Creek Crossings

Trail running.  What in life is much better?  Sure I know: my family, my spirit, my friends, my athletes and my belief system...but otherwise not a lot is better than being out in the woods.  My preference is alone.  Listening to my breath, smelling the real world, and getting lost in a forest of meandering thoughts.

stock picture of our Poverty Creek 

As most of you know my running has been a bit limited lately.  Training intensity, duration/volume, frequency are all up in the air a bit right now.  That said, I was out in the woods around Pandapas Pond today for a number of comfortable, aerobic and glorious miles!  We locals know Poverty Creek trail like the back of our hands. The sections that stay muddy, the rocky patches, the occasional tree roots, the soft spots with perfect footing...and the creek crossings.  Have you seen our creek crossings lately?  Rocks, flat top rocks, large rocks, placed rocks at step width across the entire creek.  This isn't natural.

old picture, no phone when I go for a run

Are we getting soft?  The reasons for the rocks being placed there are no doubt valid to some, but I can't help ask myself, were they a positive change?  How do I respond when I'm running toward the creek now?  The only choice, back in the day, was do I run through fast or slow.  Now our choices are more numerous....and potentially telling about the runner each of us have become?

Okay, I must stop writing now...gotta get these wet socks off my feet.