Boulder's Trails

I did my "long" run that I was suppose to do last Saturday today (Monday). I was scheduled for a 5-6 mile run on Saturday morning but I had two indoor soccer games on Friday night. After playing soccer from 9:30-11:30pm, I found it a little difficult to get out of my warm bed on a cool morning and run for 5-6 miles. Call me crazy.

I did manage to get my cross training in Sunday by going on a nice hike up a small mountain near Boulder. The Gregory Trail took my friends and I about an hour and 40 minutes. I spent the rest of the weekend cleaning up a strategic plan for a client that was due early this week and playing welcoming committee for a friend's mom. Sometimes, you just have to go for apps and a glass of wine. Afterall, it would have been rude to run instead.

So, this morning, after working about 17 hours this weekend I figured I deserved to take a little time this morning for a "long" jog. (If you are wondering why I'm putting "long" in quotes, it's that there is a 10 mile run looming on my calendar and I can't define 5 miles long when there is a 10 mile run in sight. What would I call the 10 mile run?) But I digress.

It's going to be about 94 degrees in Boulder today so I set off at about 8:30 for a new trail that was labeled "easy" by the Boulder Parks and Rec. Department. Trails are usually marked easy, moderate, or difficult. This is not a good enough distinction due to the fact that different features are easy or difficult depending on what you are doing on the trail. If I were hiking, or walking, yes, easy would have been appropriate. But jogging is an entirely different story.

I was excited when I first arrived at the trailhead. (the photo is what the trailhead looked like) I love running on nice, long, flat, dirt trails. I just set my little Nike + to the distance I want to go, run until a little voice interrupts Linkin Park screaming in my ear to announce "half way point!" Then I turn around and go back.

After 1/2 a mile I reached a small fork in the road, the left path went down a steep but short hill, the other meandered off to the right. I had been running west for the first 1/2 a mile (which means that I had been going slightly uphill for the first 5 minutes or so - it took me a two years of running in Boulder to put together the idea that if you are going west, you are probably going uphill. Mountains. Duh.) I turned left knowing I would curse myself on the way back when I had to go up this hill.

Little did I know how this choice would affect the rest of the run. I jogged through what a Boulderite trail runner might call "rolling hills." I would call them "a way to rip apart my calves." Then, about 2 hours later, or 20 minutes later my iPod informs me, I reach it. A mountain. The trail goes right up the side. I check in with Nike + and it tells me that I have not yet reached my half way point. So, up I go.

I stumbled up the side of the mountain to find myself running along a ridge where, if I had looked up from the gravel I was now wading through, I could see all of Boulder Valley. It was absolutely beautiful. I was too worried about how I was going to make it back, that I didn't enjoy it to the full potential.

I finally did make it back the car after 5.25 miles. I figured with all the hills, I could probably round up the mileage to 6. Next weekend, my 9 miler, no new trails. I'm heading back to an old faithful, paved, shady path through the middle of town with plenty of people watching and no mountains. =)