Solo Trail Run

83 mins.
10.5-11.5 miles

After a fun night out and sleepover with Brooke, I woke up pleasantly surprised that my foot actually felt a bit better. That said, I still wanted to be cautious. So, although I didn't have plans to meet anyone, I hopped in the car and drove out to the river for the second day in a row to put in some miles. After two miles around the flat loop I headed up into the trails for the majority of the run. Last night's rain had packed the pine needles and fallen leaves into a soft (if sometimes slippery) carpet, and the colors were simply gorgeous.


Fall colors on the trails

It's hard for me to nail down the exact distance for this run because the pace was so varied. I felt like I was flying during some portions, but it was pretty slow going on other sections (both uphill and downhill) due to the technical footing. I did clock 3:10 for the final half mile on the flat trail back to the parking lot, but I was consciously pressing at that point. All I know is I was completely cashed by the end of the run and my calves, ankles and hip flexors were quite fatigued. Overall, a solid hard effort.