TrailHonky

Surface: Asphalt
Mileage: 9
Shoes: Montrail Hardrock

I had time in my schedule to go for an early afternoon run so I figured I would head back to White Rock Lake to see what the activity was like during the week. As expected, there was a huge difference. I also noticed relatively more runners compared to bikers including several waves of high school running teams who conveniently liked to spread out 4 across the trail 2-3 deep. I bet the bikers behind them love that!

Endurance wise I felt ok on the run and my breathing was pretty good. My legs and feet need more training than my lungs at this point. I did pack some e-caps for this afternoon due to the heat. I took one each at roughly mile 3, mile 5 and mile 7. I am not sure if they helped or not because by the end of the run, my left hamstring was threatening to cramp up.

The hot spots I have been having on my feet are still there in a big way. With the stops at the water fountain and regular wiggling of my toes while running, the discomfort is lessened a bit, but I can tell it would bug me during a longer run. I also think I felt my little toe rubbing against my sock which could bring about blister problems during a race. I’ve got to keep paying attention to this and work out a solution.

I did notice today that I am not actually following the designated path on the south end. Heading east, there is a sign after Winfrey Point that tells bikers and pedestrians to keep right. I had been following the road for cars and will have to pick up the trail next time I am out there. I don’t think it is cutting much distance off and the overall loop is over 9 miles from what I have read.

Given the heat, I was happy with the run today. Over half way through, I was considering how I’d normally be huffing and puffing and wanting to just walk the rest of the way in. When I felt tired, I just pulled my pace back a bit and kept pushing. I also mixed in some very short walks, mainly on uphill portions of the trail, and that seemed to keep my energy at a decent level. I finished feeling like I could probably do another 9 mile loop if I had the patience and time!

It is just a guess as to when I started, but based on when I finished, I figure I ran about an hour and 35 minutes. This is slightly faster than last time but it was much hotter today.

Surface: Asphalt
Mileage: 9
Duration: 01:39:00
Pace: 11:00/m
Shoes: Montrail Hardrock

Today was the first time I had actually run around the trail at White Rock Lake. I decided to head that way after considering other Dallas area trails from NTTR’s website. It was a very nice run and the weather was great.

I started at the dog park on the north side of the lake. While this was easy to get to from Mockingbird, people were fighting for parking spots. I made a note to myself to go a bit further east next time and avoid the crowds. There seems to be plenty of parking to had in other places.

My main impression of the trail was the number of bikers out enjoying a Sunday ride. I suppose with an asphalt trail, this was to be expected, but there were some seriously hardcore racers out there. It would be nice if some of the fastest ones would take notice that there are walkers and families with strollers that need to be yielded to, particularly on the blind corners clearly marked with “SLOW” signs!

Other than the crazy bikers, this is definitely a course I will return to. I love that there are water fountains spread out around the entire course and the path is easy to follow. Though most of the trail is flat, there are a few climbs at the far south end parallel to Garland Road and near the northeast corner of White Rock Lake Park. On the east side of the lake, there is actually a constant hill; it’s called the wind. The west side did not have near as much today but at times on the east side, it was strong enough to blow sand at my legs and leave a light sting :-) It is good to train against the wind because it stinks mentally and physically to encounter it during a race.

My body held up rather well considering this is the longest run I’ve done since The Grasslands in March. I was testing out my new Men’s LD Fitness Shorts that came in the mail on Friday. I was also experimenting with Bag Balm instead of the usual Vaseline. Both get a big thumbs up. The shorts are not restrictive and the material seems to keep the legs cool. I love the back pockets and interior key pocket. Bag Balm certainly did the trick as well and was much less icky than Vaseline. Though it does have a bit of a menthol scent, it’s something I can deal with. It seems to have left considerably left residue on the inside of the shorts compared to what Vaseline normally does.

Since work has started, I probably will have to strongly rely on my weekend runs to get my long distance in. I suppose that it should encourage me to really focus on going for a good run when I have the time.

