Forever on the trails...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

I had arrived early at the Brecksville Station of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to meet a group of dedicated, over-achieving runners. I had determined ahead that I would not run with these whack-jobs, but would go on a picture taking hike while they ran. There were some nesting eagles nearby and I just had to see them. I’d join them afterwards for refreshments, conversation and the opportunity to watch the Cavs and talk running.

I headed out to try and locate the nests, which was not too difficult since the Park had restricted the area to keep photographers like me at a distance. Eagles do not particularly appreciate picture taking visitors when their raising young and may leave the nest with the young in it to starve or not return there the next year. Neither is a good scenario and so spectators are kept to a distance of about a quarter mile. I had good binoculars and a telephoto lens though, and was prepared to see what I could see. Which turned out to be nothing but an empty nest. Oh well.

I returned to the parking lot as the runners were gathering. Eric was there with another high school standout and old friend, Jim Harris. We were planning to do a trip together to the Adirondacks in late summer or early fall and would be discussing things later at the bar. Another couple of lean, older guys were there to run, as well. Don Alexander was running late. Don was always running late. The group took off without him, but since I wasn’t running – I waited before heading back into the park for more pictures. I gave him a call to see when he’d be arriving.

“Be there in twenty minutes,” he said.

An hour later he was pulling into the parking lot as the group was returning from their fartlek workout. Don started telling us why he was late, but I tuned him out. He always had some interesting story about lateness – it was his modus operandi – and I’d heard it all before. They left to grab a shower at Eric’s before the bar, but I decided to stay with Don, who was going to do a 30-minute run. While he stretched, we talked about my running, blogging and weight loss. Don and I have known each other for many years, having worked together in the world of fitness as business partners. He knew my fitness history like no one else.

“Maybe you should start running some quality stuff and then enter a couple of races,” he suggested.

I think I surprised him with my answer. “I have absolutely no interest in running the roads ever again. I’ve done that and unless I lose another 20 pounds, I’d be nowhere near the times I used to run. That – and I’d probably re-injure the calf from the hard surfaces and the pounding of interval workouts.”

“You’ve become a trail runner. You won’t go back to the roads because you love the trails,” he said.

He was a trail runner, too, but as a former all-American collegiate half miler and a member of the Team Ohio running club and one of the top road racers in Ohio in his prime, he knew the roads and racing and would never give them up. But I really didn’t miss that scene. I mean, I’d like to be in prime shape again. When last I’d raced – about 20 years ago, I’d actually won a race and taken home hardware in my age group every time I entered. It was fun, but I’ve found something better now. I’m healthy and running every day on scenic park trails. No cars or busy intersections to worry about. Beautiful surroundings, running water, birds singing, mud to splash through, and shade on a hot, summer day. Man…I’m staying on those trails.

Later that night, we gathered in a bar in Broadview Heights to watch the Cavs bow out of the playoffs again. I sipped my diet Coke and took my mind off the disaster unfolding in Boston by talking about hiking and climbing in the Adirondacks –something that I had some control over and didn’t upset me. Tomorrow, if things went right, I would run my 6th day in a row – on the trails. Forever on the trails.

Run duration: 42 minutes. Hike duration: 75 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 140 running. 70 hiking.

Calories burned during workout: 715 running. 375 hiking.