Trails – Golden Ave Literature

Your Chosen Path

October 15, 2020March 21, 2021by JanieLeave a Comment

On Sunday afternoon I was able to walk on one of the trails from my list of places I haven’t been. I did the 6 mile run on Friday and wanted to take it easy for a couple of days to give my knees and legs a break so I thought it would be a great time to visit a new to me trail and take in the sights around it. The drive to the trail was about 15 minutes and surprisingly finding a place to park was not an issue. There are several entrances onto the trail I picked one, merged right and was on my way to a new experience.

I found that the entrance I chose was nearly in the middle of the trail. I walked about a mile absorbing the sounds of the water and creatures and the site of various rocks and trees before the path ended at another parking area. I took note of the landmarks near this parking lot so that I could maybe start at this end for future visits. I then headed back North to see what was to the left side of my entry point. After going about another mile to the north and passing plenty of other pedestrians I came upon another merge in the path. I explored these parts of trail and pictured myself being there early in the morning on a warm day running down the path, getting around the obstacles and enjoying the scenery.

I chose to visit this trail on a walk day so that I could get to know the path. I wanted to get a good look at the everything around me and learn the nature of the trial and the surroundings. The first time I run a new course I am open to distractions due to my visual nature of wanting to take in all of what I see at once and process it immediately. The distractions can cause me to slow down and unnecessarily change my stride. I also get thrown a little on a new path by thinking about which way to turn and whether or not I will get in the number of miles I desire with my choice.

When I am running, I go into zone I am not focused on the turns and landmarks or how far down a path I should go if I am familiar with the path. Being able to walk a trail or drive through the streets I plan to run on and become familiar with the area and the amount of people that frequent the area can help me with getting into a zone and staying there during my runs. While I am in the zone, I am more aware of being safe and my mind is on my breathing and stride until the moment even those thoughts fade into the background and I begin to take in and enjoy my surroundings without feeling a need to search the area.

Becoming familiar with the place or area you are planning to exercise at is an important part of the preparation. If you cannot visit or drive through the area a few times prior to going there you should at least find some information about the area from city websites or the people who have visited the place or area. Map the area out especially if you are outdoors. If not for safety and a better experience do it to know where to park, where to use facilities, and how to get back to civilization it you happen to journey far away.

There is fun in spontaneity and being able to go by instinct is a gift, but don’t be afraid of a preparation. Being prepared may actually allow you to have more freedom in your choices and on your journey.

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The City Run

October 12, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

The weekend, it comes quickly for some and is a real timely count down for others. I guess it depends on when you work and what you have planned on the days you are off. Some use the weekend for complete rest and others use it as the time to get the most miles in and to go on adventures. I did some of both this past weekend. On Friday I went on for a 6-mile run through the city streets and on Sunday I was able to explore a trail that’s on my list of new places to go.

Running into the downtown area is energizing for me at just about any time of the day with all the different buildings, sounds, parks, and people passing through. It can feel like a course straight from a television series. There are hills that slant and curve, sidewalks that have become extended eating areas. Some of those walkways end suddenly or are distorted from tree roots pushing through.

There are also people on a quest to be on time and some with plenty of time to pause and stare at the sights. I cannot leave out the walk signals that take too many minutes to show up and seconds to leave and of course animals leashed and unleash. As I spot those animals, I think will they chase me, lunge at my legs or lie down and count how many others like me pass by. Yes, these things give me a spark.

On Friday’s run through the city I went during the morning and it was just about the time for the breakfast places to start the gathering of people for coffee and daily specials. There were plenty of vehicles traveling the streets and other pedestrians getting their daily dose of exercise also. I stayed alert and did my share of maneuvering to keep a good pace.

I started my run with a mind to take the longest and most direct path into the core of the downtown area and once I reached three miles I would turn and head back home. For most of the run I stuck to the plan, but a few hills were calling for me to come on up and see what they had to offer, and I did.

Halfway up one of the hills I felt like I had completely left the path headed to the bustle. It was isolated and filled with sounds of nature and several blocks of greenery to go along with it. I hadn’t taken this detour before and for a few seconds I thought I must have gone too far up and the hill may be turning more toward the west than I desired to go. Once I reached the peak of the hill, I could see the city landmarks and my comfort level returned. I went over another block and then turned to head back down the hill to connect with the main street again and I was quickly back on the planned-out path.