Surface: Single track
Mileage: 4.44
Duration: 00:52:00
Pace: 11:42/m
Shoes: Montrail Hardrock

After looking at the various trail options in the Dallas area on the NTTR website, I decided to give the bike trails at L.B. Houston a try. I fully expected that they would be somewhat crowded on a Saturday afternoon. I suppose the high temperature and the humidity kept people away.

I examined the trail map provided by DORBA for a bit before heading there. I took my Garmin GPS with me just for extra peace of mind that I wouldn’t get lost on an unfamiliar trail.

Before heading out on my run, I took two Thermotabs in an attempt to stave off cramps. I wasn’t sure how long I would be out on the trail and figured it would be good to get them in my system anyway. Then I took two e-caps right before starting. Since I only did one loop, I didn’t take any more, but I had no issue with cramping. I also felt better than usual in such heat.

The numbness in my left foot was much better but I suspect this is in large part due to the route being 100% trail. Trails always require the feet and legs to be in different positions from step to step whereas road running is the usually the same monotonous movement (except for hills). I did have a bit of the feeling but it was not all that bad.

I spaced out my running with a few short walks just to keep my breathing and heart rate down. I finished feeling pretty good even though I was sweating heavily and ready for a big cold drink. I had premixed some very strong Crystal Light and that hit the spot on the drive home.

I ended up following signage provided by DORBA. I assume there was a recent race there. When I had a choice, I always took the red vs. the green arrow and this usually meant following the path that said “Race”. Sometimes the race sign was not there, but there were nice “Wrong Way” signs throughout the trail. Sub trails are also labeled with one letter. On one of them, I noticed a ratty old Jeep Cherokee and realized that it was the “Jeep Trail”. The elevated train track also gave me a general idea of how close I was to the entrance to the park. Likewise with the highway traffic noise and other roads.

This is a place I will go back as I love single track. I just hope it is not crowded. A little lower temperature would also help, though at times, the southerly breeze would whistle through the trees and felt quite nice.

Surface: Concrete, grass, single track
Mileage: 7
Shoes: Montrail Masai

Today I put in two runs. The first one was a short 2.5 miler starting around 5:15pm. Here is the joglog entry.

I began my second run after coming in to cool down and drink some water. I was really sweating a lot even after 2.5 miles and knew I needed to take it easy. Later in my longer run I realized just how much I had been sweating.

The route for my longer run was much like the Sunset sixer earlier this week. However, it was much darker by the middle of my run this time due in part to my slower pace but also because I got a later start. Since it was darker, I strayed from the main path and wandered through grass fields more near the road. Even though the street light was providing some help, I still had to be careful about my footing. This is the first time I’ve dealt with that in a long time. I guess I should have brought my Petzl headlamp to get used to night running. Next time.

I also experimented with a different ointment to prevent chafing. I’ve read where a lot of ultra runners use Desitin to relieve and prevent chafing. Though it is for diaper rash, it would make sense that it would work. I normally use Vaseline and it has never done me wrong, but I was curious to see how something else might work since Vaseline can get quite messy. Though it was only my first use, I think I strongly prefer Vaseline.

For the shorter run, I ran in my Montrail Hardrocks. I have been having the hot spot / numbness issue recently but was still wanting to give these new shoes a shot. Since I had the same strange feeling on the bottom of my left foot after the 2.5 miles, I figured I should try my old standby shoes which I wore during my last two marathons. Well, it’s not the shoes because I got the same feeling in my old shoes, which I have never had a problem with. I was even using the same socks. So I’ve got something new to figure out.

Finally, I tried a new compression short. I think I like it a lot but will definitely need to test it at longer distance to see if it is comfortable and prevents chafing as well as my usual setup.

Though I went a lot slower tonight than I did earlier this week, overall I covered more distance today so I felt like it was progress nonetheless. One reason I was slower was due to the hydration issue I suspected I was having after the 2.5 miles. By the end of the long run, I felt my left hamstring getting very tight and it was well on its way to cramping up. Too much sweating in hot weather without my hydration pack is probably a bad combination.

