 So I'm back in Michigan and I did the 18-mile Potawatomi Trail yesterday. According to SeriousRunning.com it's the 23rd best trail run in the United States . I don't know about that, but it is quite nice. Given that it's Michigan, there are no big hills. But, it is a shaded rolling singletrack through densely wooded forest. Luckily, it's shaded most of the way. Plus, there is a hand pump for water at about mile 11 or so. The only problem is that you have to deal with near head-on collisions from crazy mountain bikers. If you're not up for the full 18-mile loop there are shorter loops as well, ranging from a few miles up to the full 18-miles. There's also the 35-mile Pinckney-Waterloo trail, which would be a good challenge someday. The trail is located in the Pinckney State Recreation Area. For more information check out the official website. Add Comment  So I'm back in Michigan today, and the weather is, well, Michiganish. It was about 40 today, but then the flurries started falling and the roads quickly froze. I headed out for a run (with more layers than I've ever worn running!) but the thin layer of ice on the roads made the running super sketchy! But just then I crossed over the railroad tracks that head out of of town and had an idea! Many years ago, the RR company pulled up one of the pair of tracks that used to run across the state. In its place is a nice flat gravel bed, running alongside the remaining track. This beautiful gravel trail stretches as far as the eye can see, at least across the entire state. So, I started running. I think I've fallen in love. Could this be a new epoch of running? Throngs of ultrarunners traversing the country along old rail routes? Or, is it simply a way to get shot at by crazy old coot with eight remaining teeth or chased by his three-legged dog? I guess it's technically illegal to run next to the tracks, but it's just too tempting...  Most recently spotted at Rancho San Antonio, this red-shouldered hawk is wanted in conjunction with a series of crimes committed throughout the Cupertino area. Various misdemeanor and felony crimes, ranging from automobile windshield vandalism to small-rodent kidnapping and murder have been blamed on this hawk, whom the authorities know only by the pseudonym "Frankie." Related on his father's side to the well-known Hawk Brothers crime ring, Frankie has continuously eluded capture via his cunning ability to fly away. If you have any tips that may lead to the capture and prosecution of this winged bandit, please do not hesitate to contact us at trailstompers@gmail.com. It's that time of year again. The grass is turning green, the rain is falling, and the trails are getting squishy! It's time to regress to childhood, when it was perfectly acceptable to go outside just to stomp around in the mud. There's something rewarding about finishing a run and having proof of your endeavor in little brown spots all of the way up the back of your legs. In the winter, extra steps are required for the die-hard trail runner. For example:
Happy slogging! -c These past few days I have been thinking back on all the training Carl and I have been through over the last few months to prepare for the Woodside 50k this December. Running when its been cold and wet, being stung by yellow jackets, tripping on roots, bonking, puking and continuing on even when we were just plain tired. It can be hard when you feel obligated to go out for a 25+ mile run (again) when your in the mood just to sleep in and be lazy. Unfortunately you know the consequences if you don’t get in those longer harder miles come race day. But we have also discovered new trails, ran with old friends and met some new ones. We have done night runs with full moons and at times felt like we could run forever. We have seen some of the most beautiful places in our own backyard that we would have never discovered if it was not for our training. The journey to race day is filled with its up and downs and I would not have it any other way. Along the way I felt I have learned more about myself and have become a better person for it. I have put in all the necessary hours of training for this weekends race and I feel fit and ready. I have just found out that family obligations will prevent me from toeing the starting line this weekend but I am fine with that though because the journey itself has been so great. -Greg You can only fight your own human nature so much. As humans, we have evolved such that it is in our nature to seek refuge when we are experiencing bodily pain and suffering. This is why I prefer loop runs, or alternatively, this is why I don't like long runs where you pass your car along the way. If you're on a trail, miles from your car, there's no choice but to push on. However, if you pass your car... Case in point: the run today. We were planning on doing 20 miles at Saratoga Gap. One member of our group didn't want to run the entire 20, so he left his car at mile 13. When we got to his car, two of us were supposed to continue while he stopped. What happened? We all got into his nice heated car and drove back to our car. Human nature wins again. -c | AuthorsCarl ArchivesJuly 2011 CategoriesAll |
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