If you’re not enjoying the scenery, you’re running too fast.

Blackwater Creek

I’m running as much as ever and running trails at every opportunity but a hectic few weeks kept me largely unplugged from the digital world.

To make up for it, I give you scenes from the Seminole State Forest, with very little commentary. I ran the trail on Sunday, got lost twice, startled a deer (OK I confess, the deer startled me), got baked by the sun, struggled with runner’s knee, carried too little water and got dehydrated, got scratched, dirty, bitten . . . and loved every minute of it.

I should credit the quote I used for the title of this post as being from a book I'm reading, Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon.  It's a collection of race reports from ultra marathons that I am finding very inspirational.



Luxury accomodations courtesy of the Florida Trail Assoc.



Hiker sign in



This is where you really sense the solitude, a nice change of pace from the long green tunnel.





Eden?



A little road running was a nice break from uneven ground and very easy on the legs.



Getting lost was very easy. The trail looked obvious enough in the top photo but when I reached the tree line it narrowed to a game trail and then vanished. Doubling back I found the actual trail was a much smaller footpath hidden behind palmetto to the right of the trail marker. I didn’t even see it the first time through.



I've been told this is my element.