Use this topic for posts that will collect community stars for the Black Diamond Trail course. You can also ask questions or make comments about this course.
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Replace the boilerplate text with your report for one or both sections. The Story header is key for distinguishing between posts and replies—don’t change it.
Your post must be on the same calendar day as your run as entered in the leaderboard.
Story
To pick up a community star, replace this text with a write-up of what your run was like, a photo you took on the run, a link to your Strava track, or something similar. Don’t delete the Story heading above.
I started at the new parking area and ran halfway down and turned around. Though I seriously considered running all the way down, but then I would have to walk all the way back and I just didn’t have the time for that.
It was a spectacular morning to be out on the BD with the sun shining, the side waterfalls and streams roaring, and the leaves just starting to come out on the trees. Lucky for me it was such a nice day as I ran the BD twice, all the way up and all the way back, with a Taughannock Rim and Falls course in the middle. It was on the chilly side so not that many others out this morning.
Fellow dad Tim and I took our kids for a ride up and down the Black Diamond Trail today. The crushed gravel must be very relaxing because both kids napped for the most of the run. We capped it off with a visit to the Children’s Garden.
That was my 5th stroller course of the Challenge and also the longest stroller run that I’ve ever done.
nothing like a 2 mile warmup to an 8 mile run particularly when it is a time of day I’m normally eating dinner - and after a weekend spent mostly behind the wheel of a car. But I was determined to get the challenge of this course behind me, so I doggedly set out - and that was about the only dog I saw this time…anyhow, didn’t see a single TCAT bus on the way out, so no free ride to the start. And once at the start it was up, up, up..it was with grim humor that I snapped the end of the telephone poles lining the trail as the last two marked a portal that seemed to say “Abandon all hope..” but really were only saying “only 6.25 more miles to go!”…not sure there was much difference but I chugged on. It was a nice evening to try this - not too hot, not too windy, and no bugs - but I was surprised at the relatively few others on the trail…occasionally there would be a runner, or walker, or biker coming the other way, but I often had the trail to myself. And oddly enough, not a single dog was out…can’t recall that ever happening before. But there were plenty of critters, particularly in the last third, where lots of bunnies and chipmunks scampered by - and one lone deer balefully staring at me plainly thinking “WHY are YOU out here?” Well - the flox were in full bloom … anyhow, I was running out of gas the last couple of miles, suffering from the hubris of running to the start, but was able to run from quarter-mile post to quarter-mile post..though I never did find mile 0. I just decided the fountain at the restroom at the parking lot sufficed, though for a cooldown I walked down the path to the South Rim trail just to confirm mile 0 wasn’t there…
I ran Gorges with right shin splints. This was not the issue. The real problem was the quick onset of nausea (which I really need to figure out the cause of, which is kind of hard since it doesn’t happen at all during long runs but happened at the Skunk half as well. would appreciate any ideas). Still a good time, though I mainly remember trying to keep a smile on my face through the process of dry heaving.
Eight miles was on the training schedule, so I used the idea of crashing this morning’s group run after party at the Dawson’s as motivation to get up early and get this done. Lots of shade, and lots of chipmunks, red and gray squirrels, and a doe with her fawn.
I like the BDT because it combines the level feel of a road with the views of a trail. It’s getting muggy! Saw a few FLRCers out. Overshot the distance somehow despite turning around at exactly 4.1. Guess my watch just wanted me to get a little extra in.
I did all my chores yesterday and wanted an easy to navigate course long enough to enjoy a 90 minute podcast. Black Diamond Trail ticked all the boxes, and like @raenb0 said, it’s fun to see other FLRC folks out!
Today my dear friend Marie Fitzsimmons and I ran the Black Diamond Trail and it was glorious! It’s been many years since I last ran this trail and I had forgotten its beauty. It was terrific to see so many runners and walkers and bikers using the trail and enjoying this beautiful day. The FL Challenge trails are all so beautiful and so much fun to run.
I started off a big mileage weekend with the Black Diamond to Taughannock route. I usually run earlier in the morning. With the 7:40 a.m. start it felt like the Challengers were out en masse. Lots of familiar faces. My run was the start of the Circadian Endurance Challenge 72-Hour virtual event.
About 1.5 miles into the run I was startled by a loud cracking that sounded like gunshots close by in the woods. I looked up the trail to see a 100-foot tree topple onto the power lines 50 feet in front of me. Somehow the tree then sprang back up, leaving the power lines shaking, with some debris falling onto the trail. Part of the falling limb crushed the wooden railing next to the trail and was large enough it might have killed someone if it hit them. I think I was a safe distance, but was none the less uneasy about it. It’s not a common site while running.
I hadn’t made firm plans, but last night I decided I would set an alarm to get up early-ish to eat in case I convinced someone in my household to be my chauffeur so that I could run down the BDT.
As I put bread in the toaster, my daughter came into the kitchen and asked why I was up so early. It turns out she was meeting a friend in Tburg for a track workout. I bribed her with letting her drive my car, and she agreed to drop me at the top of the trail.
And hopefully someone would be at the Children’s Garden to pick me up.
The run was uneventful. I enjoyed how quiet the first few miles of the trail were. The shade was wonderful, and I just love the sections of trail that cut through the forest.
I’m happy to report that my daughter was waiting for me at the base of the trail.
My family was kind enough to drop me off at the top of BDT so I could do the gravity-assisted version of the course. My goal was to run faster than I did last year (48:09). I would need to average under 5:53 pace to it.
I started with 2 easy miles and 4 strides on Gorge Road to warm up. Then I took off down the trail and tried to settle into a pace that was fast but sustainable. The first mile was a 5:44. Comfortably under goal pace.
On a course with virtually no variation it’s best to run even or negative splits. I ran miles 2 through 6 very evenly: 5:48, 5:48, 5:48, 5:47, 5:47. Miles 2 through 5 felt easy and smooth, but that last 5:47 for the 6th mile was a harder effort.
I was happy to make it that far down the trail before the run started to feel hard. With only 2.2 miles to go I knew I wasn’t in any danger of blowing up so I ran a bit more aggressively. Mile 7 was a slightly faster 5:42.
Just after 7 miles I got a side stitch. Of course I couldn’t stop to walk it off so I just had to endure it the rest of the way. I covered the 8th mile in 5:42. Maybe I could have run that mile a few seconds faster if I hadn’t gotten a side stitch, but every other part of the run went more or less perfectly so I really can’t complain. I threw in a final surge to cover the extra .2 miles in 5:33 pace to finish in 47:09, exactly one minute faster than last year.
but then I would have to walk all the way back and I just didn’t have the time for that.
