Running with Warriors

Yesterday, Doug and Dennis (ultra warriors) decided to join me and head down towards Wilkesboro to run the Warrior Creek Loop on the banks of the Kerr Scott Reservoir.  All of us live in the Boone area and we were all ready to head off the mountain and enjoy some buttery trail and warmer temperatures after a cold and nasty week of training (very un-ultra warrior like, haha). 

Nice field along the way

The trail was beautiful and we all really enjoyed it.  It is intended to be a mountain bike trail and you can tell with all the sweeping turns and switchbacks on top of switchbacks.  Doug said that the map looked like a small child had just made scribble lines all over the paper.  After running on the trail, that would be a correct observation.  The trail was all over the place, but it was really fun.  Because of all the switchbacks, there was never really a steep grade to go up or down.  You could really settle into a nice

Doug and Dennis cruising

pace and keep it there almost the entire run.  There weren't many technical sections on the trail, and the two "rock gardens" were advertised before you reached them. Other than that the trail was buttery smooth and had some pretty sweet views of the reservoir.  If you know anyone that doesn't really enjoy technical trails or someone who is new to trail running, this would be a perfect place to take them.

After about 13 miles of running the Warrior Loop, we were back at our cars and it was decision time to keep going or pack it up and head back up the mountain.  Dennis and Doug decided to head on back, but I decided to stay behind and get some extra time on my feet.  Instead of doing another Warrior Loop, I headed out on the OVT trail.  This section of the trail was quite a surprise as it was quite mountainous at first and then completely flattened out along the banks of the Yadkin river.  I ran about an extra hour and a half on an out back on the trail and finished the day with about 22 miles.  This was a little shy of the number of miles and hours on my legs I was shooting for, but I needed to be back in Boone by 6 o'clock.  Here is the garmin data from the run (very unaccurate because of all the switchbacks) and some more pictures below: Warrior Creek and OVT