I am proud to say that I was able to make it out for a trail run on Easter Monday. I was still feeling tired and my head was still throbbing but I could not ignore the sunshine that beckoned. Before falling asleep the night before, I pulled out the Bruce Trail Reference Guide and looked at the map of the Waterdown area in order to plan my parking location as well as the distance. When I drove home from Hamilton this past Saturday, I drove through the area and knew that this was where I wanted to be on Easter Monday.
After taking care of stuff at home, I set off for Waterdown in the afternoon. The goal was to do up to three hours of running, followed by Kinndli's class at Kula. Unfortunately, I had to bail from the weekly pool run with Lorene because I was covering for someone at Kula for the weekly Energy Exchange that night.
Upon arriving at my planned parking spot, I slowly got my stuff together before setting off. I was still feeling a little shaky but I kept moving forward. After warming up, I began to find my rhythm and before I knew it, I started having some fun out there.
I marvelled at the view over the escarpment, became really alive when I made it to Smokey Hollow, took in the power of Grindstone Creek, and marched my way up a really steep hill on the way to Snake Road where I turned around to come back.
The view looking south towards Hamilton Harbour
The view looking towards the Burlington Bay
The view looking towards the Queen Elizabeth Way at the Burlington Skyway bridge - the bridge that separates Burlington Bay and Hamilton Harbour
Descending towards Smokey Hollow, I couldn't help but sing "The hills are alive.... with the Sound of Music..." when I was coming down this hill...
Coming into Smokey Hollow Park...
Waterdown Falls... One of the many waterfalls in Hamilton
Grindstone Creek...
Taking a breather before the ascent...
The relentless uphill, looking down after climbing out of Grindstone Creek heading for Snake Rd. This hill then becomes the relentless downhill.
I really liked this section. While the start was flat and boring with a few rocks, the hills were really rocking. I will definitely be back to explore and expand this section during my shorter training efforts. There is space in certain sections to uptempo it and the hills provide a wicked workout as well.
After returning to my car, I drove over to Kula Yoga for 90 minutes of Baptiste Power Vinyasa flow. I was so tired after the day's effort, as well as the fact that my body is still in recovery from the last couple of weeks, that I laid down on the mat and closed my eyes for most of the class after doing the Sun Salutations. Even that felt good. I really needed to hold space in my body for this much needed rest.
I am now switching gears and preparing for the Seaton Trail Race this coming Saturday. I plan to run 78K that day. What I really need to do now is dedicate more time to rest and recover so that I can survive for up to 12 hours on my feet. I am looking forward to this race because this marks the first race in the Ontario Ultra Series. I am also looking forward to seeing those that I have not seen during the winter (especially Ron... hehe...).
April 18th... Bring it on!
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