The Midnight Run

So with the reading we have been doing, we are finding it more common that with running into ultra distances it is not unusual to be running at night. This leads us into our long run last week. With both our families having weekend plans we decided to give a night run a try, because really there is no other time that is available.

We leave at 10pm. Run 5 miles, stop for a quick coffee and a map check, and of course a bathroom break. We have been talking about the trans Canada trial over the past while and I had found some maps of where some of the trail is located in Winnipeg, this is the map check. So starting back out we have decided that we are going to find this trail and run some of it. To the forest we head, it is about 11:30pm and very dark, no stars are shining.

Here we are, hopeful and looking forward to a new experience. Shortly after we took this picture I heard something in the trees, could have been a rabbit? Although it sets a mood of eeriness about us and we find it difficult to get going into the blackness of the woods. The pictures are turning out as long as we use our headlamps to light the trail as we go. (a little fix on the computer lightens it up a bit too) The uneven ground is much harder to judge in the dark, even with lamps. This is the entrance and later (about 3minutes later) down the path we decided that we just aren't in for this kind of adrenaline rush tonight, maybe we should re-asses our trail and find another route?

As we turn to leave and head out, something jumps out of the long grass beside the trail, just misses G and I nearly step on it! It seems huge in the dark, as I have no idea if I should even look at it, not even knowing what IT is! But there is something in me that just has to know what has startled me, (insert bad horror movie music here). And as it happens, it was this little frog that has caused our adrenalin to rush though our bloodstream. Time to get out of the forest!

Finding more Trans Canada Trail; I know it is somewhere out here! Aha, yes, there it is...

And now we are off again to follow this trail, through more dark wooded areas, creepy pathways, and many unseen noises!We are heading back towards home! It has been an interesting night of adrenalin rushes and speed work mixed into our long run, but it is time to head home, as it is now 1:15AM. At this point we have travelled about 11 miles, 4 to go. In about a mile from here my feet start to scream at me and I end up walking for almost the whole last three miles!! Frustrating!! It is 3AM.

But we finish with another 15 miler under our belt!

We experienced another oddity with this run, let me know if you've found something similar. Upon waking we both found ourselves feeling hungover? There was NO beer stops along the way, and yet we both felt ill. We had water, maybe it was the humidity, could have been a lack of sleep? Oh well, another lesson learned.

Have a great weekend everyone! Enjoy every ounce of weather we have. There is no scheduled long run for us this Sunday morning, July18Th, as again we all have family plans..... but I will return with another midnight long run story for you next week. Take care.

Nicole