8.5 Miles through the woods to 7-11 and back.

Run date: Sunday, June 20, 2010
Run time: Sunset

It is a pleasure when a frequent running route is rejuvenated on a nice summer evening. One of the common trails I take is the one heading south from where I live towards Scott Woods and Hawk Island Park in Lansing. Despite the fact that these areas are scenic, they can become a bit dull when run more than once per week.

This evening's run broke through that for a couple reasons. First and most importantly, the generous growing season here in mid-Michigan has contributed to thick, lush vegetation all over the city. The wild flowers are now in full bloom, and on this, the most frequent of my running trails, I experienced a multitude of colors. As the sun set, the sky was beautiful, while the air around me was cool and filled with sweet smells of green and bloom.

At one point along the trail, I ran next to about a quarter mile of thick and tall mint. Just lovely. Another reason that this route was so refreshing was the fact that I just discovered the last leg of the trail--extending from the south side of Hawk Island Park all the way down to Jolly Road, where it dumps you out at the 7-11. Just lovely.

View 6-20-2010 in a larger map

I saw four deer grazing on my way back north. Here is one--it was comfortable having me within 100 feet.

And here is another....can you spot it?

Here, maybe, is a reason I need to be a little careful gallivanting around the forest. Last weekend's storm knocked trees down. In this one, you can see the huge splintered trunk. Later, I realized that the path led me right underneath a large tree leaning on another, trying to fall all the way to the ground.

Father's Day Bike Ride in Lansing -- Happy Father's Day!

Wish I could have done that.

Created by My Tracks on Android.
Total Distance: 13.86 km (8.6 mi)
Total Time: 1:28:45
Moving Time: 1:23:48
Average Pace: 6.36 min/km (10.2 min/mi)
Average Moving Pace: 6.05 min/km (9.7 min/mi)
Min Pace: 3.92 min/km (6.3 min/mi)
Min Elevation: 211 m (692 ft)
Max Elevation: 237 m (779 ft)
Elevation Gain: 173 m (567 ft)
Max Grade: 11 %
Min Grade: -14 %
Recorded: Sun Jun 20 20:11:16 EDT 2010
Activity type: street running