The Beautiful Skyline: Katy Trail

One of the best, if not the best, places to run in Dallas is Katy Trail.  This 3.5 mile paved trail is situated primarily in Uptown, with the American Airlines Center and Southern Methodist University (practically) serving as its end points.

Map of Katy Trail [taken from katytraildallas.org]

Cold Weather Running

"It's too cold to go running!" Nonsense. All you need is the proper gear.  The following list contains the essentials for cold weather running.

Lip Balm- Oh yes, chappy, dry, cracked lips are not fun at all.  You can prevent this painful nuisance by administering a nice dose of lip balm/chap stick to your lips before you head outside.

Tissue- When running in the cold, many runners encouter mucous problems.  You will want to be prepared by having a few tissues in your pocket.  Blowing your nose into tissue is certainly favorable to using one's bare hand or glove.

Gloves- Keep those hands nice and toasty with a pair of gloves.  Nothing fancy or expensive is necessary.  A cheap 99-cent pair will do just fine.

Ski Cap- Not so much for your head, but for your ears.  Like the gloves, nothing expensive is required.  A cheap ski cap will suffice perfectly.

Compression Top- Unlike the gloves and cap, a long-sleeve compression top will be a bit pricey.  The comfort and warmth it provides, however, is well worth the price.  Nike and Under Armour have excellent reputations for making excellent compression tops.

And that ladies and gentlemen completes the list.  Notice that the list addresses the upper body; your legs will be so busy running that enough heat will be produced to keep your lower body protected from the cold temperature.  As such, wearing your regular running shorts, socks, and shoes should suffice for cold weather running.  However, if you desire extra warmth, compression pants/tights should meet your need.

So, do not let the cold weather stop you from running.  After ten minutes, chances are you will barely notice the cold temperature.  And as another option to running outside during cold temperatues, you can always run on a treadmill.

Happy running my friends!

World Record Speed: Run Like an Olympic Gold Medalist!

Well, not quite.  BUT, if you train at this high school track you will be training at the alma mater of olympic multi-gold medalist Michael Johnson!

Located in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, Skyline High School (aka Skyline Center) offers a very modest 400-meter track.

Tracks are ideal spots for improving your running speed.  A very common workout for building speed is the 4x400m.  After a brief warm-up (jogging for 5-10 minutes), run your first lap of 400 meters at top speed.  You might notice that after 200 meters your energy and strength are practically gone; you might even have the urge to start walking.  If you have never done a speed workout, you might very well feel like a worthless scrub.  But do not worry, we all have to start somewhere.  Once you reach the end of your first lap, rest for about 2 minutes (or until you feel your strength return).  For your second lap, run at top speed again but be mindful of conserving enough energy to complete the lap at a consistant and strong pace.  Rest and repeat two more times.

Speed workouts like the 4x400 should generally be incorporated into your running routine after you have established a solid running base (which can generally be about six months of consistent running).   



Increase Your Stamina!

Need help with your endurance?  Does your body say, "Stop! I don't want to do this anymore. Just walk dude, no one will notice," after only an hour of running?  Electrolyte Stamina Power Pak by Trace Minerals Research may be of benefit to you.  Not only is this product very effective in increasing stamina, but it's very tasty too!

Based on my experience with this product, Power Pak is an ideal supplement for your "long runs" and for half-marathons.  The best time to consume this product is between your 6th and 8th mile of running; you are guranteed to finish strong (provided you have trained adequately).  You should, of course, experiment on your own and discover what works best for you. 

At only $0.39 per packet, or $13.29 for a box of 32 packets, Trace Minerals Research Power Pak is available in 6 flavors:

-Lemon Lime

-Orange Blast

-Raspberry

-Cranberry

-Concord Grape

-Cherry Limeade   

Inaugural 13.1 Dallas Marathon

[Photo courtesy of Dallas 13.1 Marathon]



More than 2,000 runners participated in the 2011 Inaugural 13.1 Dallas Marathon & 5 Mile Run.  With the starting line and finish line both located in the Arts District of Downtown Dallas, this course took runners through Uptown, Turtle Creek, Highland Park, Katy Trail, Victory Park, the West End, and back to the Arts District.

As an inaugural race, the 13.1 Dallas Marathon was professionally and impressively executed.  Logistically speaking, each aid-station was well equipped with volunteers, water, and Powerade.  Moreover, a huge chronograph was conveniently located at the end of each mile, thus providing runners with the exact time that had lapsed.  Also, an adequate amount of portable restrooms were spread throughout the course.

