The Poto Report

Just wanted to boast about a new route I ran yesterday. Okay, I also ran a new route today, now that I think of it. Both were great, but yesterday's was really notable.

Yesterday my husband and I spent over 2 1/2 hours driving out to Pinckney to try out the Potawatomi Trail (The Poto) in Pinckney Rec Area. It should have taken us 1 1/2 hours to get there, but this time of year in Michigan, the roads start sprouting orange and white barrels and one should really check the DOT website for road closures before driving ANYWHERE! We forgot to check.*sigh*

Anyway...

In one week, I'll be running the Michigan Trail Half Marathon over the same trail I explored for the first time yesterday. It was incredible! What a beautiful park and an awesome trail. It had just the right amount of hills and rocks and roots to stumble over (and stumble I did!). Since the trail crosses through some rustic campsites (which we made plans to visit!), there are a few places to refill water bottles along the way. That was very fortunate as I was out of Gatorade just as we came across the first water pump! It was a warmer day than I've been used to so far this season, and I was drinking a lot! There are some spectacular views from the trail of lakes and rivers. At times we were running along ridges with nice steep sides - the view from up high was amazing.

Several Spring ephemerals were already blooming and I rediscovered how hazardous wildflower watching while trail running can be. Also, while driving in to the park, I saw a patch of Bloodroot (my favorite Spring flower) and slammed on the brakes to get a better look. My husband must have thought I was nuts!

I also realized how dangerous a trail marathon could potentially become. We did 13 miles yesterday at a moderately easy pace. Near the end it was obvious how much more often I was tripping over rocks due to my fatigue. That experience made me think twice about doing a Fall trail marathon. The last thing I need is a broken arm and a cracked skull with no medical insurance. We'll see...

If I do choose to do a Fall trail marathon, I am now better prepared for the training as today I picked up a new pair of trail runners! New gear alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ended up purchasing the same model as my current trail runners sans Gore Tex. I already know they work great for me, I just needed something more breathable - a summer trail shoe. Here they are: Salomon XA Comp 3 W -- I got them in green!