Went out yesterday for 8 miles and ran along the Hawthorne Trail. It is an old rail line that has been paved with blacktop and runs for 15 miles from Gainesville out to Hawthorne. It is about half shaded, so still quite hot and sticky, but simply gorgeous. Quite, calm, peaceful, natural, enough other people to not feel all alone, but not so many that it was in the least intrusive.
If you are looking to get on to the trail, there is ample parking at the Boulware Springs trailhead (3300 SE 15th Street in Gainesville). This is about 1 mile into the trail, leaving many to go. Even if you wanted to run a full marathon out there, you could easily do 13.1 out and double back for the second half. In fact, I foresee doing a lot of my long runs out there.
Weather continues to be brutal, regardless of the time of day. Total time for 8 miles was 1:05:00-ish. Not a great effort, but not bad considering the conditions. I feel okay doing the runs, so I think my speed will be there when things cool down. I think today, I am going to resign myself to the 'dreadmill' just so I can get a decent run in without soaking through my clothes.
Bonus: as a treat for my long run yesterday, got a calzone from Satchel's for dinner. Clearly, I have no idea how I lived in Gainesville as long as I did without finding Satchel's, but I will blame it on living on campus as an undergrad. PB&J calzone was awesome, but next I think will be a pesto or white pizza.
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