Surface: Concrete
Mileage: 6.8
Duration: 01:03:00
Pace: 09:15/m
Shoes: Montrail Hardrock

First a couple of milestones:

• No stopping, not even for water
• Neither legs nor lungs were burning

These may seem really minor but considering how getting back into endurance shape has been going, they are encouragements :-)

Tonight’s run makes it feel like I am finally getting somewhere with my training. I could tell about half way through the run that I was moving at a good pace and in good shape to turn around and run back without stopping much to suck wind. The cooler temperature played a big part.

I did an experiment with my feet to see if I would still experience hot spots in my Hardrocks. Instead of running in my thick Thorlo roll top socks, I opted for a thinner pair from Gap. It helped me clarify something. I am not so sure that what I am feeling is just numbness instead of what I’d call a hot spot. It is something that I’ll have to keep working to figure out. For now, I am still keeping the shoes as training shoes.

I did not carry the GPS with me so my mileage is an estimate, but judging from the pace and a recent run, it seems about right. I will walk the distance from my starting point to the first mile marker to get a better idea. But needless to say, I am really happy with the pace and equally pleased that I have managed to really double the distance I’ve been running.

Another observation tonight: I got the slightly metallic taste in my mouth a little over half way through but I just kept my pace. I did slow up a bit when I felt my breathing get heavy. I really wanted to stop and walk with about a mile to go but pushing it to the end made it a nice workout.

Surface: Concrete
Mileage: 4.4
Duration: 00:44:30
Pace: 10:06/m
Shoes: Montrail Hardrock

Today I decided to venture out to the Campion Trail to provide some variety to the route I normally run. I started out by finding my way down to the path through a vacant lot as I had forgotten where the paved entrance nearest me was located. Once I hit the trail, my first observation was how wide it was. I had until now only seen it from the road and it looked much smaller. In fact it is about the width of a highway lane, providing ample room for runners, walkers, and bikers to all share the trail.

I headed south to my turnaround point at one of the nicer trailheads. There was a water fountain so I stopped for a short rest to refresh. By this time, my legs were feeling ok, but I was already noticing hot spots on both feet under my smaller toes. While I will continue testing my Hardrocks, I am beginning to wonder if my feet are just more accustomed to a wider toe box. I believe the Leona Divides definitely provided this. However, I’ve previously run in the Vitesse, which fits even more snugly than the Hardrock. Only time will tell.

It was a bit muggier today than some of my past runs both because of weather and the time I went out. I found myself having the pre-puke feeling so a couple of times I took short walk breaks to cool down. But I managed well because I finished the run feeling pretty good.

A couple of side notes:

• The trail has markers every 1/4 mile and the distances are very accurate
• I have tech shielding installed in my house and it prevents my Garmin GPS from receiving a signal

Surface: Concrete
Mileage: 2.6
Shoes: Montrail Hardrock

I went and picked up my new shoes from REI this afternoon in anticipation of a good run this evening. After adjusting my laces, always an important part to me when trying on a running shoe for the first time, I headed out for a nice jog.

The first thing that struck me was how tightly the shoe hugged me around the top of my foot. Though my instep was not cradled and the laces were not pulled too tightly, my foot was very firmly held in place. The next think that struck me was how both of my achilles tendons were tight and screaming. Nevertheless, I kept at it as I know the first outing in a new pair of shoes is not always the best indicator of whether the fit is really great.

The temperature was much cooler tonight than in many of my recent runs. It allowed me to really push my pace for the second half and definitely so through the final mile. My breathing felt much more open than normal making me think that a little bit of fitness is actually getting into my body. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Even with the quickened pace, my muscles were not really tight and I finished without much need for stretching to get back to normal.

I have owned another pair of Montrail Hardrocks but I wore them as casual, rather than running shoes. Even though this pair might not turn out to be my ideal fit, I was very pleased with tonight’s run. I’ll have to keep trying out the shoes, but I am also curious how the Montrail Continental Divide shoe would feel, given that my favorite trail shoe was the Montrail Leona Divide (now discontinued).