Sunday, February 19, 2012

Gorgeous Day in Hartley

Today was the kind of winter running day that you dream of.  I like to do my Sunday runs later in the day so I can sleep in and run in the warmer temps and I'm so glad I did that today.  My plan was to do between 2 and 3 hours in Hartley, looping around the guard rail loop and what I'll call the swamp loop, making a nice figure 8.

I started at the parking lot at the Nature Center and hit the guard rail loop first for a clockwise turn around the trail.  The trail itself was perfect, packed down but still soft from the fresh snow we received and the warm temps of the day.  I knew there was a possibility of some slippery ups and downs so I wore my Salomon Fellcross.  They proved to be the perfect shoe for the situation.  I think having the right trail shoe for the conditions is akin to choosing the right kick wax for your skis and I nailed it today.

After the guard rail loop, I cruised over to the swamp loop and then back to the parking lot.  Then, I turned around and did the same thing in the opposite direction.  Then, I turned around and did the same thing in the original direction again.  Overall, I ran 2:41 and loved every minute of it.  The temps were perfect, the sun was shining and the trail was incredible.  Great day!

No comments:

Post a Comment