My First Dirt Trail Run - 6 hard miles

Totally unprepared for this one. It was THE hardest run yet. I had no idea dirt trails could be so much more challenging than asphalt ones. And I ran 6.13 miles on it.

• Loose gravel and the occasional rocks, branches, rivlets, and a large fallen tree to duck under? Okay. I get that. It's a trail. 
• Muggy sauna-like spots along marshy spots? I get that. 
• Insect hordes to add protein to my daily diet? Gotcha. I am getting pretty used to that too. 
• Countless little hills that offered steep up's and downs both ways that just eat at your hamstrings, quads, glutes and hip-flexors over and over and over for miles? OUCH!!! That kicked my arse!! Two of those stretches of hills registered on my MapMyWalk as cat 5 hill work.

I think that if I had run those same hills on asphalt I would have felt better. But when you add the terrain change and heat to those hills I was really really unprepared.

My heart rate hit 182 in the first 1.25 miles. I had to keep getting slower and slower and expecting the run back to be easier was a big mistake. It was harder.

I felt it every where in my body and for the first time had to stop on a hill mid-run and take a breather. I didn't feel bad about taking that break though. Every single runner excepting one shirtless guy that I saw when going out was walking when I passed them coming back. I wanted to walk, too. At one point, my Garmin said I was 'running' two quarter miles at paces of 14:08 and 14:20. I ran 7.3 miles two weeks ago and NEVER had a quarter mile split any slower than 13:40 and that was on a steep hill. This was just a SLOW day for me.

But I made myself keep shuffling and bopping along. I am PROUD about that. :)

Recovery took longer than normal. I had to do a lot of walking when I got back. Drank my protein enriched chocolate milk, stretched a little and walked some more before doing more stretching.

Yes - I got a KILLER workout!!!

Yes - I made it without walking!!!

Yes - somehow my IT band and knee felt okay!!! (yay to the new shoes)

Still, I don't think I want to run that particular trail again. At least not until fall or cooler temps. ;)

My weight: 161.4
Temps   :  75 degrees
Humidity : 22% (but I suspect it was more so along the water where I was running)

This is the lake/creek I was running along

This is a blurry photo of the better part of the gravel based trail. 

At half way between parking lots it narrows to a really narrow less level trail. 

(the girl in this photo and I kept passing each other until she turned back at the boat docks)