I ran 8 miles this morning in Maudslay. It was EXCELLENT! I started in the dark, just before 5AM. I had my new headlamp (Petzl somethingorother) and needed it. The sun didn’t come out until around the third or fourth mile, but that just made the trial running a little more complex. The roots showed up fine, and so did the rocks. The muddy patches weren’t *as* visible as I thought they might be, but hey, this is trail running. That’s what I say every time I squish ankle deep (or more) into mud.
By around the time I should’ve been done a decent wide loop of the forest, the sun was up, and I smiled, turned around, and went back the way I came. This was beautiful, as I got to see the same course from the opposite direction, and in the sunlight. It felt like running two completely different terrains.
Of course, at points, it *was* completely different terrain, because when you go different ways, you see different tracks to take. (Especially when the sun is up). So, I found a single track that brought me down even closer to the beautiful Merrimack River, which was a long twist of casual butterscotch off to my left. I ran along the river on trails not much wider than my running shoes, thankful that I had the sun to navigate instead of my itty bitty headlamp.
I had PLENTY of fuel in the tank, even when I finished the eighth mile. If it wasn’t getting later, and if I hadn’t accidentally found the way out of the forest (I like to meander), I might’ve even tacked on another three or four miles for giggles.
Differences between this and last Sunday: temperature, water instead of gatorade before leaving the house, clif bar instead of banana before leaving the house, and did I mention temperature?
So, I feel like a superhero again. This was FUN. I had NO back issues. I had nothing to worry about. (But for the nervous norvises out there, I will be starting my Core Performance workouts again this evening, which are heavily core-centric, and will definitely bring about the strength I need to keep my back safe).
How are YOU?
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