Kicking off Marathon Training

Now that the weather has cooled off a bit. I have decided to begin training for my next marathon. It now been a year since my last one, and I am beginning to feel the itch to run one again. So yesterday afternoon I went for a relatively easy 12 mile run. Dang, is it nice to be able run in the afternoon again.

Cutting through the soft sand of the open desert is always very tiring. It always reminds me of those dreams where I am running but my legs don't work right and feel bogged down. Still running though such soft sand is an excellent workout.

I love running along the railroad track because of the line of salt cedars that the railroad has planted as a windbreak creates some rare shade. I do find it ironic that while railroad is spending time and effort maintain its windbreak of salt cedars a few miles away along the river versions agency are spending a lot time and money trying to eradicate salt cedars which are a horribly invasive non native species.

Often when running along the railroad track a train will come up from behind me. This is no real safety issue as I run well off to the side of the tracks and can hear the train coming long before it gets to me. Still the engineers always see to think it is necessary to sound the their whistle when they are just a few feet behind. Damn, that almost make jump out my skin.

I love running through the farmland this time of year, all the lettuce and broccoli fields are so pretty, such multitude of shades of green. I also really enjoy the strong salad bowl smell that these areas have, for example when running by broccoli fields the smell broccoli can be almost overpowering. But in a good way, it is such a green and alive smell that I love.

I love running along the canals that crisscross the area. Not only only are the beautiful, they area always accompanied by canal service roads which make the perfect place to run. The are flat, not paved, run for miles, and have next to no traffic.