It is time to start getting back in shape and begin building up a base for some races in late spring and during the summer. I have already settled on running the Peterson Ridge Rumble 40M in early April. I have never completed this distance before so it will take lots of preparation to get my legs ready for this kind of event. I hope to attempt some smaller races before then and maybe do a 50k as a good training run. Options include the muddy Hagg Lake 50k or the new Gorge Waterfall 50k. It will be hard for me to get motivated to run for a number of reasons including: Portland’s rainy/coldish weather, very muddy and familiar trails and darkness. I plan to cross-train on my indoor bike trainer when I don’t feel like going out in the cold and rain. And I can always just run on the roads near my house to avoid the shoe swallowing mud of the Forest Park trail system. On the weekends, however, I plan to do longer, more scenic training runs in order to get increased mileage, as well as get my trail fix.
Some of my top runs include:
1. Elk-Kings Mountain traverse (Tillamook State Forest)
2. Clackamas River Trail OAB (Estacada Area)
3. Eagle Creek OAB (Gorge)
4. Ramona Fall Loop (Mt. Hood)
5. Wildwood Trail One Way (Forest Park)
6. Dog Mountain (Gorge)
7. Larch Mountain (Gorge)
I also plan to begin mountain biking pretty regularly once the trails begin to dry up a little in late spring. I love mountain biking, just wish all trails were open to bikes or else I would never trail run. I plan on doing my best to document most of my longer training runs and update them on my blog when I have time.
UNT
Bryan
Bryan - congrats on stepping up to the 40 miler. That said, are you really complaining about Forest Park? Buck up, Bryan.
ReplyDeleteAlso, while the drainage at Tualatin Hills Nature Park is worse than at Forest Park, they have a map available so that you can piece together a 4.5ish mile loop (the gist of it is, when in doubt, turn left). It's also within .75 miles of Nike so that you can get in a nice 8 mile "figure-8" using THNP and the 2 mile loop around Nike.
Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have nothing against forest park though. I feel lucky to have such an amazing trail system so close to my house. Just gets old running in the mud all the time, especially when its by headlamp after work making the footing even worse.
I'll have to try that part of THNP bc Ive never done it. I have run the Nike loop many times though and its always good. Thanks for the idea!