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May 29, 2005
I love trail running!
I drove to Quantico to run the 6-mile endurance course. If there's time during drill weekend (next week) after the rifle/pistol range, I want to take my new Marines on a little run. I needed to survey course conditions because it's been almost three years since I've done it. It was one of our physical fitness tests at officers' school to run the thing in uniform and boots (adds ~five pounds) and 35 pounds of combat gear - rifle, helmet, pack, full water canteens, etc. Today I only ran in running clothes and a water bottle, so I felt much swifter. It was great to not run on pavement. My legs were loving it and I felt like a total kid, reveling in nature and the mud. The first three miles were pretty easy - rocky and rooty but not too hilly - in comparison to the second half of the e-course. I saw a black snake and someone checking out the zip lines, which are not part of the run. On the second half, the only obstacles I did were the rope climbs and descents (six of them) because I had to do them in order to move on. I wasn't appropriately dressed to do the others, so I just ran by them. An especially challenging but welcomed part of the course (because it signals that the end is near) is the "yellow brick road". The footing is tricky on all the yellow painted rocks and there used to be a bench that taunted weary student officers (as if anyone would stop), but I didn't see it today. When I was done, I had so much adrenaline that I wanted to keep running forever, but I did have to get on with the rest of my day. I wish I could run off-road every day.
Posted by Leilani at May 29, 2005 11:10 PM
Comments
quantico is a tough place to run! i remember doing land navigation courses there and running the course to get to all the ammo cans. lots and lots of terrain...but it sure was beautiful!
Posted by: jeff at May 31, 2005 05:08 PM