Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Nebraska

Travelled to Omaha, Nebraska last week. Its always a welcome challenge to find places to run when visiting somewhere new. Discovered a network of single track trails just over a mile or so from the hotel we were staying at. Went out running the first afternoon in town and came to a park called Tranquility Park, which looked like it was nothing more than several soccer fields with macadam pathways that went around and between the playing fields. But saw a large power line adjacent to a gravel parking lot and decided to see if could follow (I've always been fascinated by power lines, those large ones that look like big green Ts with lines attached to both sides.... and the notion of wanting to see how far I can follow them).

So bypassed a metal gate and followed a dirt road aside of the lines until discovering a narrow single track trail cutting thru the meadows of high prairie grass interspersed sporadically with purple and yellow flowers that grew atop thorny type weeds (quite a pretty sight). Found a single track trail no more than 8-10 inches wide that was part of a  network of trails that covered probably a good 12-15 miles weaving back and forth parallel to a bigger road that headed to the north and out of the city. Trails had numerous small hills and twisted in and out of prairie lands as well as wooded areas. Reminded me of some of the trails that I've run in Colorado. Saw a wild turkey and its young twice (the first day the mother turkey even tried to attack me as it may have perceived me to be a threat to her chicks).

Did a solid hill work out/ tempo run one morning on the roads. 8 miles, which primarily constituted 4 repetitions of 2 long hills on 2 boulevards that intersected.

Got in more miles than I had planned but was pleasantly surprised by how good and challenging the running was out there (didn't expect the hills. ).  Also some good running with my Dad and time spent on the roads and trails of the Midwest.

No comments:

Post a Comment