Week 2 - We Are On a Roll!

Week 2 of Trail Running Weekly with Lanae was spent at Barton Creek Greenbelt, aka, "The Greenbelt". If you are interested in the outdoors and you live in the Austin area, you have most likely heard of the wonders of the Greenbelt and have maybe even hiked or run all or parts of it. If not, you are missing out! And maybe, with today's blog, I can convince you to get out there and experience this gem for yourself.

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day to be outside for a run. Clear, blue skies and a brisk 40-some degrees at the start. There hadn't been any rain or moisture to speak of this week in Austin, so the trails were in perfect condition today.

Lanae's first time on the Greenbelt was also met with her first experience climbing the "Hill of Life". The Hill of Life is yet another one of those iconic Austin challenges that anyone, familiar with trail running in Austin, knows about. If they know about it, they may have also been reduced to tears by the top of the hill, but most definitely they are reduced to a puddle of sweat - even on the coldest of Austin days!

Nothing to sneeze at, the Hill of Life is a hearty climb of more than a 1/3 of mile at 13.2% grade, with a elevation gain of 277ft. This may not sound especially rough, especially if you like to climb or you live in Colorado and have unlimited, tough climbs all around you, but here in Austin, it is unique.

I chose not to mention beforehand to Lanae that we would be doing a tough climb amidst our run today. In fact, I did not even tell her what we were doing until we got to the top!! 🙊😬 Not that she didn't figure it out on her own after about 4 minutes of running uphill, but you could definitely psych yourself out if your running buddy suddenly tells you: "keep going - only 4 or 5 more minutes of running straight uphill!!".

Yes, I am a rotten friend - I fully admit it! But, I know Lanae well enough to know that had I mentioned we would be doing a tough climb, she would have worried about it and probably even dreaded it. That is no way to start out a positive trail run experience! Ignorance can sometimes be a very good thing when headed out for a run you have never done before.

We ran for probably what was close to half the hill, then dropped down to more of a slow scurry, then finally walked the last 2-3 minutes. I have never been able to run the entire Hill of Life, but I sure would like to do that one day! If I could get out here more often, I think I could do it eventually.

Despite the tough climb - legs and lungs burning, buns and quads screaming - we made it to the top! I informed Lanae that she was no longer a Hill of Life virgin! Now it is time to spend a moment taking in the view from the top.

Ok, time to head back down....but first, a selfie!

In addition to The Greenbelt being so beautiful, it is so incredibly vast. It really is a retreat, essentially right in the heart of Austin. Trying out some new bits of the trail each time you go is fun and I think that getting yourself lost would not be too difficult. While we took in the beauty of the trails today, we talked about how comforting it is to realize and to remember that God is in control of our lives. Despite sometimes feeling the need or wanting to be in control of it all. The Greenbelt reminds us that there is so much out there in this world. Some good, some bad - but when we remind ourselves that it is really God holding us and guiding us, we will never truly be lost.

Run Stats for Today:
~5.4 miles  in 1:16:15. Average pace = 13:54/mile

Until next week y'all!

Week 1 of Trail Running Weekly!

Well....when you come up with a harebrained idea to run on a trail with a good buddy 1 time/week every week until you get tired of doing the aforementioned harebrained idea...what else do you do but commit to blogging about your adventures? 😃 The main idea is to grow in our love for trail running and to try out as many different trails as we can in our area. Hopefully writing about our trail experiences will cause you to become interested in trail running and even give it a try. If you already are a trail running fan, then maybe our adventures can open your eyes to some new trails and maybe I can offer you some trail running tips.

So, my buddy, willing and more than able to take on weekly trail runs with me is Lanae Hall.
For those of you not familiar with Lanae, please let me introduce you. Lanae is a beautiful wife and mom of two boys who lives about 2 miles from me. Lanae and I met at least 3 or 4 years ago by now, doing an outdoor Boot Camp taught by another one of our friends, Meleah Wehman. If you don't know Meleah, like Lanae, let me tell you - you are missing out on knowing one of the most physically strong women out there! Lanae has always impressed me with her strength with regards to weight training, but more than that, her ability to run and run FAST! And when I say fast...I mean fast enough to podium and win run races all over the Austin area.

Lanae recently has gotten into a funk with her running, though. We spoke recently about her funk and the topic of trail running came up. She had done a couple trail runs (her first two trail runs ever) within the last couple months and had figured out that there was some kind of spark there for her. Knowing that I have had that spark and love for trail running for years myself, I proposed the idea of  a once per week trail run for us. It would be a great way to dive back into consistent trail running, but it would also be a great way to give Lanae new opportunities to experience the joy of running on trail and help introduce her to some of the awesome trails all over Austin. And there are quite a few! From all the way north in Georgetown to all the way in south Austin, and from east of Round Rock to west of Lake Travis! There are so many beautiful places and trails in and around Austin!

It didn't take much convincing at all. Lanae was in! Alright then, let's do this. So the idea is born and now...let's see what happens!

So, here we are week 1 and we have Trail Run #1 complete. We started in the low 50's with some light drizzle.

This week's run was in the woods at Brushy Creek, just off the Brushy Creek Regional Trail. It's an old standby of mine since it's just 4 miles from home. Maybe some of you know this area. Many know it by the name Deception.

It is a great trail - with a mix of easy, intermediate and technical sections. I believe you can piece together around 6 miles from end to end. Today we started near the Brushy Creek Sports Park and entered into the east end of the trailhead nearest the Sports Park, by the Call Box Detour area. We went in about 4.7 miles and dropped out nearer to the YMCA and took the wooded trail that runs along Brushy Creek back. We essentially did a big loop, popping back out onto the paved trail, in the same place we started.

Today's run lessons/insights:

1. Go slower than you want to run, especially if you are just getting into trail running or getting back into it.
2. Take your time when trail conditions are less than optimal. Today, the drizzle made almost the entire trail slick. It would have been super easy to slip on the wet rocks. So, we dialed it back significantly in many areas. When conditions are slick, also be on the lookout for slippery roots and leaves. Muddy ground can also make the ground more uneven than it already is, so be careful and watch for muddy spots. Luckily today was not muddy for us.
3. Watch out for those little (or big!) downhills! You can pick up speed quickly and get out of control quickly too. No one wants to somersault down the trail or run head first into a tree! So, control your stride, maybe even lean back into your heals a bit. Look for and follow the line that seems most obvious. If the hill is very steep or the trail on the downhill is really rutted, you may want to take smaller, quicker steps on the edges of the trail (or on the outside edges of the rut) to feel a bit more stable and help slow your momentum a bit. 
4. Getting out into nature can really be a solid means to help you deal with stress. Getting away from electronics is important too. Whether you are on the trail by yourself or with a buddy, being on the trail can help give you time to think, pray, or just get quiet. Today, Lanae and I had a perfect mixture of connecting with conversation and quiet times.  

Run stats: 

6.1 miles in 1:21:45. Average Pace = 13:19/mile

Until next week, y'all!!