I didn't work yesterday, but didn't get around to running either. I had to get out there today. Since I was off, I decided on the Delaware Water Gap. I was hoping to run 10-13 miles. It didn't quite work out.
I knew the weather was going to suck. It was in the mid 40s with rain. That meant it would be warm, so I could wear short sleeves and shorts. However, I'd need a jacket too. Having run Mt. Tammany a few times, I knew it would be warm at times and cold along the ridge and the top. It would be tricky running for sure. I sort of wish winter weather would just get here already.
Rather than park right next to the Mt. Tammany Trail, I started at the Kittatinny Point Visitors Center area. That would give me about a quarter to a half mile on pavement to warm up. I was hoping that it would allow me to run more of Mt. Tammany.
I ran on the pavement and to the Mt. Tammany Trail. I was able to run up the stair section. Then, it gets flat and of course I ran that too. The first real climbing part can be tricky. It's not overly rocky, but the combination of rocks and elevation gain make running it a challenge. This part is pretty long too.
I ran up past a guy and his dog and then another guy and his dog were coming downhill. I had walk pretty soon. My right calf didn't feel very strong and my legs were burning and my breathing was labored. It was frustrating.
I was also very mad about the weather. Down in this section, it was super humid and muggy. I was already sweating a lot and I had barely started. I ran a little bit when things flattened out. I had to be careful and watch out for the slippery rocks.
Then, I hit some more uphill, including the rockiest part. I know I can't run this part, but I was hoping I'd be able to run more than I did. The humidity was frustrating me, as was my sore back and calf. My back started bothering me on climbs during the WV Trilogy 50K in October and every now and then it becomes a problem. Usually, that doesn't happen until after 10 miles though. Today, it was much earlier.
The back is just sore and I have to fight through it. However, it was very tough, as the trail just keeps climbing up and up and up. It seemed like it never ended. I was basically resorting to hiking almost all the way to the top.
I was so frustrated and pretty much knew at this point that it was going to be a short run. I'd now just go up this side and back down the Blue Trail. There was no way I'd try to run out to Sunfish Pond with a sore back.
Even at the top, it was so foggy that there was no view. That was the same as the last time I was there. I guess I need to start going on nicer days. Much like I predicted, the ridge section along the top was chilly. I had to zip my jacket back up.
The nice thing about the ridge and the following downhill was that my back stopped hurting. I knew that would be the case. Only the uphills and steep uphills in fact are truly a problem. It does seem to be getting worse and worse. I guess I'm going to need to start treating my back a little. I definitely need to drop some weight.
For the most part, descending the Blue Trail was actually fun. I still don't consider myself a good downhill trail runner, but I guess I should acknowledge that I'm getting better and better. I seem to be able to adjust to the slope and technical terrain and switch gears accordingly. Sometimes, I was able to fly down the mountain. Other times, I had to be careful, especially with the wet rocks. I feel like I'm getting much better at reading rocks and finding the best places to put my feet.
I was able to run most of this descent. It wasn't long and I was back to the bottom. I had to run around the waterfall. There was a hiker there. I then had mostly downhill running. I flew through some technical stuff and actually had fun.
I noticed that I was right around 1 hour when I got back to the Mt. Tammany Trail parking area. That wasn't too bad considering how slow I was ascending and all the hiking I did there. I now had about half a mile to finish.
This was road running back to the Visitors Center. I cruised along, glad to nearly be done. When I arrived at my car, I had about a tenth of a mile yet to hit 4.5 miles. I ran to the end of the parking lot, to get there.
I was disappointed that I didn't run farther, faster or ascend more, but I took what my body could handle on this day. Sadly, it wasn't much. I still managed over 1,000 feet of elevation gain, so I'll take it. I need to work on getting my back healthy, as well as my calf. That will allow me to run farther and handle more challenging climbs. That needs to be my focus over the winter. If I don't lose some weight, my spring 40 and 50 mile races are going to be a challenge. I can sort of fake it and survive a 50K, but not much more than that.
I'm not sure where or when I'm running tomorrow. The hope was to join a Trexler group run in the morning. However, I now have to work. I'll probably run at lunch time and likely solo. Hopefully my back will feel better. On Christmas Day, I'm hoping to run up north a bit.
4.51 miles - 1:04:37 (14:20 pace) 1445 feet of elevation gain
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