Georgetown lake, 27 miles around, and it was all mine today! What a great morning! Please check out the pictures, I took over 60 of them, running the trail CCW. I started at 6:15 and was done at 11:35, for a 5:20 total time, including some messing up with flickering and dying clip-on light (as usual, I don't put new batteries for a training run), a handful of 1 minute route finding, bottle switch from the pack, water refill from the camp's spigot with 10 miles to go, some short chats last 10 miles (finally, people!), gel eating (all 10 of them) and pit stops, not to mention camera job! Wow, I love this place! It was my second time around, first being when I just moved here, with Larry, and I have no clue why I haven't gone back until now. That time we did it in 6:20 or so, and the trail seemed to have been so technical! It still is, but I got used to it and learned how to tip-toe on it. The beginning 7 or so miles (going from main parking lot CCW, across the dam first) are more or less flattish and very rocky. You get a handful of double-tracks and some nice single track through the grassy fields and wild flowers, open to the sun. Past 10 mile marker post (17 miles into the run this direction) you get into real hills, and back into technical rocky sections again. It's relentless. Over half of the trail is tree-covered, which is really nice for the Texas running! Last mile or so is loose gravel for short-distance urban hikers, and it kind of eats you up at the end, but that's my only complain (either that, or running out of water with 1.5M to go). I had a blast! Felt strong (forget last week's suffer-fest of 15 flat miles!) and enjoyed it tremendously! Saw a real fox too! Took some nasty recovery drink as soon as I finished since I really want to put a couple of tempo runs next week. Was so happy going and all I could think about was how much I love trails, long runs, and being alone while at it. Puts so much of life in perspective. Boy, did I miss these things since last year with those stupid injuries! Not that my foot didn't hurt, but heck with it, I was running, and it held up! I got so lucky with the day's weather, this week was simply the best Austin has to offer, when the day's temps hardly reach 70's, the air is practically dry (I'd say below 70% humidity for sure), and you can actually whisper that you like living here...for that month anyway:)
Hope your weekend is great, and please check out the album!
Hope your weekend is great, and please check out the album!
20 comments:
Nice run, Olga! And so glad your foot is holding up. I raced the Buck Mountain Mudslinger @ Silver Falls State Park this morning. Not sure that race was around when you lived in Oregon. Every inch of the course was muddy, or snowy (some places more than a foot of snow) or both muddy and snowy. It was great to be on the trails today. Tomorrow I'm heading to the Mac for a nice long run (20-25 miles depending on how I feel) and then tapering for Peterson Ridge!!!! Hope your foot feels good in the Morning.
Nice run, Olga! And so glad your foot is holding up. I raced the Buck Mountain Mudslinger @ Silver Falls State Park this morning. Not sure that race was around when you lived in Oregon. Every inch of the course was muddy, or snowy (some places more than a foot of snow) or both muddy and snowy. It was great to be on the trails today. Tomorrow I'm heading to the Mac for a nice long run (20-25 miles depending on how I feel) and then tapering for Peterson Ridge!!!! Hope your foot feels good in the Morning.
Olga,
The trails look beautiful! Glad that your foot is holding up and you are back out doing what you love. :)
Julie
I don't even know where the Silver Falls park is! New races pop like crazy, I left too early:) Enjoy!
Julie, you should come down and run it!
Nice photos, Olga...congrats on the fast run!
That is awesome! I love it!
Olga, how heavenly to spend the sunrise running through the trails! Solo trips on the trails are such therapy! So glad you enjoyed your morning and are getting back into your grove. Are you still running in the Hokas? Nice photos!
I never ran in Hokas on trails, I glide over too low, even on roads I trip over every nook in them (high off the ground). I run trails in Sportiva's, either Crosslights or Fireblades. I am also trying to see if I can begin running roads in something with enough cushion but not so big. Hoka's served their purpose, to get back into things while not making my foot back to worse, but I never intended to stick with them. Just personal preference, no ill feeling:)
26 miles? Dang, girl! That is a run! Good job, Olga! It looks like an awesome day - would love to run it so meday!
Beautiful trails! I loved the pictures...what a wonderful run! Hope the foot continues to hold up...and feel better! What brand is that clippy light? It looks interesting.
And congrats on the Competitor blurb and becoming VP! We like some of the same things. :-)
Sarah, I have no clue on the clip-light, I found it somewhere a year ago. It's a great way for a before-the-sunrise miles and to not carry the real one. Now that I need to replace the battery, I better check what the heck the name of it is:)
haha....let me know. :)
haha....let me know. :)
This is heavenly! Beautiful trails you got in there! You might be interested in getting a running watch, runningwatchreview dot com offers the best running watches. Be also amazed!
Olga, I have to agree with you! Lake Georgetown was my primary training ground while living in Austin (Round Rock to be precise). I never quite managed the whole thing. Went once to do CCW but never picked up the trail on the western edge so turned back to retrace my steps to the main parking lot. I also thought it would be a great place for an ultra!
It could be a fantastic venue for a trail marathon...it's been discussed, but no moves made yet.
Good to hear from you!
Pictures look sweet. I am glad you are feeling well again! I will have to try and get our San Antonio crew out there during the summer once or twice.
Yes, you should haul y'alls butts over here! may be not as much climbing, but some variety:)
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