McNaughton Park Trail Run Training

So i decided yesterday morning would be a good morning for a training run at McNaughton for three reason:

1. It might be good to actually train beyond eating alot, drinking a few beers and sprinkling long runs here and there.

2. It had stormed the night before and the trails were sure to be mucky. Who doesn't enjoy muck.

3. A midweek visit to the orthopedist fearing another stress fracture but hoping for a weenie soft tissue injury had me thinking, what better way to test a leg than with a five hour run??

At least the weather was nice, 50-55 degrees for the duration, an improvement from our -3 degree temps for a long run three weeks ago.

Took off from the teepee and headed right into the single track. Nobody's fool, i noticed a pattern immediately: mud, hills, mud. That stayed consistent for the whole morning. The muddiest stretch was probably the downhill from the totem pole to the creek crossing. First creek crossing was swollen pretty good, although the cold water was welcoming, came to about mid calf in the shallowest spot. I did pretty well disregarding the "no horses" spray paint, even though i fall solidly in the clydesdale stable, and stayed on the red trail.

After the rope hill and past the foundation, came upon andy and crew working on their new massive log bridge over the creek crossing. Would see them two more times. They work too hard. Ended up cheating and cutting off the heaven's gate loop and the very section, mostly to get to water more quickly. Climbed fairly well, skiing as adeptly as possible on the mud slicks and finished a nice five hours in three abbreviated loops.
Interesting things I saw in the woods:

1. Deer-lots of them as usual- 6 or 7 bounding across the field loop by the cemetery.

2. A dead tribble? Some fuzzy trail kill of unidentified origin. By the third loop I'd csi'd and determined either a tribble or chubacabra.

3. A flock of geese flying east, presumably back from a weekend in vegas.

4. Dog barking on the trail ahead. -look for owner- -spot owner- -owner is an old dude with a big white beard who, as my five year old son would say, was "popping a squat" next to a large oak tree. *note to self-next time don't look for owner*

5. Mud and hills.

All that and back in time to fill out my ncaa bball brackets (go Bradley!). Not a bad morning.

Soundtrack: Tsunami "Brilliant Mistake"