Plus, the views are amazing. |
The bonus to running on really uneven ground is that it actually strengthens muscles and joints that I hadn't realized needed strengthening. For example, when I first started running this particular trail, I swear, the muscles in my feet would fatigue. I would feel strain in spots that I hadn't previously felt any, like the arches of my feet. My ankles also felt really wobbly on that terrain. I'm happy to report that my feet and ankles feel so much stronger over all.
Easy to twist an ankle out here. |
I'm glad that I've been hitting this mountain trail, even though it sucked terribly to be out running it over the summer at 5:30 at 100+ degrees. But it really has paid off in increasing my speed from snail pace to turtle pace and strengthening my legs.
I've been doing some research on other ways to get faster like increasing my stride turn over and doing intervals. It's hard to put those to use on the trail, since the ground is so uneven and rocky. So I'll post more on that later after more experimenting on regular roads.
That trail looks gorgeous! I know what you mean about losing daylight. I run in the mornings and I am always sitting around at 6am, waiting for it to get a little lighter.
ReplyDeleteThe trail is really pretty, especially at sunset. I'm glad I have a friend to drag me out there, otherwise I would have stuck with running at night on black top, lol!
DeleteWhat a beautiful place! Just watch your step! Between the rocks and what I'm sure are a large number of creepy-crawly things, you need to be careful!
ReplyDeleteYes, we do have plenty of creepy crawly things. I do get concerned about tripping over a rattlesnake in the dark.
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