Saturday, August 01, 2009

Observations From the Trail






When running for a few hours on a 5 mile loop trail (15 miles) you get to observe a lot especially when you pass the same people and sites multiple times. I have written about the Mecca a few times before - you know, the one where the Osprey nests are. In a way it reminds me of when I used to run in Central Park, NYC every morning. the faces and paces became familiar. Although Central Park just didn't seem as friendly or was it me that wasn't as friendly?


The heat and humidity broke slightly today and even the slightest change made for a better run. I wasn't any dryer in the end but it was a solid run. So, as I made my way around the lake perimeter multiple times, I made a few observations and asked a few questions:


  • Who scoops the horse poop from the wooden bridge and why does the horse go in the same spot on the same bridge? For some reason I find trails (like Assimpink) that allow horses.

  • Pony tails have a cadence to them (not that I would know from my own.) Even in marathons, you can become hypnotized by the bouncing or swinging of pony tails. Maybe my previous blog entry should have been called Asses, pony tails and elbows! BTW, this is a unisex observation.

  • Youngins run faster than oldins. It appears that one of the college or high school cross country or track teams workout on the trail. Both boys and girls fly! But I wondered, will they run 50 marathons by the time they are 50? Longevity matters!

  • Do dogs like to run? I am thinking some do and some don't because some are being dragged by their owners and some owners are being dragged by their dogs. What kills me are the dogs about the size of rats that have to take a thousand steps for one stride by their owners. I saw a guy with a miniature Dachshund today and the dogs legs were like the pistons in an 800 HP NASCAR engine.

  • Mecca is a place for everyone: runners (fast and slow), walkers, bike riders, hikers, boaters, fisherman, weight-challenged, food-challenged, mentally-challenged (that would be all of us), half-naked and fully-clothed; the greyhound club, boy scouts, old and young. People are friendly - hardly anyone passes without a hello, good morning, How ya doin' (OK it is NJ.)

  • Its a familiar place - kind of like Cheers - without Norm sitting at the end of the bar. I'm starting to know faces although not names since you pass them in a split second. I suspect, someday, I will know some names too.

  • Groups and solos - Runners have preferences as to whether they run in a group or run solo. Personally, I like the peace and pace of running by myself. Although, I will pace off of others if I can keep up with them. The groups of runners have conversations going. I prefer a conversation with myself. I have enough conversation with others during the week.

  • Going back to the horse poop - I never see dog poop. I guess that is good and people pick up the poop in those little plastic bags. Can you image doing that for a horse? You would need those giant plastic grocery bags. Can you imagine taking a cat on a run like a dog? First, the cat would stop dead in its tracks and stare for no good reason. Then, on a trail run, they would want to climb the trees. And finally, they would scare the daylights out of all the dogs!

Well, that is enough of observations for now. I am sure I will have more random thoughts over time.

1 comment:

BrennanAnnie said...

Hey, thanks for visiting my blog and leaving your link. I had actually visited your blog before and have returned often but somehow missed this post. I love the horse poop thing. I have noticed that as well. Same place every time. And the pony tail is so true. I have been mesmerized by the cadence of mine in the shadow. I don't remember if you were on twitter or not but I am going to post your link there because I know other runners will really like it. If you are on there I am BrennanAnnie. Congratulations on the great finish at Baltimore.