The Inaugural 13.1 Dallas Marathon included some very unique features.  At about Mile 6, strawberries were provided in addition to the water and Powerade.  At about Mile 11, positioned directly across the American Airlines Center, a drumline offered inspiring, motivating, and rhythmic beats for runners.  And most unique of all, with about a quarter-mile left in the race, the magnificent and groovy Mavs Maniacs danced, clapped, and cheered for the runners.  Performing to live music, the Mavs Maniacs provided runners with an extra push of motivation to finish the race strong.

Front and back of shirt given to participants.

 The ribbon to the finsher medal.

The finisher medal.

This was my 11th half-marathon and I must say the 13.1 Dallas is the best course I have ever ran.  Along with being the best course I have ever experienced, the finisher medal is by far the coolest and favorite medal I have thus far recieved (check out the spinning 13.1; unique and fantastic!).I am certain the 13.1 Dallas will continue to have huge success in the following years and decades and I am certainly looking forward to next year's event!

If you are interested, next year's race will be on October 27th.  Here is the link:
13.1 Dallas Marathon

Eastfield College -Mesquite, TX

Located off of Interstate 30 and Motley Drive in Mesquite, TX, Eastfield College has a blacktop paved 1-mile trail.  The trail contains a high number of curves and bends, which is a bit unusual and will definitely add a little variety to your running routine.  The trail also contains two major stretches of straight path, both of which are flat (i.e. zero change in elevation).  The longer of the two is approximately 130 yards in length, while the shorter stretch is approximately 80 yards in length.   

Directly across the parking lot, this sign is the point where most people begin their run/walk at Eastfield College. 

You will immedately encounter a superabundance of twists, bends, and curves.

More curves.

And more curves.

The 80-yard stretch.

Bravo for the lightposts!

The greatest shift in elevation is shown here, which is no more than a 10-degree change.

Here we are at the L O N G stretch, approximately 130 yards.

Almost done!

View of the long stretch from other end.

Once you complete the long stretch, it's back to the curvey trail.  (Notice the tennis courts on the right.)

Here is a cute, little water fountain if you need water.  It is located at the corner of the tennis courts.

Just a few more curves before returning to the starting point.

Overall, the trail at Eastfield College is a great place to run.  It provides adequate lighting at night, although there are a few spots where the lighting could be improved.  You will be sharing the trail with a diverse group of people: very young to very old; very athletic to very non-athletic; very skinny to very fat; blacks, whites, hispanics, and occasionally Asians.  Indeed, of the many locations I run, Eastfield College has the most diverse population of trail users. 

Crawford Park -Dallas, TX

Located in the neighborhood of Pleasant Grove (Southeast Dallas), Crawford Park offers a splendid course for runners.  Much of the concrete path is tree-lined and runs in a loop. The loop is approximately 1.5 miles long. If you decide to run the tangent path (by the baseball fields) it will be an additional .5 miles (.25 miles forward and .25 miles back) before reentering the loop.  

  

Do not be surprised to encounter people running in non-athletic attire. The majority of people who run here do so in jeans, slacks, button-shirts, and polo shirts. Moreover, do not expect to see people wearing proper running shoes.  

Nonetheless, the scenery is quite pleasing. Along with a tree-lined path, Crawford Park has two hills, both of which are approximately 30 yards in length.  The "Big Hill" has an incline of about 45 degrees, while the "Baby Hill" has an incline of about 20 degrees.

Downhill view of the Big Hill.



Uphill view of the Big Hill.

 

The Baby Hill.

 

One of Crawford Park's greatest flaws is its lack of lighting.  There are no lightposts along the trail; Crawford Park only accommodates the soccer fields, basefall fields and the basketball court with lighting.  Also, please be prepared to encounter rude people who lack common courtesy. Do not be suprised to experience foul language coming from the mouths of other trail users. Mothers pushing baby carriages is a very common sight here. 

In addition to the concrete path, Crawford Park also features dirt trails. 

Danger! Danger!

The most dangerous section of Crawford Park's concrete trail is a stretch of sidewalk on Elam Road. For approximately 25 yards you will be but a few inches from vehicles traveling at speeds of up to 50mph.  The vehicles are going so fast that you will feel the force of the breeze move you a bit.

 

Very dangerous, particularly when people "hog" the entire path.

In terms of the course itself, Crawford Park is a great place to run. Its shortcomings include a lack of lighting, the Danger Sidewalk, a high number of nonathletic scrubs on the running trail, and a high number of rude, unfriendly teenagers.  I generally ignore and/or don't mind these things.  As such, I always have a great work-out at Crawford Park!  Pleasant Grove, that's my hood.