The Trails

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve run through the city that I know so well.  The familiarly dry streets of the town that introduced me to real running have not met my feet for a friendly game of man versus six miles lately.  Since my trip to DC earlier this month, it has been difficult for me to trade the generous views of the countryside for the brick and mortar sights of central and south Lexington.

With my first ultra marathon and long distance trail run only a few weeks away, I’ve made a point to get off the asphalt whenever possible.  It certainly wasn’t easy to trade my effortlessly speedy training runs for workouts on the park grass, which slowed me significantly while increasing perceived effort.  But as I wandered farther off the beaten path, I began to discover pieces of what I was unknowingly searching for.

After the Cherry Blossom 10 miler, my wife and I took the next few days to see just about everything the National Park Service makes a stamp for in DC, not to mention the zoo and a few museums.  As much as I enjoyed the city and its history, the most exciting adventures were the morning trail runs my wife which my wife generously allotted time for.

While staying with a friend in Laytonsville, MD, I was able to sneak out one morning and explore part of the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail.  The trail begins at the Potomac River and runs northward for about 30 miles, crossing roads at times, but remaining in protected forest for the most part.

Since the temperatures at home had been in the mid 80s before we left, I had not thought to pack anything but jeans, short sleeve shirts, running shorts, a light jacket, and road shoes.  When I set out on the trail that morning, my car thermometer read, “30 ICY”.

Nevertheless, my time with this trail was exhilarating.  I took off along the single-track, navigating the woods between the stream and the backyards of an upscale neighborhood, which offered only the occasional dog bark to remind me of its existence.  At times, I thought I saw a man in a white shirt darting across the trail in the distance.  By the third occurrence, however, I was able to recognize it as a deer’s behind at first sight.

As I rambled up and down the hills, I paid no attention to my watch; it was apparent that I had no say in my pace.  Speed was determined by the hills and the trail, and I went as quickly or slowly as they wanted me to.  The only constant on the trail was change and the promise of unpredictability.

About 1.5 miles through my six mile out and back, I met an obstacle.  The creek itself.  At 25 feet wide and maybe one foot deep, I viewed it as more imposing on this “icy” day than it was.  When the nearest cross-stream log appeared too difficult to cross, I took to the rocks that crossed the stream.  With a walking stick in hand, I made it halfway across before realizing that the last few rocks fell an inch or two short of the surface.  Praying for balance, I made a quick dash for the bank, and emerged safely.  But not without soaking wet feet.  No matter, another half mile of running dried my feet fairly well.

Two days later, I awoke in a tent in the Shenandoah Mountains and set out for a quick six along the AT.  Although the terrain was far more difficult in some spots, and the altitude presented a great challenge (3,500ft is high for someone who’s hardly ever been over 1,000ft above sea level), this run was just as exhilarating.

During the past few weeks, I have stayed off the roads, or at least out of the city as much as possible.  And I’ve realized that I treat road running and trail running very differently.  Last night, during an eight miler through the woods of Veterans Park, I completely lost my bearings and had no idea where I was for most of the run.  But it didn’t matter.  Eventually, the trails took me in the right direction, as I knew they would.  When I run, I see the road as my foe, and I must vanquish it through faster splits or longer distances.  The trail, however, is my friend, and I just want to hang out with her.  Whatever pace she chooses is fine with me.