To Trail Run or Not To Trail Run?

Does running ever get boring?  Monotonous? Tedious?  Predictable? Treacherous? Grueling?

Even if you love running, you probably said yes.  What can you do to save yourself?  Change it up.

In attempt to break the monotony of a typical out-and-back on the boardwalk, we decided to try a nearby park that boasts a series of challenging trails.  We know that the loop at Manasquan Reservoir, as lovely as it is, provides very little true trail experience.

We dressed and packed (gatorade, water, and pop tarts) for Allaire State Park.  Leary of poison ivy, I decided to wear light knee high tube socks with my Merrell Barefoot Pace Gloves.

I didn't give myself much time to think about ticks and mosquitoes, but I will find a way to cover my head and skin a little better too.  Fortunately, nothing was biting on this particular day.

According to the website, the path we took was just over 4 miles.  It started with an incline.  And most of the beginning looked like this:

Dodging protruding roots while running up hill is a totally different game for us.  The boardwalk is flat and predictable.  If you look up from your footing for a moment on the boardwalk or on asphalt, you don't usually risk falling on your face.  45 seconds into this run, I realized I didn't want music blaring in my ear.  I needed to be in touch with my surroundings without any distraction.  I'm sure many could make a go at this with music, but for my first time in the wilderness, I needed all senses to be focused on this path.

This was a good call, because I have never been so close to a deer before.  If I had my music on, I might not have heard it.  As I was running, I heard thrashing in the brush behind trees.  The deer was so close I could touch it.  It retreated back a bit and froze in it's tracks.  I stopped as well, until it was clear that the animal was giving me the right of way.  My husband heard the thrashing and thought something was falling through the trees.  He stopped and watched the deer with me.  We wanted to keep going so we did not take a photo.

I am counting the days before my husband will no longer (literally) have my back while we are running.  As he trains for his first half marathon (and has already had a couple of minor injuries) he is being extra cautious and taking it fairly slow.  Before long, I know I will enjoy the challenge of keeping up with him. He got a couple of great shots of me on this trail. 

Somehow, we diverted and ran more than five miles instead of our projected four.  We were able to find our way back to where we started by using the map that his RunKeeper app provided for us.  We both loved it and are anxious to get out there again.

I have to admit, I cannot imagine doing this in regular running shoes.  I would not have had the stability and control I needed in my ankles and feet while running on uneven terrain.  My previous trail running experiences were spent worrying about the likeliness of spraining an ankle or twisting my knee.  The height that comes along with stability shoes does not allow for true foot and ankle control.  In my Merrell Pace Gloves, my only concern was with the possibility of tripping if I was not paying attention to the roots protruding from the ground.

I know that for right now, trails will not be where I work on speed, but the quad strength required to navigate those hills and the agility drills that the uneven ground provides are a great workout and a fabulous (actual) change of pace.  I am also grateful to enjoy the beauty and majesty of a natural setting.  This is where the love of the run actually resides- a place where it doesn't feel like training/working out.

Have you tried trails?