Nothing like an Indian Run

Sunday, March 21, 2010

I knew I wouldn’t be setting any land speed records today…or ever again for that matter, so I just headed into the woods for what I like to call an ‘Indian run’. I’ve read how the native Americans – which tribes I don’t know – would run down a deer. They’d do it by understanding the pattern in which the deer tended to run and then running cutoff routes to shorten the distance they would be covering in the pursuit. Though this would take a serious amount of time and massive aerobic endurance, they were motivated by the need for food. When I run through the woods I imagine myself following deer – their trails are rather distinctive – and wonder what it would be like trying to catch them for food. I’m guessing I’d starve.

Anyway, I found myself hopping fallen trees, ducking under branches, searching for roots and rocks that might trip me up and generally having a great time on a beautiful day. The sun was out and streaming through the trees. Blue skies overhead and the crunch of old leaves beneath my feet. I followed deer paths down to the marsh where I saw three red-tailed hawks soaring overhead. There was an incessant chatter of many species of birds as I jumped the creek feeding the marsh. I stopped and stared.

This spot reminds me over and over why I return to the Adirondack Mountains so often. It is a beautiful, secluded site with the majority of the sounds coming from nature. The only thing disturbing the tranquility is the distant sound of rubber on asphalt - a road about a mile away. In the Adirondacks, I can escape human sound completely – and the silence can be deafening. It is to die for and so I’m starting to think and plan my next trip. Conditioning to climb peaks will begin soon. I have found no better conditioner than a week in the back country eating only what I can carry in and hiking and climbing 10-12 hours a day. I’m so psyched about going this summer because I know I am going to be in killer shape.

This is also one of the great things about trail running for me. I don’t have specific times to match since I tend to take different routes each time. It’s totally non-competitive, relaxing and doesn’t overtax my already fatigued body. It’s the way to run when you just want the value of the workout and the beauty of your surroundings. If I see something I want to enjoy, well, I stop and enjoy it. What the hell…it’s a run for fun and nothing else.

I took the hill out of the marsh and remembered again why I needed the easy day. My thighs were screaming and it wasn’t ‘run faster’. I weaved my way onto a hiking trail for the next twenty minutes before again finding myself once again off-trail and following nothing in particular. When I finally reached the road and started towards my car, my pace quickened and the pure enjoyment receded. I had managed to put in the easiest 62 minutes of running I'd ever done. It’s never boring. Every step has to be monitored to avoid tripping and knocking a tooth or two out (been there – done that), which takes your mind off the effort. I’d forgotten how good it could be since I’ve been unable to run such distances in so long. Two days of cycling and I’ll be back for more.

Run duration: 62 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.

Calories burned during workout: 1050.