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saturday, february 06, 2010

Running Log/Trail Run

Distance: 5.62 miles
Time: 58:20

Comments: As part of the back-to-basics effort, Coach Dean wants me doing trail running again. The idea being that it will help strength; partially due to elevations and partly due to variation in how my feet hit the terrain.

I initially planned to get up real early and knock this one out but, when I woke up my right hip was very uncomfortable. I shelved the run till later... if I felt better.

But, by noon I felt alright and decided to make a stab at it and headed up to South Mountain. Of course by then folks out to enjoy the weekend had taken over the place but oh well...

I didn't do any preparation, I just headed out. I didn't intend on setting any speed records with this effort so doing the first mile at warm up pace wasn't going to matter.

Now I prepared for this by heading up to Sole Sports and asking the guru, Katie, what route to take. She suggested doing a loop of Mormon Trail with a return on National Trail - a route that put me downhill on the steepest part.

And of course I screwed it up. I headed out too fast then missed the turn off and found myself hitting a formidable ascent when I was barely ready. Not fun at all. I made sure to ask directions at the forks on the return.

I thought the crowd would be a hassle but folks were pretty nice. One guy saw my shirt and yelled "Roll Tide!" and I gave him one back. Then I ran past a girl in a UT Longhorns shirt but she didn't say anything at all for some reason.

A trio of biplanes flew over South Mountain as I headed down from the top. Pretty cool.

This wasn't a stellar effort but it was good enough for a first time back on trails. I now know the route and feel a bit more sure of my technique for the off-road running effort.

My legs felt pretty beat up afterward though and allied with the worrying aches in the hip I decided to give myself the ice bath treatment. This was agonizing as it usually tends to be but I felt tremendously better afterward.

Conditions:

Hour: 12:41 p.m.
Surface: dirt
Weather: partly cloudy
Temperature: 66 degrees
Humidity: 32 percent
Wind: calm
Location: National Trail & Mormon Trail, South Mountain Park, Phoenix, Arizona
Shoes: Pearl Izumi Cruise
Sin Musica

Injury update: The right hip was achy now and then in the run but downright painful afterward. The ice bath helped quite a bit though.

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