I have started my very slow climb back into long distance running. The weather and my really lacking pace has left me running more on the treadmill than I would like but at this point it is about logging the miles and getting my stamina back.

I did get to run at the park on Sunday. It was COLD!

This park is the Hog Mountain side of Little Mulberry Park in Dacula. This side has a 2.25 mile loop around the lake with some decent rolling hills. There is also a disc gold course that has been added that can be ran to add a little more distance but it is a long hill to run. There is also a connector to the other side of the park with a hill that has been nicknamed heart-attack hill. It is the worst hill I have ever TRIED to run. I say tried because I did not ever actually make it even close to half way. It is almost a full mile long. Then there are the horse trails. My daughter used to run cross country and her team would meet on the other side of the park and run these every day. I ran them once with her when I first began running. They are pretty fun. I plan on doing them again when I need to add more mileage and I don't want to keep looping.

There are a ton of scenic little fishing piers all along the lake

98% of the time I run from the top of the parking lot down this hill and head to the right. I don't know why. It is way easier to run starting left.

This is a popular biking spot

I like my solitude when I run. Just me, my music and my thoughts. Mostly my thoughts are on breathing and putting one foot in front of the other, then of course there is the whole argument going on in my head that sounds like "just make it past that corner and you can walk" but then I'll see someone else running and my head is all "ok just get out of that persons sight and you can walk" and then I see another person and that pretty much is the way I run. Secretly not wanting anyone to see me stop so if it is a crowded park I tend to run better because I am competing with everyone who passes me (even if they are walking). It is a vicious cycle. This is a lot of the reason I will not run on a main road...I am racing the cars in my head. I know it is ridiculous. I feel like everyone who passes me is judging me. I literally get anxiety attacks if I run along a road too long.

While this is a very pretty park with lots of options it is also very crowded most days and not my favorite place to run but it is the closest to my house.

I will post more on the Hell hill and other side of the park when I get to adding in more mileage in the coming weeks.