A Couple Miles Back on the AT

I didn't end up running yesterday.  Instead, I was going to go for a short run this afternoon.  The plan was to hit the Appalachian Trail.  I was hoping the snow would be melted.  I started at Route 191, so that I wouldn't have too much elevation gain.

It was chilly for the run.  It still feels like winter.  I wore my jacket over a short sleeve shirt.  I was sweating by the end of the run.

I headed northbound.  This part runs along the ridge on the north side of the mountain.  I figured that it would get more sun and be clear of snow.  I was correct and the first 8/10 of a mile was a blast.

I ran along at a good clip.  I stopped at the Nelson Overlook to take a photo and take in the view.  I was running a sub 10 minute mile before that.

I then headed along the trail.  The conditions quickly got crappy.  The trail went away from the ridge and the snow was covering the trail now.  It was uneven, so I ran slowly.

There was a mix of rocks too.  It was a pain.  I ended up hiking some of the tougher parts.  At 1.5 miles, I simply turned around and headed back.  I'm 2 days from a 40 mile race and didn't want to overdo it.

Going back of course was frustrating too.  There was a lot of hiking.  I took my time now.  There was no point in rushing.  I was looking forward to getting back on to the clear stuff.

Finally, I was over 2 miles and to that point where the trail got better.  It was rocky singletrack now, but still great that it was runnable.  Most of it was downhill too.  I had fun over this part.

I got back to the road crossing.  I still had not hit 3 miles.  I decided to cross the road and over that point.  I did that and finished up with over 3 miles.

This wasn't as productive of a run as I hoped.  It was quite frustrating to still have so much snow on the mountain.  At least I checked it out and did something. 

Tomorrow will probably be an off day.  Then, Sunday is the big 40 miler.  I hope I'm rested for that, but I'm not sure.

3.03 miles - 42:43 (14:06 pace) 455 feet of elevation gain