I had an insane amount of things going on over the weekend. This is where running long on the weekend starts to get harder and harder. I had to change my whole training schedule around to be able to get a 9 miler in after work on Friday. If I changed clothes before I left work and stopped on the way home I would be just have enough time before it gets dark to get it done.

I really wasn't feeling it. I thought if I went to my favorite spot and added the soft trails that I haven't ran before I would be able to get motivated and get it done without having to do loops.

This is newest paved extension of the Ivy Creek Greenway

It ends here and this trail heads into a heavily wooded loop to send you back the way you came.

This is a trail I had only ever partly been down before. It goes all the way around to the extra parking lot for the Gwinnett Heritage Center and connects to the perimeter trails there. This trail is a BEAST!

Random climbing walls hidden way back along the trail

Massive construction and trail expansions going on. This was a really steep trail and just before I got the the back side of the festival parking area I saw this black spot tumble across the trail about 20 yards ahead of me. Those who know me know that I can't see sh*t without my glasses far away. I figured it was nothing until I got closer to where it had crossed and heard a loud rustling in the long grass trail side. That is when I discovered it was a black bear cub. I was exhausted at this point but managed to run like I was on fire because I did not see momma bear and I sure as Hell did not want to.

This my friends was a first (and hopefully a last)

I was more than happy to be running next to the road shortly after that encounter.

One of these days i am going to come back with my son and do this ropes course and zipline they got going on here.

This short little trail was a new one and very pretty. The Scouts did a great job

There are some mill ruins along the way

And a waterfall. All right next to the Mall of Georgia

Not my best run but the bear encounter was about the only motivation I found but I got it done!