The Early Monkey Gets Extra Miles

A few days ago I saw a Facebook post in one of my groups. Craig Lloyd and Crew, some trail running friends, decided to do an early morning run on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail above the Avenues in Salt Lake City. I know what you're thinking. "What does he mean by early?" or maybe your idea of early is somewhere between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m. Well, in this case, early meant 4:00 a.m. That's right, I got up at 3:30 a.m. in order to go running in the mountains with three other crazy people.

I start teaching school at 7:00 a.m. so I usually don't have enough time to put a lot of mileage in before work. So, when I saw the opportunity I jumped on it. I'd never been on this part of the Shoreline Trail before so I was excited to run it. We met at the Capitol Bldg. and ran up the City Creek Road until we reached the trail head. From there we zig zagged along the well packed trail. It was dark, it was cold (some 6 degrees) and it was awesome.

Trail above the Salt Lake City Avenues

 I ran about four miles up the trail until I reached my time limit and had to turn around. It was nice to get above the inversion, which obscured most of the valley. Craig and Crew kept going another 3 miles or so before they turned around. If I didn't have to work early I would have kept going too, but such is life. Since I traveled back alone, in the dark, on a trail I've never seen in the daylight, I was grateful for the help of my buddies pointing out the trail turnoffs. With their help I only got lost once and was able to find my way back easily. I finished with a little more than eight miles.

State Capitol in the background.

This is the first year I have continued running seriously and outside during the winter. I wonder why I never did it before. Most people say I'm crazy and ask "Why would you do that?" I respond that I have long past the why. There is no why. It just is. Great Trails & Great Friends!