Sunday RUNday at Rithet's Bog

It was barely above freezing and kind of damp outside when I first woke up on Sunday morning... I knew I wanted to get in a short run but I also had a few other things on my to-do list so gave I it some thought over my morning coffee and came up with a plan to incorporate it all.

One of the errands on my list was picking up a few registration forms from the Weight Watchers Store to take to one of my Thursday meetings this week, and there would only be someone there till about 10:30 a.m. There is a grocery store in that same strip mall that had cauliflower on sale for 2/$5 which is a phenominal price as they have been as high as $6.95 each lately, and I wanted to check that out.  So... where to run.

I remembered that there is a waterfowl conservation area a few blocks away... called Rithet's Bog... and even though it is low-lying I know that the gravelly dirt trail that loops the perimeter is well-maintained and sits a bit higher than the bog itself.

So, I made us some breakfast, packed some water and a chilled premixed Premier Protein shake for us to share after the run, and we dressed and set off in the car for the 15 minute drive.

This map is from the Rithet's Bog web site

I particularly like that there are no horses or bicycles allowed on this trail... it is just not wide enough for that.  There are a few small hills and lots to see.  Several small ponds on the inside of the trail loop provide habitat for mallard ducks and red winged black birds, and we have also seen deer and the odd racoon as well.  Most people that walk the trail with their dogs are very careful to keep them leashed.

I had thought that we might run into some washed out spots but there were none so we did the 2.8 km loop in just over 23 minutes and then stretched while we shared the water and Premier Protein shake that I had packed.

The Captain, back on the street near our parked car

After that we headed to the strip mall a few blocks away where I was able to successfully complete my errands and score some lovely heads of fresh cauliflower!

Are you a trail runner?

What is your favorite Sunday morning distance?