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!

You're My Blue Sky

This weekend and last were absolutely fabulous weekends for hiking in the park. I had forgotten just how nice the sun feels on my shoulders.... and I was also beginning to wonder if we would ever see the ground again. Beyond the way these warm mid-winter days feel, the sun has done wonders in getting the park roads open to trailheads all over the park.

Dave and I haven't gotten to go on a hike together since before the summer, with different days off putting us in a solo hike/run pattern that we both like, but I know that I was excited about chance to get out in the woods with Dave for a little recreation.

Both weekends were spent in Cataloochee, partially because we are steering clear of the high country(very unlike us I must admit) at least for the time being, until the drifts and unbroken trails melt a bit. "The Looch" also happens to be one area in the park where we both have trails that neither of us have hiked.

Boogerman Loop was pretty awesome. Although we were both prepared to trudge through mud on Caldwell Fork, the trail was frozen solid which made me happy that we did this trail in the winter. We followed the prints of a coyote along the majority of the trail and saw the prints of many other critters (fox, raccoon, etc.). We even caught a glimpse of a wild boar trotting along a ridge above us.

The massive trees are what this hike is famous for. It isn't very common to see such a big piece of mixed species old-growth in the Smokies, but this cove is pretty impressive. I felt grateful for Robert "Booger" Palmer's unwillingness to sell out to the logging companies when many pre-park families were bending under the pressure. You never know what is going to be rare 100 years from now, we could use more of that stubbornness today.

Yesterday was an absolutely brilliant day for hiking. Blue skies and warm breezes made for a great day along Cataloochee Divide Trail. 9.2 mile out and back in roughly 4 to 6 inches of week and a half old snow, but nice enough of a day to make up for the slushy conditions. I can't wait to go back for summer wildflowers and blackberries.

Today's Adventures - Track Work, Courthouse Rock and Ft. Harry

Quite an exhausting day, but when the sun is out you gotta take advantage of it.

This morning, dad and I met at the track for some "speedwork." Neither one of us are exceptionally fast, but we'd like to be. All in all, got a shade over 9mi running in this morning.

                                           In this photo: Brent Worth
                                           " Usain Bolt, eat your heart out"  
                
In the PM, my friend Joshua and I headed up to courthouse rock. An unofficial trail off of US 441 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's quite a hike and not recommended unless you are with someone who has been there before. Despite the difficulty, its worth the walk.

                                                    Courthouse Rock

A little used and hard to follow trail continues on past courthouse rock, to an area referred to as Quilliams Cave. The trail is so steep that there is temptation to tell yourself you are lost and you should just turn around, but I had been here before so we pressed on. Eventually, we made it.

                                          Quilliam's Cave
                                          In this Photo: Joshua Jones

If you've even been to Alum Cave, Quilliam's Cave is similar, but with more water (or ice) coming over the top.

Before we began our hike we made threats of going to Ft. Harry afterwards. It was hard to motivate for once we got back to the car, but we sucked it up and made the trip anyway.

                                                    Ft. Harry

Hope everyone was able to take advantage of this beautiful day, or at least enjoyed a little sunshine.

Injun (Engine) Creek Loop

9.2 miles 1:22:15

Haven't had the opportunity to run this loop since mid-November. This is hands down one of my favorite runs (or hikes) in the national park.

                                          A good loop run for any season


As a run, I prefer to start at the parking lot nearest to Hwy 321. The initial road run makes for a good warm up before the fun begins.

                                            Elevation profile for counter-clockwise loop

For todays run I had no real agenda other than logging some quality miles and enjoying the trail. Cruised through most of the run at about a 9min/mile pace and was satisfied to not have to walk the steepest sections. Despite a large group of school kids behind the ranger station (they thought a guy running through the woods in tights was pretty interesting) there were only two other folks on the trail. As for the road run part of this circuit , I actually ran into more folks on foot than driving.

                                                    Hence the name, injun creek

If anyone is looking for a good winter hike or run thats off the beaten path, this is one of the best.