Columbus Zoo

Here are a few photos from the Columbus Zoo (http://www.columbuszoo.org/), a great spot to visit especially now that spring seems to have finally arrived.

Clear Creek Metro Park

Well, with my 50K trail race less than 2 months away (gulp!) I figured it was time for me to put in some miles on some hilly trails. So, this morning I packed up some Gatorade, a couple of bagels, and some vanilla PowerGels and headed for Clear Creek Metro Park. If you've not been to Clear Creek, I would certainly recommend it. Its part of the Columbus Metro Parks system, but its actually down along 33 past Lancaster - about 50 miles from my driveway. Perhaps not really the right park if your plan is to play some soccer or softball, but its a quiet, secluded park, with great trails (including a pet trail).


http://www.metroparks.net/ParksClearCreek.aspx

It was a beautiful morning out there today - blue skies, with just a few high clouds ... light breeze, but that was quickly blocked when I entered the woods. Of course the trees haven't leafed yet, so the sunlight filtered through to the trail in patches. All things considered, not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning.

I wore my heart rate monitor during the run, mostly for curiosity. I didn't think I'd be able to maintain a consistent heart rate given the terrain on the trails, and that turned out to be the case. My heart rate varied from a low Zone 1 up to a few clicks above my AT in Zone 4. For the most part, however, I was able to keep it in a comfortable Zone 3. Today's run wasn't so much about pace, as it was just spending some time in the hills. Overall a good training day, but I've certainly got some work to do over the next 7 weeks!

Here are a few photos from past visits to Clear Creek: