Friday, October 09, 2009

Running in the Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary

I had to travel to Lewiston for a teacher's conference today, and I arranged to meet up with my friend Val for a run at the Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary afterwards. Great run, but I was taken a bit by surprise at the terrain.

No offense to any birders out there... I really enjoy trying to identify our fine feathered friends myself and keep a couple of bird feeders out back and really enjoy seeing who flies in... but when Val mentioned we'd be running in a "bird sanctuary" I imagined flatter terrain that would be relatively easy for those who might not be in the best physical shape to get around.

Not the case. Any birders looking to cover any ground here better have some strong legs, because the sanctuary features many intensely steep hills that are also pretty technical. I loved it, and was pleasantly surprised. The woods are awesome, featuring some older growth trees and cool terrain.

Val and I went along at an easy pace, chit chatting about running, work stuff and just life in general. Was really glad she brought me here, she was great company and it was fun to explore new trails. And, the weather cooperated as well, with no rain falling. Only problem was some chaffing issues, but thankfully it was a shorter run.

Ran 4.4 miles @ 10:03/mile pace.
AHR/MHR - 141/164
Trails, mostly technical with some smoother sections.
Extremely hilly.
Mid 50s, overcast.
Brooks Cascadia 3s, shorts, long sleeved shirt, cap.

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