New Running Route!!

I think I mentioned in my last post that I found a new running route. There is a dike that goes around Elk City. It has always been there and I've never really paid any attention. Ok, it hasn't always been there. Obviously it was built at some point. As long as I can remember it has been there. Anyway, it has been gravelled. Normally running on gravel doesn't really excite me, but in this case it does. It has been driven on and is packed down. That means I have a really nice running path! I get sick of running the same routes day after day, so this is pretty darn exciting. It clearly doesn't take much.

Sunday Rick and I walked the whole thing. If I start at my house, go to the highway, get on the dike, follow it to the end, and then come back, it is 4.5 miles. Add a little run over the river bridge in the middle and I'm pretty close to 5 miles. Tuesday I set out for a 4 mile run and decided to run the new course. I brought my phone to take pictures hoping to see some deer or something. I didn't, but that didn't stop me from taking pictures! Without further ado, here is my new route:

Just a picture of it after I turn a corner. If you could see through the trees you would be able to see my house on the left.

In some spots, the gravel isn't packed down. I walked these areas. The picture doesn't really do the depth of the gravel justice. I got quite a leg workout.

I'm thinking in this spot I wouldn't want to step wrong and fall. It looks like the roll to the bottom would be slightly uncomfortable.

The run goes right past the water treatment plant. I didn't take a picture of that, but I did take a picture of this. I will let you figure out what it is.

Did I mention that I had to climb over a few gates? It's a good thing I'm a country girl! Climbing gates is something I'm quite familiar with. You can see two gates in this picture. I cross both of them twice.

Did I mention that I'm technically trespassing?



I see nothing on the sign that says violaters will be prosecuted, so I went on. Ok, to be honest, I would have anyway. Most kids who grew up in this area spent hours playing on this dike. No, that doesn't make it ok, but it makes me think I probably won't get in too much trouble.

I think this sign looks less menacing:

After that I decided to put the phone away and acutally run instead of stopping every few minutes to take pictures. I very much enjoyed my new route and can't wait to run on it again. It isn't as easy as running on the road and I won't do it all the time. It will be fun to add it to my routes though. And who knows, maybe some day I will be able to show a picture of a deer!

Today I signed up for my next race. It is another 25K trail race called Turkey & Taturs. Here is the website if you want to see what I'm doing: http://www.tatur.org/TurkeyAndTATURs/2006/50K.html

Happy Running!! ~Mel