Ryan Ploeckelman co-hosts Ryan and Gretchen in the Morning on Q108
Last week I shared some of my favorite places to run on pavement; now let’s go off road and hit the trails. Trail running is my real running passion. Nothing beats putting some miles down in the middle of the woods.
There are some differences between trail and road running.
First thing that is different about trail running is the speed. You will be running about two minutes a mile slower than you would be with the same effort out on the roads. Roots and rocks on the trail cause you to shorten your stride and you must move from side to side to avoid bigger obstacles. You will go up a lot more hills than you usually would on the road. I know a lot of people hate hills when they start running; that’s ok, just walk the hills. In trail running we never say “walk”, we say “power hike.” It sounds way cooler.
Next you have to make sure you are watching the trail in front of you. Always scan about five to ten feet ahead of you for things that could trip you up. It is easy to zone out on the road and just let your mind wander, but if you zone out on the trail you will end up with your face in the dirt. Trust me, it has happened to me a bunch of times.
The shoes are also different. You don’t have to run out and buy another pair of shoes if you just want to try trail running. Your road shoes will be fine, but if you find that you enjoy trail running and you want to keep doing it, I recommend getting a good pair of trail shoes. Trail shoes differ from road shoes in a couple of ways. The bottoms of the shoes have “lugs” and other aggressive traction features that make it easier to grip the dirt, mud and rocks. They usually have a hard plastic rock plate in the sole to help prevent sharp rocks from bruising the bottom of your feet. I know that sounds like it would make the shoe really heavy and stiff, but I promise you that you won’t even feel it, but your feet will be thankful that it is there.
My favorite trail running spots around town:
Rotary Park
This is my favorite place to run in all of Clarksville. I have carved out a little 5.25 mile loop that my friends have named the “Ploeckelman Loop”. I have wanted to mark it, but I was told that would need special clearance from politicians and ain’t nobody got time for that. Since I can’t mark out my loop and share it exactly with you, I will tell you that the best thing you can do at Rotary is just go out and explore the trails. Get lost and explore the whole park and you will eventually find a nice route that you like, and you may even by accident discover the “Ploeckeman Loop”.
Dunbar Cave
The trails at Dunbar Cave are nice if you don’t ever want to be too far from your car. There are two loops, one is just under a mile and the other is just under two miles. There are some killer hills at Dunbar that will wear you out for sure.
The Fort Henry Trails at LBL
You can find this trail system at the South welcome station at Land Between the Lakes near Dover. These trails are rarely used and poorly marked, so get a map from the welcome station. I get lost here all the time, and once I even ended up on a camel farm just off the park. There is a place to get water about 13 miles in at the Piney Campground. These are great trails that will take you deep into the woods and you might not see another soul the whole time you are there. Ticks are bad here so wear high sock or use some “industrial strength” bug spray. The full Fort Henry loop is about 20 miles. You can also access the North/South trail at the South Welcome Station. This trail goes 57 miles all the way to the North Welcome Station.
Some say they don’t want to hit the trails because of snakes, but I can tell you that I have spent hundreds of miles on these trails and haven’t been bitten once. Keep your eyes on the trail and as long as you don’t step on one you’ll be fine.
Some women have expressed anxiety about going out for a trail run by themselves. They do have some pepper spray and mace options that are pretty compact and will fit into the pocket of your running shorts, or grab a few friends to go with you. I have run these trails a lot and have never seen anyone suspicious or creepy lurking around, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. It is never a bad idea to let loved ones know where you are going and how long you will be gone.
Make some time this week to try trail running and explore some of the trails around the area. I think you will enjoy running somewhere that you don’t have to breathe in exhaust fumes. Next week we will talk about running in the heat of summer.
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