Full loop at L.B. Houston
Posted on 03. Jan, 2007 by Brad in Training
How long is L.B. Houston?
Firstly, as an aside, I am still not sure how long the full loop is at L.B. Houston. DORBA lists it as 7 miles on their page, while NTTR calls it 4. I suspect it is between 5 and 6, but today I’m calling it 5 given my estimated pace and time.
Today’s run
I waited until later in the afternoon to run today as I was on call with work. When 2:30pm rolled around and it looked like I wouldn’t get called in, I decided to go for a few miles. I first checked DORBA to make sure the trail was open, and then headed to L.B. Houston.
This was my second time on the course but the first time I did the whole thing. The last time I was out, I didn’t pick up the trail from the very beginning and chopped it short. This time, I studied the map a bit more before starting my run.
I headed west from the trailhead at the parking lot past the 0.0 mile marker. Shortly I was on A trail on my way through the alphabet. The trail conditions were ok in the first section and I was happy that it wouldn’t be a mudfest. I did have my gaiters on just in case :-)
For some reason, I felt tired shortly into the run just as I did last time I was out here. I kept a positive outlook and held my easy pace and enjoyed the cool weather and uncrowded trail (ended up not seeing anyone until right as I was leaving). I ticked off the letters as I passed the signs (though I didn’t see the marker for C). Soon I was back in the open area and hunting for where the trail picked up.
I entered the section called The Dips which can pound the legs if taken fast enough or make for some tricky footing if it’s still slick with mud. I managed the section without a fall. That would change shortly. D trail came and went and soon I was humming along E trail. I didn’t see the small stump until I did a face plant and pricked my left knee just enough to draw some blood. It was an easy fall and didn’t hurt, though I did stub my left big toe which caused the fall. It was a wake up call to pay more attention as an injury right before Bandera would really stink!
I crossed under the tracks and ran along the southern part of the course past a field where I could hear a coach’s whistle and a school bell. I assumed this was Cistercian. I was enjoying the run, even with the fall, and my energy level was just about the same.
When I got to H trail, the conditions became a lot muddier and I purposely avoided the heavy mud sections by staying on the far sides of the trail. The brush wasn’t thorny so I didn’t mind it. I trail was also bad in one spot, but that was about the last I saw. On to J loop and the old jeep. This time there were two plastic skulls representing a driver and passenger inside the vehicle. I didn’t remember those from last time. I knew the last letter was L or M so I didn’t have a whole lot to go. Before I knew it, I was back out into the open area and wrapping up my first training run of 2007.
