This section was much more difficult than I had planned in my head when it was first explained to me. The trail runs from the Timberline Trailhead to Tennessee Pass. This is not part of the course. The total distance is 27.2 miles, has 2,120 feet of elevation gain, and has a top elevation of 11,480 feet.utrwhat The bad news is that it took me 7 hours and 15 minutes exactly. This is basically a 16 minute mile pace. That is not good at all.
Sometimes you become very philosophical on a run of that length (time not distance). I decided that a run like this may pay bigger dividends in the long run than say a long run in which you feel great, and feel like you hardly had to exert yourself. Perhaps on a day such as this, the pain, discomfort, and general blah feeling that is overcome to finish out 7 hours on the trail is what truly makes you a better and stronger runner (or maybe I am just trying to make myself feel better about having not done so great today).
The good news is that if you have to spend extra time on a trail, and have to experience discomfort, this is the trail to do it on. This trail has lots of amazing views.
There was a section where I came across several small high altitude ponds.
Hopefully you folks did not mind the extended slide show, because I have more pictures from today's run.
Here are a few shots of the trail itself.
The run out was not too bad, but I could tell I was not having the best day all the way to Tennessee Pass. It took me 3 hours and 10 minutes to cover the over 13.5 miles (14 minute pace...not blazing but better).
At the turn around point I had some water, and a piece of a Clif Bar. I used the bathroom, and then was on my way. About 30 minutes into the run, it started to hail. At first it was light, and then it really started to come down. I took a video with my phone, but it didn't save for some reason. Check out these photos. It hailed so much that it started to cover the trail, and ground. There was no thunderstorm, or severe weather involved like I am used to seeing associated with hail in SE Texas.
Like I've said before, this type of hail doesn't really hurt because it is so small, except when it hits the ear lobes. Also, when this much comes down at once, all you can do is hide under a pine tree (in the foreground of this picture), and because this volume of falling ice can carry a little bit of a sting. It is bound to hit the ears.
It took me 4 hours and 5 minutes to get back (about an 18.5 minute pace...boo).
I am really tired now, and am going to hit the hay. I plan on taking tomorrow off from training, and then summit a 14er on Friday, taking Saturday off, and doing back to back long runs on Sunday and Monday. That plan would make for a very solid week, put me back on track, and set me up to start tapering toward the race in another week or so.
No comments:
Post a Comment