I'm really impressed with the system of metroparks around here. There are a handful of them and they have nice, paved trials. Sure, I'd prefer some dirt now and then, but this time of year any trail is deserted so, I'll take the peace and low traffic level.
I'm not impressed with the directions to said parks. There is a highway that rings the city, meaning some long roads cross it twice. So what is a newbie to do when the instructions mention two of those roads and offer no other directional advice?
Mapquest!
So, armed with a set of directions jotted down on the back of an envelope. What, you think I'm gonna print out the directions? Right.
No problem, until of course, I pull off at my exit.
There's a sign for the park. It tells me that I should go the opposite direction my map says. Now, I was suspicious of my new directions anyway. They didn't seem to bear any resemblance to the ones on the website for the park and the map didn't actually seem to show the address being in the park.
Left it is. I began to doubt myself immediately. Eventually though, I found an entrance. After I turned around (on account of missing the turn) I went down the driveway and there I was. Lost. This was not the place. It was however a nice spot to take a picture of the sunset that 5 minutes earlier had been spectacular.
Back on the road, following directions this time, I found the place. Of course, by then my friends had all left (what? no 14 minute rule?). I stretched, searched the map for the route (I thought) they'd take and off I went.
For some moronic reason, I thought I could catch them, at least a mile behind, tired, and alone. I did not catch them. What I did do was tire myself out 2 miles in so when they turned around and picked me up, I was a lifeless, shuffling mass of moist cotton and running shoes.
Fortunately, by this time the sun had begun to warm the air and it was a pleasant run back. After a short stop (where they left me again) I was once more in chase mode. This time I came within a few feet of catching them but decided to put in just a bit more before turning around. I settled into a more reasonable, conversational pace and made it an even eleven miles before calling it quits.
We stood around and relaxed after the run, the cool air refreshing us. Wrong turns aside, it was a good run and a great day. A new route I can run and a few more miles in the books.
