the weather conditions, I'm not too disappointed.  I really do need to push through though and finish a loop on my own.  It will help me a lot mentally when race day comes around.  Physically, I'm pretty strong at Trexler.  It is the mental part that gets to me.  I get in good workouts, but I don't push myself beyond my comfort zone.  If I do get a nice day any time soon, I need to make sure to get there and complete a whole loop.  I certainly know I can do it, especially if I walk a lot like I did today.

Tomorrow might be a run or it might be an off day.  I'm not sure yet.  It is supposed to be hot again.  The same goes for Friday.  I will be running one of those days and taking off the other day.  I am leading a big group run on Saturday and I do need to do some recon at Jacobsburg to prepare for it at some point.

5 miles - 1:04:23 (12:53 pace)