Weekend Run In The Sun!

The hill repeat hill.

   This weekend, the temps seem to be returning to seasonable and it looks as though, at least temporarily, the deep-freeze might be over.
   Because of this , I was way more looking forward to getting out for a run today in the bright sunshine!
   I've been running the same little 5K route the last few weeks and thought I would switch things up a little and hit the nearest trail to me. I was a little apprehensive about the run-ability of this trail system, given the huge amount of snow we've had this winter, so I had no real goals in mind. I took my Garmin but turned it off about seven minutes into the run when I realized what I was up against.

Down the little hill and off into the woods!

   The trail system through Warbler Woods starts about  a kilometer away from my place so the first part of the run is on pavement. Just before the woods, there is a long hill you need to ascend, it's the same hill I use for hill repeats. The hill repeats I do once every other year...but that's another story. I ran hard half way up this before I ran out of steam and so walked to the top.
   The entrance to Warbler Woods is at the top of this hill. I had to rather gingerly make my way down off the sidewalk, other people had come before me and there were ruts to follow but still a little scary at the same time.
   After that it was off and into the woods! They were beautiful and very quiet and serene today, no other people on the trails and not much of a breeze, either.

Duck!

   At some point, the trail I usually follow takes me out of the woods and onto some undeveloped grassland. This was part of the trail which had not seen a lot of use and you had to be very careful to walk where other people had walked, otherwise you'd sink in up to your knees. This happened to me a couple of times---a little weird with one leg up in the air on "solid" ground while the other is buried in snow literally up and over your kneecap.
   Not too long after this field, you're back in a subdivision and running streets and sidewalks again. The little bit of a thaw here has meant that the center portion of the street was mainly bare and wet, so it was fine for running as long as you were cognizant of cars behind you.

Out of the woods and into the open.
Anything to the left or right of that
little trail you can see was knee-deep.

   I walked a lot on this run but I ran most of it. As I said, I had no real goals other than to be out in the sunshine getting exercise. Much of the running I did do was also at a faster pace then recently and it felt almost like running intervals.

Headed back to civilization.

   I have no idea what the future holds for these parts, weather-wise. Today, though, it almost felt like we were finally turning the corner. March starts tomorrow and then it's only three weeks to Spring! Hard to believe, after the winter we've had. The again, there's likely a blizzard on the way...