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August 18, 2004
NipMunk Trail Run
NipMunk Trail Run
I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog as I have been away for several days and have had no time to write in my blog. Hopefully once things settle down I can write on a daily basis.
My run last Friday the 13th of August was very fun but difficult due to the humidity of the run. I picked up my nephew who is entering his sophomore year in high school and we drove up to the Uconn campus in Storrs, CT. From there we ran on the Nipmunk Trail for about five miles out and five miles back for a ten mile run. I managed to get us lost in the first ten minutes of the run. I turned onto a side trail sooner than I was supposed to and we popped out onto a nearby road. I did know which road we were on so I told my nephew we could just stay on the road for a mile and hit the trail from the road. He was laughing a little asking me if I knew where we were going and I said I was just a little rusty after having a five year hiatus from the course. We caught up to the trail and after about twenty minutes I had to stop and pour water all over my head from a nearby stream that we had been running near. The air temperature was so warm and it was so muggy. The weather reporters were predicting rain and severe thunder showers at some point in the day and at this point in the run I just wanted the sky to open up and let the rain come pouring down. The only water that poured down on me was my own sweat and the stream water. After about forty five minutes we turned around. I estimated a much slower pace because I felt like I was dragging. Neither my nephew nor I had eaten much before the run. We each had a fig newton and it was now about noon so we were starving. By the time we had a mile to go my nephew who by the way was kicking my butt the entire time finally asked if we were almost done. He barely sweat the entire run and I made him do all the talking which is very unusual because usually I am talking away on a run. Yet, when he asked how much longer I was relieved, maybe he was getting tired? Later, he admitted, that he was just wondering if I knew where we were going. He is in great shape so I believe him. We did find our way out of the trail and managed to return to campus the way I had originally intended. We ran for about an hour and twenty five minutes and walked the last five miles. I was really glad to do this run with my nephew and was really proud of him. I told him I'd be better prepared for our next run. I would be adjusted to the temperature and eat before the run. As soon as we finished we got some cold beverages and then got some sandwiches from Ted's deli on campus. We enjoyed our late morning breakfast/lunch on top of cemetery hill and planned our next trail run.
Posted by mary at August 18, 2004 10:08 PM