X-Country Revisited

Distance: 2 miles (roughly)
Time: 21:16

I definitely pushed my limits today. I ran 2 miles, but it wasn't just any 2 miles. Today's run was an "adventure run" through desert, trails, grass, rocks, and hills. It was the type of run I had envisioned when I finally worked up the motivation to start running again about 5 weeks ago. I love the idea of running in exotic locales, through a variety of terrain, seeing new things around every turn. Up till now I had pretty much just been running around my neighborhood, which was fine just to get back in shape a bit, but I'm ready now for more exciting runs -- like today's.

I've been wanting to run at Horsemen's Center Park for weeks now. But every time I'd try (which was usually on weekends) it was swarming with people. But now that I'm on summer break, I figured I'd go see what the place was like on an ordinary Friday morning. And I was delighted to see that I had the entire park to myself! Horsemen's Center is a picturesque natural area in eastern Apple Valley that incorporates a park, a bike track, a horse riding ring, and many trails, all nestled under impressive rock formations at the base of the Granite Mountains. And it's only a couple of miles from our house. I had mapped out a course on mapmyrun.com, but because I was dealing with trails and not clear-cut streets and roads, it was difficult to chart the mileage accurately. So I charted a route that was roughly 2 miles. In all likelihood it was more than 2 miles with all the unanticipated turns and moments of uncertainty over where the trail went. And it was a tough 2 miles, for this was more like a cross-country course than anything. It was the first time in my recent training that I dealt with uphill terrain and what was essentially trail running. Therefore my time was a dismal 21:16. But I have no regrets, for I fought through every one of those minutes.

As far as the actual run went, it was definitely a challenge. It was about 11 a.m., and it was already 90 degrees outside! The first 3/4 of a mile went well. I kept a steady pace and muscled my way over the diverse terrain. But once I got up into the northern trail section, I began to feel the fatigue set in. All the direction changes and the calculating of each step began to take a physical toll. I got a little relief during the brief downhill section at about the mile marker, but as soon as I turned to go uphill again I began to hit a wall. By the time I got up to the northern trail again I was out of gas and floundering. I stopped to gain my composure and relax a bit, but then I made sure to finish strong. It was definitely the most exhausted I've felt yet after a run. But it was well worth it, and I can't wait to tackle this route again!

Afterward I drove around to various points along the route and took some pictures. It was quite a scenic run. One of the coolest things about the location is that it sits up on the elevated eastern edge of the Apple Valley, and so for most of the run I could see clear across the Apple and Victor Valleys, all the way to the San Gabriels and the still-snow-covered Mt. Baldy. It made for good motivation.