Weekend Workouts

My goal for the next 3 months and 4 days is to get out to George Washington National Forest every weekend. It is a must. I started off the month of February, and ended January, on a good note. The weekend of Jan 26-27, it's almost surprising to say that on that weekend I hit the trails for the first time since MMT 2006. I followed it up with the Uwharrie on Feb 2nd and taking a break on Sunday to travel.

This past weekend, I got in another couple of good runs. Knowing the weather was supposed to be worse on Sunday, we decided to head out west on Saturday and stay closer to home on Sunday. On Saturday, we headed out to GWNF and picked up the Massanutten South Trail just west off Luray off of 211. This parking lot is Aid Station #8/10 for MMT. I covered the out section to Bird Knob at dusk, and had to return over the rocks when it was nice and dark out. I was fortunate to have a handful of other runners with me to help me find my way, or else I might've gotten really lost! So it was nice to get out on that section again and see both the out and the back in the daylight. One of these days, I'd like to get out there again to run the out/back, then continue north up toward Gap II, but come back down to 211 as if I were leaving Gap I. Doing that alone would give me about 16 miles, or I could cut it to 6 miles if I cut over to Crisman Hollow Road from Scothorn (instead of going up to Gap II) and pick up the trail again before the Waterfall mountain trail to the connector to 211.

On Sunday, I was expecting it to be cold and windy, but my sister and I were a little overdressed when we headed out to Prince William Forest Park at 8am to run the course of the 24 ATR that will be held in April. We parked out at the Turkey Run Education Center and took the High Meadow's Trail to the corner of Taylor Farm Road. We ran clockwise (the course switches directions every year) down to South Valley Trail before heading west on SVT to Mawavi Road. We turned around after this 'stick' portion and picked up High Meadow Road back to TREC. It was a nice easy run since it's not too challenging of a course, but I could tell the legs were still feeling it from Saturday's run.

This Saturday is MMT training run #2 that goes from Camp Roosevelt to Gap I/II to Moreland, up and over Short Mountain to Edinburg before ending at Woodstock Tower. It looks to be a good weekend to get in some good miles on some good terrain. I'd like to stay a little closer to home on Sunday and maybe do 10 miles or so of the BRR course or do a different loop in PWFP. I find myself pouring over PATC maps and other maps of local trails trying to figure out where to go and how many miles to get in.

Decisions, decisions, but I'm already looking forward to it.