It was a chilly afternoon. I wore a light weight long sleeve shirt and my shell. I had on shorts too. I was sweating a lot early, but even a little chilly later. I was happy with my clothing choice. This time of year, a jacket rarely hurts.
Now that it is late fall, the trails are much more vacant. This is especially true on a chilly Tuesday afternoon. I probably did see 10 hikers or so throughout the 2+ hours out there.
I struggled with my breathing a little bit early. I ended up hiking most of the beginning anyway. It was clear early on that I lost a little bit of fitness or strength. I'm not too bad, but not where I was in the summer. My lower back hurt a bit during the first climb. It's been a little bit sore after meditating lately too.Going up was slow. That was due to my fitness, but also the frequent stops. I took a new camera and wanted to take a lot of photos. All the leaves are basically down now. The trail isn't at its best, but it is always pretty.
Toward the top, my back became more sore. I was disappointed when I arrived at the overlook. With fewer hikers out, I thought I'd have it to myself. Instead, there were two young ladies there. I went farther down than usual and took some photos. I was in no hurry. It was a slower day.
The Blue Trail was a mix of running and hiking. I ate a sandwich before the run and I guess that doesn't have much nutritional value. I didn't feel great and struggled to run consistently.
Because I didn't feel great, I descended the Blue Trail kind of slow. I was also cautious because on the steep parts, it was the only place with leaves still on the trail. My shoes are getting older too and don't have much grip.
On the most technical section, I came across another group of women hiking up. They had 3 or 4 dogs with them. The first one was well ahead and turned back down the trail when I was coming. They were all friendly and caused no issues.I continued to run on down. The trail was wet in spots. The waterfall was beautiful at the bottom. It was good to get on the Appalachian Trail and arrive back at my car.
I stopped for some water. I also needed a GU or this second loop would get very ugly. After that, I started hiking back up. Near the bottom, I cam across the two women from up top.
I took less photos, so I might have gone uphill faster this time. However, I wasn't flying. I did try to run a little more. Since I'm not strong, that was tough.
The climb was pretty uneventful. I know this loop by heart now. I even know the best way to go to get up each part the easiest. I saw the women with the dogs again. They were near the top. I petted the one, as it was friendly.
This time, I had the top all to myself. I didn't stay long. It was cloudy by now and getting chilly. I looked forward to the Blue Trail and the descent.
The descent was pretty uneventful. The GU steadied me a little, but it wasn't a big boost. Those have often made me better. My weak legs were a bit of a problem too. I had switched my water to the other side of my vest and that might've helped my lower back a little.I went into autopilot as I descended. Usually, I'm focused on the rocks. This time, I was thinking of other random things. I didn't run fast, but got to the bottom in what seemed like no time. I ran back on the AT and to my car to finish the second loop.
This run was slow, but it was good to get some climbing done. It was nice to be back here. I want to finish 50 loops by the end of the year, so I'll have to get here a few more times within the next month. One weekend run of 4 or 5 loops would sure be nice.
Tomorrow, I'll try to run. That is if I have the time and the desire. I have a late night order and then a busy Thanksgiving Day. Any running I can manage will be a plus, since I won't be running at all on Thursday.
7.32 miles - 2:06:54 (17:21 pace) 2416 feet of elevation gain
The 39th and 40th loops of Mt. Tammany in 2015
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