Shoe Test on Rugged Terrain

I took a couple days off after the hot run on Saturday.  Those rest days had brutal weather.  Today was a little better.  The plan was two Mt. Tammany loops.

It was still fairly hot, so I went shirtless.  At least a lot of the run was cloudy and some light rain fell at times.  That probably saved my butt.  I was happy with how I handled the weather.

I mainly wanted to go up there to test out some shoes for the Escarpment Trail Run this weekend.  It is a super technical and rugged course.  While I don't mind my New Balance shoes, I really feel the rocks.  I had laced my Altra Lone Peaks different and it seems to work better.  However, I wanted to try them on some gnarly stuff and see if I would wear them this weekend.

I got to the parking lot and began the run a little before 2 PM.  It was slightly crowded, but not bad.  The trails weren't too busy.  As usual, I ran in the beginning briefly.  Then, it was on to hiking and being conservative.

Last time I was here, I felt awful at the start.  My legs seemed pretty good today.  I probably didn't hydrate enough beforehand, as my calves seemed a little tight.

I moved up in what seemed like a swift pace.  For some reason, I was really careful around the rocks.  Maybe it was because a guy in the western part of the state died from a rattlesnake bite and it was on my mind.  I don't know, as I'm usually not worried about it.  I tried to run or climb on top of the rocks where I can.  I had good balance and flew through the boulder section.

I passed an older lady hiking after that.  It looked like her daughter and granddaughter might've been waiting for her higher up.  Not long after that, I saw another older lady with a family, who looked almost the same.  I think she just had three grandkids with her, including a boy.  They were disappointed that they weren't at the top, but I told them they were nearly there.

I hit my 30th summit a short time later.  When I had seen that last group, it was the area that I saw the bears last time.  I was glad they weren't there this time around.  I thought about telling the family about that, but decided not to.

I stopped briefly at the summit and was on my way.  I ran a little of the ridge part of the Blue Trail, but I still hiked plenty of it too.  As always, I was thrilled to hit the downhill part.  I cruised on that.  Now it was time to really test the shoes.

The shoes seemed to cushion the rocks pretty well.  I definitely like that.  I had the heel locked in tighter with the new lacing system, but I still did twist my ankles a few times, more so than in my New Balance shoes.  I also thought maybe the laces were putting pressure on the top of my foot at one point, but then it didn't bother me any more.  I slipped on some wet rocks a couple times.  That is a concern.

I didn't see any bears in the woods when I looked around.  I think I passed a few hikers, but I'm not even sure.  I cruised a bit when I got to the AT.  I ran by a few people, including a big group that was hiking.  I got back to my car in about 57 minutes.

I toweled off, refilled my water bottle and was on my way.  I think I stopped for about 2 minutes.  I headed back up.  My legs seemed a little beat now.  I really wanted to try to get this loop done before the 2 hour mark.  I was sweating a lot, but getting used to it.

I tried to hike up at a decent clip.  I'm sure I was a little slower though.  I ran some short parts on the way up.  As usual, it was still mostly a hike.  I came across the family again and they were impressed that I was going for another loop.  I guess they had a good time up there.

I pushed on.  I wasn't nearly as steady on the boulders this time.  I did take 100 calories of Tailwind, but that was all my nutrition.  I wiped away a lot of sweat.  I made it up a second time without a bear sighting.  My watch was at 1 hour and 28 minutes when I got to the top.  I took a quick photo.

I figured I could probably make it down in 32 minutes.  However, I didn't want to chance it.  I decided to run most of the rocky ridge.  That would help me make up time.  I can run it, but it is ankle twisting and often frustrating, so I frequently hike it.  I even ran the very rocky part right before the descent.

I ran the downhill, but stumbled a little early.  I wasn't as sharp as before.  I was still able to run though.  Then, I decided to buckle down and really focus.  When you focus, you can glide downhill and fly over rocks.  It is just hard for me to concentration for too long.  My feet felt better, as I opened it up more and didn't touch the ground as much.  I have more issues when I'm cautious, than when I just run free like this.

I was breathing a little heavy, but not too bad.  It felt good to run at a different clip and dance over the rocks.  The big group was hiking up now.  They were really blown away that I was running down this stuff.  Practice certainly helps.

I got to the bottom and crossed the bridge by the waterfall.  I really pushed on as I headed down the AT.  It was clear I'd be a few minutes under 2 hours for the run.  The question was by how much.  As I neared the bottom, I tried to break 1:55.  I was able to just do that.

It was a productive run and I'm happy.  I'm still undecided on my shoe choice.  That may not come until the day before or day of the race.  I love the Altra's ability to handle rocks.  I'm very concerned about slippery rocks though and twisting my ankle, especially in the later stages of the race.  I also haven't gone long in them since I beat my feet up at the HAT 50K.

I may test them out again on Thursday.  That should be my last run before the race on Sunday.  I'd like to go to Tammany again, but I'm not sure.  I'm going to try to camp with my dad at Hickory Run State Park these next two days.  I may just run there.

7.08 miles - 1:54:52 (16:13 pace) 2349 feet of elevation gain
30th and 31st Mt. Tammany Summits of 2015