The detour up the hill was a great bonus for my run and heartrate. Sometimes I get into the habit of going the same way over and over again that a left or right turn seems odd, but I take it anyway to see what is there. From my experience the city run is never without a view or obstacle to maneuver and that is why it will always be on my list as a paved place to take in.

Make this week a better week for you. Will you take a right, a left or is straight ahead the change you need?

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Familiar vs New

September 10, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

Ten days into the month and I am keeping the pace. This month I will do 6 to 8 miles for my longer runs and 2 miles for my recovery days. There are several routes I will add to my list this month. I like to have a mixture of hills and flat terrain, and I will still include a familiar route that has several rolling hills. Some good things can happen on familiar routes.

On a path I know, like the one with the rolling hills, I can run without thinking about what is coming or which way I should go. I know the general distance I must go and the amount of time that must lapse before I reach my set goal. Although the route is familiar it is still a challenge. I can barely keep my pace while traveling up these steep hills and they seem to never top off quick enough. I used to slow all the way down to a walk at about halfway up a couple of the hills, but now I keep running. It is a slower run as I push my aching thighs to continue, and I will take that for now.

Maneuvering this route, a couple of times a month has created a few fans for me on the sidelines. Along the way there is a blue house which is fenced in, but the gate is usually open when I pass by and there are three young boys who call out to me and wave. I have even grabbed a runaway ball for them and made sure they made it back across the street after retrieving it. Hearing their laughter and voices alarms me of the next hill on my route. Their house is right at the beginning of the second hill I run up and it may be the steepest.

At the top of that hill there isn’t a downslope, it curves right into another incline. Since there is a dogwalker’s house midway through I call it the Doghouse hill. At this point on my route I am occasionally greeted by a lady sometimes she is in her car or headed into to her home. Normally she nods or smiles, and I often see people passing by or in their cars doing this, so I wasn’t expecting to be remembered until the day she did something unusual. I was rounding the curve at the top of the hill and headed into the next just as I passed her house and she yells out “you are getting stronger”. I smiled through my mask as I waved at her and ran on. A few seconds later I looked down at my legs and thought I am getting stronger.

I needed those words in my ear that day. Before I stepped off my porch that morning, I had decided to run right through the Blue House hill or hill number 2 and on to the connecting Doghouse hill or hill number 3. Even if I had to catch my breath for a couple of seconds on the downslope, I was going to make that day my first time completing both hills without walking. It is great to find new routes to challenge the muscles and it is also rewarding to go on a familiar path. I am looking forward to doing both during this month.

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The First Contracted Run

August 17, 2020by JanieLeave a Comment

August was approaching and I thought, why not start this month with a contract with yourself to renew your love of running and to commit to daily exercise. It sounded good in my head, so I agreed with my thoughts. It would at least give me a chance to get out of the sporadic exercise routine I had fallen into over the last year. I went from running or some form of daily exercise to a couple days a week. This fall off had affected my health and my mental being. My cholesterol was up in January and I really did not want it to worsen or any other health issues popping up. I had been looking at my mushy arms for months and was longing to get some lost muscle back into my body. I figured since I have always enjoyed running and being outside that this would be the way to get to a better place physically and mentally.

I went for it, 5 miles that is. August 1st rolled up quickly. It was on a Saturday and I set out to do a 5mile run. It was mid-morning by the time I laced up my shoes and pulled on my mask. By this time the number of cyclists and other pedestrians out on the trail had grown to a moderate number, but I was up for the challenge of maneuvering the path and any obstacles.

As my feet hit the ground and bounced up again, I tried to think light and push off my toes without planting my weight into the ground. I think I was over focused. I worked to power through my moment of feeling tired and wanting to stop and lie down right on the path. My lungs did not quickly agree with my new actions, but I ignored the pain and pushed through. Eventually my breathing improved even with the impairment of the mask I was sporting, and the tired feeling left. I had made it over the beginners’ hump and after a fair amount of wind, sun and sweat I was breezing through my run.

Some time passed and I caught myself smiling and daydreaming (enough to nearly smash into another runner) as I approached the stop lights right off the trial. I realized I was a few steps from reaching my 5-mile mark and my home. A feeling came over me that made me believe I could actually do this for 30 days and maybe even something more difficult. Those thoughts were tested immediately after the pain set in the following morning.