I ran another section of the Rachel Carson Trail today.  A couple of weeks ago, I ran the first section of the trail, and found it incredibly hard.  Today, I started my run, where my last run ended, and did another 13 miles of the trail.

I picked a really tough place to start.  The trail immediately climbed 350 feet in just 0.4 miles.  I walked almost all of it, because it was so steep.  This just set the stage for most of the run.  Like on my previous run, there were very few flat sections, where you could get into a running rhythm.  Many of the downhill sections were also way too steep to run.  So steep, that I was afraid of turning an ankle or doing something worse, if I didn’t carefully descend them.

Overall, I gained a total of 2,750 feet in elevation, while also losing 2,660 feet.  On average this meant I was climbing 200 feet per mile and descending 200 feet per mile.  My route today included the lowest point on the trail and also the highest.

Having said all that however, I had such a fun time.  When running trails, the time just seems to fly by.  I think part of this is just the fact that you have to constantly look at where to place your feet.  These trails are quite technical, with lots of rocks, roots and uneven surfaces. At the same time, you are constantly checking that you are still on the route.  This trails has yellow blazes to follow.  There are lots of blazes to see, but I still managed to miss a turn, five times today!

The other thing that made today’s run so nice, was the foliage on the trees.  The leaves are just starting to turn.  I have another run next weekend, and I have a feeling, it’s going to be even more beautiful.

Finally, the potatoes. They worked out great.  They were a nice alternative to the sugar based nutrition I normally eat, and they did not upset my stomach while running. I am definitely going to use them again in the future.