More rough conditions

I got out early this morning on the Hinkson Creek Trail to check out the damage left behind from the nearly 36 hours straight of rain Columbia received. It wasn't too bad compared to some other lengthy rain storms we've had, but still there are some tough spots to navigate.

I mainly stayed on the gravel parts of the trail and there are quite a few large puddles covering the width of the trail. I sprinted through those on my tip-toes so I wouldn't get my shoes completely soaked.

There are also some parts on the trail where the gravel got washed up and off the main part of the trail. There are some larger exposed rocks in those places because of that and it is somewhat difficult to get good footing in those areas.

It's tough out there, for sure, but if you're a cross country fan who likes getting dirty like me, you'll love it. It's not impassable and can be quite an adventure, which is what we're all looking for anyway, right?

Have fun!

Downtown running

A few weekends ago, I tried a running route I hadn't used in a few years. In fact, part of it was brand new.

I ran from my apartment on Old 63 South up to the MU campus via Old 63, Stadium Blvd., Ashland Rd. and College Ave. After some running on some pretty steep hills to get to campus, I took a break and walked through campus until I got to Elm St. From there, I ran up Eighth St. to Walnut St. then north on Providence to Hickman High School. I then ran back from Hickman to campus, but then walked the entire way back to my apartment.

This was a nice change of pace from the gravel trails I normally run. It was a great look at some of the downtown and campus buildings in a workout format. It provided challenging hills that helped to build aerobic endurance.

I recommend trying a downtown run at least once a month for some new scenery, if nothing else.

My "dirt dogs"

The conditions on the trails in Columbia are rapidly improving from the time of my last post. The sun has been out in abundance the past few days, drying out the gravel and grass from most of the melted snow and rainfall.

Still, you can count on the spring showers and storms as we continue to roll through April.

That's why I've always had two pairs of running shoes to use on the trails.

One is for good conditions and I try to keep these shoes in good shape. That means not wearing them a day or two after a rainfall to avoid getting them muddy. They are usually relatively new shoes that I have purchased within the last year.

Dirt dogs on the left and better shoes on the right

I keep another pair for the day of a rainfall or to wear a few days after it has rained. This helps you to still be able to get in a creative workout without worrying about destroying a pair of shoes everytime you run after a rainfall. It's good for this second pair of shoes to be older and ones you aren't worried about getting dirty. I usually just use my former "good weather" shoes as my bad weather shoes once I get a new pair. It's a continuous cycle that begins again once I find a good new pair of shoes on sale!

Once you have this old pair, you can run through the trees and grassy areas to continue to have fun running even after bad weather conditions.