Varying Results

Same route and mileage as last weekend, with much different results.

An unexpected late evening storm dropped a fair amount of rain and only stopped a couple hours before I started my 5am run. The humidity was thick enough to cut with a knife. I knew the run would be brutal when sweat started dripping from my brow while waiting for my watch to receive a GPS signal.

I started running one-hour before sunrise. As I entered the greenbelts I noticed an Amarillo ahead of me. The nocturnal critter was busy foraging and didn’t notice me until I was close enough to have kicked him. The speed in which the armadillo took off amazed me. Who knew they were so fast!?!?

Like last week, I didn’t obsess about my pace, seldom glancing at my watch. I didn’t need a watch to tell how tough the run was or validation from by a number (pace per mile).

I stopped at Town Center to meet up with other local Kingwood runners. After a short interview with runners of similar pace I found out they planned to run exclusively on streets. Running long distances on concrete is a last resort option for me. After explaining my desire to find softer terrain, I bid them farewell and continued on my way.

With the other runners till in sight, I sunk ankle deep in mud while running in the grass beside the sidewalk. The mud quickly sucked-up my shoes and filled them with mud as I literally lost my shoes below the surface. Wet and muddy shoes don’t bother me, but I was somewhat embarrassed to be digging my shoes out of the mud as the other runners passed by. It is not always ‘cool’ to be a trail runner, but I wouldn’t change a thing!

The remainder of the run was uneventful. I was two-hours into the run before taking an energy gel. The second gel followed thirty minutes later due to rumblings in my abdomen. I never lost sight of my goal, but fatigue found its way into my legs after 13 miles.

Meeting the other runners at Town Center added a quarter-mile to my route and the slower pace added almost ten minutes. I’m not beating myself up about this run. My legs are tired, but they remain strong.

Run:
14.38 miles
2:48:16
11:42 pace

Walk:
2.41 miles
40:15
16:42 pace