Return to Horizon Hill

Trail Run: 2.7 miles in :26:25 min. @ 6:10 a.m.

Weather: Cloudy, Cool with intermittent Light Rain, 60°F, 80% Humidity, Winds: ESE @ 14 mph; feels like 60°F.

Pace: 9:47 min./per mile avg.

Yup... I'm still running. Given the posts I've been sharing the last few days I can see how the one or two of you who read this might think otherwise. The two day layoff was due to the necessity of having back-to-back "recovery days": Sunday was the second of last week, and Monday was the first of this training week. By doing this, I am hoping to stay true to the plan as a start Week 2.

This morning I returned to Horizon Hill, a 2.2-mile four-booter (challenging) trail course which is part of the larger Crescent Trail in Perinton, NY. As in my first hike there with my kids, I ran the course in reverse, which created the opportunity for a more challenging run with many excellent hills to push up.

While the weather was cool for August, and rather drizzly, the conditions were excellent for trail running beneath the canopy of trees. Despite some stone-laden parts of the course (and a few trees and minor root systems, too) I found myself energized by the lay-off of the previous two days and more than willing to forge ahead--even when going "ahead" meant going backwards as I missed one or two trail blazes (which accounts for my overall distance today going past the trails 2.2 mile length).

Run 2: 2.5 miles in :30:00 min. @ 7:00 p.m.

Weather: Cloudy, 63°F, 76% Humidity, Winds: ESE @ 13 mph; feels like 63°F.

Pace: :12:00 min./per mile avg.

Anne and I have contuned to work through a 5k training plan together, taking to the fall-like streets for a thirty minute run...

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!