I like to as much trail running as i can. Especially fairly level trails. I have been running off of the sidewalks and asphalt roads for about a year, and staying on softer surfaces, mainly because of my achilles, but also, my overall body just feels very sore and almost arthritic. Now that i have stayed off the roads for almost a year, i am feeling much better. One of my favorite trails is called the "balloon loop" and is in the Spring Mountains in Las Vegas, near hwy 159. I decided to go hard on the trail, and my PR is 51.17 for the 6.4 miles, however, the day i did that PR, my dog Peyton, who was running with me, got distracted and cost me about 2 mins, so i really consider 49.17 to be my PR.
Peyton was there again, but this time he was walking the trail with Erica. I set out on a steady pace, but uptempo. I don't have any mile markers to compare, but I do have certain spots that i look for. At the spot "90", I was at 9.21, at the spot "two trails", I was 10.52, at the "Y", I was 13.15, at the spot "back end", i was 24.54, which was about 9 secs off my PR, at the spot "far pt curve" i was 33.01, then back to the "Y" i was 38.29, "two trails" 40.34, at "90", I was 41.45, at "rocky top finish" I was 46.55, and I finished with a PR of 48.41. I was very pleased. It was funny, with about 60 secs to go, my good friend and former running partner Dan Kempf was out hiking with his good buddy Doug. Dan was actually the one that showed Erica and I this trail. He was just hiking, and he needs to get his act together and get back out there running.
Cheers | 