After a great time at Runyon's wedding I did get in the car and head back to Indiana Dunes State Park. an old favorite and a place I planned on running as soon as I saw I was heading to Chicago. I remembered that trail 10 was just beach running in the second half but didn't remember as much sand on trail 9. But it was always run-able. Was trail 2 un-runable back in the day? I just can't remember.
Today was the best by far that I have felt. I actually felt like I could and should push. I ran out of gas when the storm hit, but fear and exhilaration kept it alive there. I was exposed on top of dunes with lightning striking close and just crushing rain. Beautiful to see it moving out over the lake... every nerve was definitely alive on the second half of this run.
Back to one of my favorite places and it has probably been 15 years... The boardwalk on trail 2 was probably closed then and I avoided it. So that was an out and back to start. Then trail 10 and 9 and the absolute deluge that hit... Then the lightening when I was exposed on top of the dunes on 9! Beautiful watching the storm moving over the lake though. Trail 9 was a slog through horizontal rain and saturated sand... Great fun!
I guess the rain messed with the heart-rate monitor. Obviously not the correct data. My car was in like 8 inches of water when I got back and everything in the car was covered with water and soaked sand by the time I changed. Totally worth it but wow.. that storm came on an crushed. I was tempting fate the entire time as storm clouds were everywhere on my approach to the park. I got away with it for half the run though.
Still... feels like forever since my glutes have been engaged on a run.
Strava:
https://www.strava.com/activities/320752747Garmin:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7974695...