i expected this

finding new trails to run is one of the best things about living where i do. even though i log a good amount of miles on the treadmill, i love getting my shoes dirty in the great outdoors. i rarely enjoy running along city (or in my case) suburban streets. i'd heard good things about rockville hills park, less than 10 minutes from my house. so off i went, planning to log an easy 5 miles.

easy they were not. and 5 i did not log. the trails were rocky, windy, and at places very narrow and right along the edge of the hill. the scenery and views were AMAZING but this was not the ideal location for me to get in my first few miles after a 2 week hiatus. about a mile into the run i realized the terrain was too rough and in places too steep for me to get in a good easy workout. so i turned back. along the way i ran into a super buff chick and her 3 super buff dogs! for awhile i also ran behind a man who at one point stopped, dropped, and pounded out some pushups. holy christ! i hope i'm that fit when i'm in my late forties!

once back to my car i decided i couldn't just call it a day, so i drove to the lagoon to finish out the rest of my run. and even though the terrain there was familiar and flat, my legs just weren't feeling it. neither was my brain. i managed to eke out another 2.25 miles, though.

so it's a pathetic re-entry into training, but it's to be expected. i'm very much looking forward to yoga tonight. i think my muscles need it. especially before i attempt my 14 mile long run tomorrow. yeah, we'll just see how THAT goes.