Three weeks ago, a coworker finally talked me into joining the Wednesday 5:30 weekly trail running group that the running store sponsors. I'm looking for ways to change things up a little bit, and this seemed like a good thing to try. I used to run in the evenings once upon a time, and I typically get my runs in during the morning nowadays, what with the Alabama summertime heat being in full force.
So I laced up my older Adrenaline 11s and joined about 30-40 others (they've been having good groups in the last six weeks) and took off. Trail shoes are obviously helpful, but in listening to some friends, not required, since the degree of difficulty here isn't thought to be high.
The run is marvelous for many reasons. Once we get into the trail section, there is shade, and lots of it. It doesn't feel hot when I'm in there, though I do sweat plenty. With many different pace groups, runners can go as fast or as slow as they choose, and it's not hard to banter with the folks I've fallen in with. I try to wear brighter colors that don't blend into the landscape, so that others can follow me easily.
The thing I like the most is the ability to shut the world out and run. Running the road doesn't allow me to do that-- not enough focus is required, leaving brain space to think about anything else I'm doing. On the single track trail we run on, focus is required on each step, since the terrain and direction varies constantly and it's important to know where the foot will strike next. I also look where I am in relation to anyone in front of me, and only rarely do I check my Garmin watch (I like to see where my heart rate goes). Thinking about the run means there's no time to think about anything else. Since I don't let go of things (mainly bad ones), I find it very helpful to have a way to turn that off for a little bit.
It's also a nice way to meet people. I recognize many of the runners as customers of the store, but it's nice to actually get to know them and be friends a little bit. I think people are starting to recognize and warm to me a bit, and they all seem really nice.
The runs themselves are four miles and last about 42:30. It's good, hard work, especially since I've made the trial run the back end of a double. Last week, I ran four on the trails after a sixer in the morning.
