Running & Rambling 1/24-1/30

The Week in Training

1/24/11

4.8mi in 36:30, 7:35min/mile Pace
Caitlin and I made a short drive to Ogle Rd. in the Glades section of Gatlinburg. This road is flat, scenic, and has little to no traffic. A combination that is hard to find in these parts .

                                      The Boss, a.k.a  Mt. LeConte  Elevation 6,593 ft                                      
                                          View from Ogle Rd.

1/25/11
Injun Creek Loop
9.2mi in 1:22:16, 8:57min/mile pace

 A great day roaming the trails of the Greenbrier section of the park. I'm hungry for longer and warmer days on the trails.

1/26/11
Gatlinburg Road Run
8 mi at 8:33min/mile pace

This day delivered a mix of snow and rain, so I opted to run the roads instead. Still managed to find plenty of hills to climb though.

                                About 3,000ft elevation change for this run.

1/27/11
Gatlinburg Track
9.15mi in 1:07:15, 7:21min/mile pace

Met Dad at the track for our weekly run. Cranked out a few 800 meter repeats and a handful of 400's. I truly despise speed work, but maybe it'll translate into a quick time for the half-marathon next month.

Spent most of the afternoon exploring some unofficial trails off of US 441 with Joshua Jones. It had been quite some time since I had been to this area. A few times the trail was very unofficial, as I think we may have been "misplaced."

1/28/11
Cataloochee Divide Trail
9.2mi in about 4 hours

Caitlin and I have been trying to take full advantage of having days off together. The Cataloochee section of the Smokies is largely unexplored for the both of us, so this made two weeks in a row we've made our way out there. When you're working towards getting all the trails in GSMNP, anytime you get to mark a new trail off your list is mostly a joy, but partially overwhelming. The miles of trail seem endless here.

                                          Parking area for Cataloochee Divide trail

If you can't stand to get your vehicle dirty this might not be the trail for you right now.... weeks of freezing and thawing have turned the upper section of Cove Creek Road into a mud pit.

1/29/11
Greenbrier Rd.
5mi in 38:00, 7:36 pace

Went running today sans gloves, hat and tights. Full sun and unseasonably warm, can't ask for better running weather.

1/30/11
Ogle Rd.
7.9 mi in 56:58, 7:13 pace

Roamed the back roads for about 4.5 miles and then ran 3 miles at 6:10 pace on the track. Happy to close out the week with a good base of miles and speed.


Looking Back:
Warmer weather, as well as sidewalks and trails largely free of ice have made this week a joy to be a runner. Piling up the miles has been a pleasure.

                                      Now that I've done all this running... it's time to eat!