By mile 6, I was really wanting to be done. I felt slightly nauseous and was feeling tight all over. These feelings helped me realize that a 9:00/m pace is currently my lower limit. As long as I’m able to translate that into a steady 12:00/m pace on flat, easy trails, I’m happy. I don’t want to be fast, but I do want to be comfortable with cutoffs.

Tomorrow I have an easy 10-mile run planned around White Rock Lake. I figure we’ll do from 11-12:00/m. I want it to be a good run so I’ll be feeling good going into Bandera next Saturday.

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.

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.

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