When I left the house at 7:30, the overcast sky seemed to want to rain; and sure enough, about half way to Bear Creek, it started to POUR!!! It turned out to be mostly an isolated shower, but the +6° and lite rain wasnt the most welcoming weather wasnt really what I was prepared to run in. But I remembered my "man-up" lesson from yesterday and told myself that if the ladies were tough enough to run in the rain, so was I!!!
After leaving the vehicles, it was only a short distance until we were on a paved road. It didnt take long to get back into my comfort zone and doze of as we ambled along the straight flat road at an even 6:00 pace (Even though the ladies said our target pace was 6:15 to 6:45....)
I knew better than to argue with them about the pace. They told me we would be on the trail soon and our pace would fall into our target zone. I did my best to keep up with them as we entered the wooded area. As we started down a paved path the sun started to shine through the clouds and everything seemed much better.
Soon, they slowed even more and said "Turn right Phil, you can lead the way on the single track in the woods". Sure enough, another lesson learned...at first I thought this was a test to see if I could maintain the blistering pace we had set on the pavement, but then I realized I was on spider web patrol!!!
Its the runners version of "breaking trail" One lucky person gets to be in the front and dash through the maze of silk threads that the spiders had so tediously set to catch complacent mosquitos as they lurk in the foilage for slow runners.
When we reached the 30 min point of our run, it was time to turn around and head back to the vehicles. The now familiar terrain seemed to go by much faster, as I was now trailing the group. Perhaps it was just the lack of anticipation of the next spiders web which could be lurking under the next spruce tree.
With the destination parking lot in sight, I was alerted buy our pace setter, that we only had 12 minutes left in our run. A quick calculation in my head and I could foresee a problem.... Our run would be finished at roughly 9.5 kilometers!!!
Never before, have I ended a run at anything but an even kilometer showing on my watch. I thought about running a zig-zag pattern for the remainder of the distance to the vehicles, but then realized the challenge of increasing my pace AND zigging and zagging....
My silent running and pensive look on my face must have worried the other ladies, because soon we ALL were discussing how this run should end... Would we be ok with ending at 60 minutes and 9.75 kilometers, or would it be better to run an additional few minutes and end at an even 10 kilometers??
The second option was chosen as the best way to end our run, so we ran past the vehicles and into the woods on the other side of the parking lot. As each person's watch chimed for the 10 km mark, the mornings run came to an end.
We regrouped back at the vehicle for "high fives", the team selfie, and a little "stretch party".
As I tried to focus on the stretches, my mind rehearsed the previous 61 minutes.... Not only did I complete the run without any blisters on my feet, I was also chosen to "break trail" in the woods....maybe it was just to clear the spider webs, but maybe I was ACTUALLY becoming a Trail Runner!!!!
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