9 miles and my rescue
I ran yesterday’s 9 miles on the trails yesterday. I’ve been wanting to get more trail time in because I think its harder on cardio but easier on the legs, if that makes sense.
Anyway, I headed over to the Pinckney State Rec. Area and went out on my old route. I wore my Flyroc trail shoes which I hadn’t worn in almost a year. They’re such tough little things. There was a bit of snow still on the trails but mixed with alot of mud in places, so the trail shoes were far better than Yaktrax.
Not too many people out there, some hikers, and I could see tracks from recent bicycles and runners (long gait) in the snow. I had forgotton how really nice it is to run on trails. I had also forgotten how much HARDER it is to run on trails. My legs and lungs let me know that I had lost alot of that stamina from last year. I’m glad I’m back out there. I need the workout.
I remember that giant hill from last year.
I ate the thing up in the half marathon. It was hard to recognize it with all the snow again, but once I was near the top (and gasping for air), I could tell that I had just come up it. Yup, I am definately not where I was a year ago. Although reading some old training posts it seems like I was feeling about the same way last year as late as March. Yet, the times from my race in April were much faster. Maybe this gets easier.
I made my turn around at the 5 mile point so I could include the giant hill, and so I took a shortcut heading back but ended up cutting off too much (I forgot the shortcuts already!) and was a mile short, so I ran around to the other end of the park and up the other end of the trail until I had my mileage.
When I came back and was staggering around the truck, a young couple and their small child (maybe 8 or so) came out of the trail head and asked me if I knew where they were. They had been walking for about 4 hours and couldn’t find their way back to where they had parked.
I pulled out my map and showed them where they were and where they needed to go. It looked like they were about 2 miles of trail from their car, if they took the correct path. Taking the wrong path would be about 4 miles. I left them the map and left in my truck because I needed to be back by 5pm.
5:00 pm. Let’s see, 2 miles on the trails, walking about 2 miles/hour (hills, young child) , they would be out there until atleast 7:00pm if they went the right way. That’s well after sundown now. Duh, Jon. They didn’t need directions, they needed help.
Turn truck around.
I found them near where the path crosses the access road, and called out and asked if they wanted a ride to their car. They accepted and we drove back (after dumping all the junk from my back seat into the cargo area, how embarassing). It only took about 15 minutes to drive to their truck, but it would have been a pretty cold and dark walk otherwise. I was missed where I was going, but I guess it worked out well anyway.
I’m feeling pretty good today despite a hard run, although my left achilles is pretty sore. I think the hills really worked it hard. Some good streching today before and after crosstraining should help. Oh yeah, and I think I’m down about 3 pounds. Not very close to my 17, but its a start. :)
January 22nd, 2006 10:28
Great job on the run and awesome that you helped those people!! They wont soon forget you.
January 22nd, 2006 10:45
just a test to see if my comment goes through of if i am still considered a spammer…
January 22nd, 2006 11:02
Did you ever know that you’re my hero?
January 22nd, 2006 12:17
Really, so sweet of you to help them…you would have been worrying all night if you hadn’t :-)
January 22nd, 2006 12:41
I’m proud of you Jon, a lot of people these days wouldn’t care if they made it back alive or what! Good run too by the way, don’t look so close at the watch, just enjoy!
January 22nd, 2006 12:50
Oh, kharma will smile on you for that! Plus, they will undoubtedly do something extraordinary for total strangers too, perhaps inspired by you!
January 22nd, 2006 13:18
Good man! I’m sure the help was most appreciated. Sounds like you enjoyed the trail running and congratulations on being down 3 pounds.
January 22nd, 2006 15:37
Jon, re: your question.
I take Advair.
Rare but serious asthma episodes and asthma-related fatalities occurred in a study with SEREVENT?, one of the components of ADVAIR.
tell your wifey to talk to her doc :)
January 22nd, 2006 16:57
Your comments field has been telling me I’m a spammer lately. =( Hope this goes through!
Good job on the run, I think trails are a lot tougher than pavement
January 22nd, 2006 17:44
Nine miles, nice! And hey, I ran trails today myself… I probably only ran for 2-3 miles today, though, and hiked for another 1.5 hours after that. But this is more of a moutain we’re talking about!
January 22nd, 2006 18:09
That was so righteous of you. I hope you feel as good as they feel relieved.
Also, it is very heartening to see you start putting up some miles again.
January 22nd, 2006 19:47
That’s great that you helped those people out! I can’t imagine being lost for that long and still having miles to go (and with a little kid, too!)
I think that trail race I did last year was pretty hard on both the lungs and the legs. But in general, I think the trails are much easier than pavement for your legs.
January 22nd, 2006 20:15
aww.. you were a good boy scout! I’m so jealous that you got to trail run. I can’t wait for two more weeks so I can try running again. Trails are so much better than pavement for your legs.
January 22nd, 2006 21:20
Hi!
Good run and 3 pounds, eh. Good job.
January 22nd, 2006 21:58
That’s absolutely great - I’m still up 3 lbs, and I haven’t helped anyone and their kids lately.
Jon, you rock!
January 23rd, 2006 13:58
i miss the trails!! and seriously. that was sooo cool to help that couple.
(and i promise, when i get back to the trails, i will take it *easy*!)
January 23rd, 2006 15:52
My hero!! What a good man you are charlie brown. :)
January 23rd, 2006 18:32
One time I was exploring a new trail with my husband when some lost atv-ers came up behind us asking for directions, they looked a little scared of us and of course we were absolutely no help since we were sorta lost ourselves. My husband told me after they drove off, that the look I gave them when the came up to us was one of rage. I guess it was my runnergirl game face to fend off the bad guys. I didn’t even know I had perfected it so well!
January 23rd, 2006 22:40
Besides being an inspiring runner you’re an all-around nice guy. Better late than never on the opportunity to do the right thing. On behalf of lost souls everywhere, thanks.
January 25th, 2006 13:15
Thanks so much for turning around and helping that family. You are in a special category of people not often found today, but you are joined by the couple who (after our moose accident) drove all 4 of us back to our house 45 miles away!
January 25th, 2006 17:35
Great job on the run! It’s awesome that you could help the lost family. I am sure they really appreciated it.
January 28th, 2006 19:03
May we all learn from your example. As “Miles” said in the February Runner’s World, “Isn’t part of running not just about making it to the end, but everything we do along the way?”
January 31st, 2006 05:33
I think I’m more impressed by how you went back to do the rescue than if you’d offered them the ride in the first place. Something about how you thought it through and made some sacrifice of your own rather than pulled it off without much thought or compassion.