I was off work today for the Good Friday Holiday, and had been hoping to get outside to start repainting our deck.  Well that all changed, when we woke up to see it snowing outside.  I chose to do an inside project instead.

All day, while working inside, I was planning my evening run.  It was scheduled as a 35 minute Zone 2 run, but mentally I needed more than just a run around the neighborhood.  I needed an escape; a mental break.  I decided I was going to go run trails in the woods.

I have recently found a four mile long loop trail in our local park.  It’s quiet, mostly in woodland, and has plenty of elevation change.  This evening, it was cool out, but the sun was starting to break through the clouds; the birds were singing and several deer were hanging out by the trail.

Trail running is not easy.  All the elevation changes on this route, are teaching me a lot about controlling effort.  My coach had scheduled this as a Zone 2 effort run.  Staying in Zone 2 required me to really slow down, when running up the many hills on the loop.  I mean really slow down.  

I did much better at controlling my effort this time around, compared to the similar run I did last weekend.  Based on heart rate, I was in Zone 2 for well over 50% of the run and only spent 5% of the time in Zone 3.  Most of that Zone 3 running, was at the end of a very long climb.

I am really starting to love running these trails.  It might be a very good thing.  The way things are going, my SwimRun race in October, might be my first race this year. The run part of that race, is running trails, so I do need the practice….