I’ll be on work-related travel most of the week so I’m planning to get in some treadmill runs in the evening. It’s probably my least favorite way to get in the miles, but I don’t have a lot of options this week. With less than 3 weeks until the LMTR 25K, I need to build some sort of base. I also have to make up for not going for my planned 4-mile run this morning.
I went out for a nice, easy 4-mile run this afternoon and the weather was just about perfect. Not too hot, but warm enough for a shirt and shorts to be comfortable. I had new REI socks and my New Balance 608 and gear-wise everything seemed fine. If anything, the shoes are slightly too big but that’s much better than the alternative. My last pair of Montrail Continental Divide shoes were just a bit too small so they are of no use, even as casual shoes.
The run itself was good. My breathing was not surprisingly labored before the end of the first mile but my legs held up surprisingly well. I felt a bit of tightness in my shins which eventually went away. I was able to hold my pace for all 4 miles without stopping, which is much better than several other first runs after a training hiatus.
The trail was not very crowded even though the parking lot was relatively full. I saw only a handful of joggers, a few bikers, and a couple of groups of people playing disc golf. While I don’t want the trail to be crowded, it’d be nice to see a few more people out. It sure makes the miles go by more quickly.
This will be a great trail for training in general and for races like FANS where the surface is mostly asphalt. I’ll probably check out Turkey Mountain and a few other places in the Tulsa area for more of the off-road stuff.
It has literally been ages since my last run. I think it might have been all the way back in October when I decided to stop running Palo Duro after my second loop. My base mileage wasn’t good then and it’s even worse now. Of course, it wasn’t so hot when I ran Lean Horse 50M in August, either, but anyways…
I’ve picked out my first race to enter, the Lake McMurtry Trail Runs over in Stillwater on April 19th. Today I mailed in my entry for the 25K which should still be a formidable challenge given that I haven’t been running since I got to Tulsa. I’ve got to get at it this weekend which is why I picked up a new pair of trail shoes tonight. After the blister disaster at Lean Horse with the Montrail Hardrock, I’ve decided to go with the New Balance 608.
And I couldn’t move to Tulsa without joining the local trail running club. I am now member #160 in the Tulsa Area Trail & Ultra Runners club.