Back on the Trail

This morning I headed out for my run a little earlier than usual for a weekday. This proved to be an advantage, because, although the temperature was in the mid-70s, the humidity was already rather high. I was surprised, six minutes into my run, how much I was already perspiring. Under such conditions, and because I haven't been running much in this kind of weather this year, I attempted to make this an easy run.

Well, easy to a point. My route this morning took me from Valley Green to Northwestern Avenue. From there, I headed up to Germantown Pike, over the bridge by Chestnut Hill College, and then onto the orange trail. I had hoped that, with 2-3/4 miles behind me, I would be better able to pace myself on the trail.

Again, I found the trail a bit difficult. Unlike the yellow trail, the orange trail has some rather extensive rocky stretches. (This may also explain why the trail is closed to cyclists.) The trail also contains quite a few more hills than I remember encountering on the yellow. Still, I'm hoping that familiarity will make the trail more manageable for me.

At the same time, I can clearly see the benefits of trail running: not only do the hills make for a more rigorous workout, but the unevenness of the trail enlists muscles that I might otherwise not use much. Perhaps I'll even get to a point where I manage the more challenging trails with slightly more ease.