Lavretta Park

A new park that sits on Old Shell Road is in order today.  This park is especially important to me, as it sits between Spring Hill College and my favorite hookah bar in town, which is across from the University of South Alabama (USA).  The run from Spring Hill College to Lavretta Park is very nice, with wide open sidewalks, easy crosswalks, and some gorgeous houses to look at.  This is one of those where just getting there is a brilliant part of the journey.

Lavretta Park itself is rather small, but very well kept.  It also sits within an old neighborhood of small but really pretty houses that look like the inhabitants take really good care of.  It is apparent that this neighborhood appeals to young folks who take pride in their lives.  You can see lots of couples with very young kids playing in the park, parents running with strollers, and people out enjoying nature itself.  It reminds me of the small neighborhood that I grew up in in Central Ohio where everything you'd need is right there within a few blocks.

My wife had mentioned while we were at a different park in town that Mobile likes to spend money on its playgrounds for kids.  We don't have kids, so it's really of no immediate consequence to us, but I personally feel good living in a town that apparently feels that it's important to give kids some fun outside activity.  This one even had a water sprayer (presumably only operational in the summer) for the kids to play in, which I imagine is a huge hit when the temperatures hit the highs.

Another thing that makes this park really cool is that there is a studio for budding artists to learn their trade right in the middle of the park.  I'll have to look a little further into it, but it looks like something I'd like to see if my wife would like to take classes at as it looks like there are classes for all ages.

The loop around the park is only a half mile or so, so it is a bit of a hamster wheel if you're looking to do a lot of miles, but it's a nice run and it appears you'll never have to worry about it being packed.  At most, you may see a few youngsters playing ball on the baseball diamond and some smaller kids in the playground.

 Safety doesn't appear to be an issue and I get the feeling this is a neighborhood that takes care of each other.  I don't think I'd bat an eye at running here at night.  It appears to have lights, although I am not sure how well or often they operate.

 My run itself on this trip was not great.  Slow going between Spring Hill College and the park, then once in I ran and walked the path alternatively.  Not a great pace, but I was looking at hitting a 9 mile mark, so distance was more important than speed.  Next time I hit this park, it'll be a better trip.   Nonetheless, the experience was great and I would highly recommend the mile or so between Lavretta Park and Spring Hill College.  A beautiful and safe trip between the two,

Spring Hill College Run

It is a common strategy in the 08 to log miles on the Spring Hill College campus.  And why not? It is a beautiful campus, it is safe, and you get to run along-side a golf course.


Whichever way you enter and leave the campus, you'll also get to run down the Avenue of the Oaks.  This portion of your run is key to staying motivated.   Running the Avenue of the Oaks stirs thoughts that maybe your run is important to the world at large.  That thousands of eager fans will line the avenue to cheer you on to the finish line where the keys to the city of Mobile await you.  The Mayor proclaims that your arrival signals the end of starvation and the renewal of hope for humanity.

You can make up all sorts of heroics running along this oak-lined drive, which is probably why most pedestrians pay no mind to the fact that it is a road meant for vehicular traffic.

This is not to take away from the rest of the campus, which is well-suited to exercise and has an endless supply of routes to run. Getting the miles in can be difficult as you find yourself looking around and exploring more than you focus on your pace.  Campus has tons of beautiful architecture, statues, churches, a cemetery, a hidden lake, the aforementioned golf course, and a great view of downtown Mobile.

There are several pictures of campus here for you to look at.  It is important to note that this was while the students were on break.

When school is in session, the roads are much more busy and the parking lots are full.  It is also important to note that there are tons of people using Spring Hill College as their outside workout destination and not all students will be happy that you are using their space.  They pay a lot of money to be there and squatters getting in their way may be justifiably met with disdain.
Safety is not an issue at the campus, as they have their own police service and the nature of a college campus usually lends itself to safety.  I will remind you again though, you are surrounded by 18-21 year old kids with cars who are not that excited that you are on their territory.
Either way, it is a great spot to run and if you are appropriately kind in giving the vehicles their right-of-way, you should enjoy your run on Spring Hill College campus.

Medal of Honor Park (Cottage Hill)

A second massive win in the search for great parks in the area, Medal of Honor is another huge park with tons of options.  Where Langan Park was built around leisure activity, Medal of Honor was built entirely around physical activity.  With a soccer field, several baseball fields, a football field, miles of running paths, a huge playground (which I will talk about later), and a Dog Park, this one is for the person on the move.


This park was jammed with runners, but as many of the reviews I have read about MOH have said, you don't feel crowded out because the park is so big.

Running this park is nice, because you can run either a 0.8 mile loop, or add another 1 mile stretch that heads out toward the entrance to the park.  There were a healthy mix of runners doing each or both,  They are attached, so the transition is easy,  You can also tack on a massive amount of off-road miles on trails that lead out of the park.  I made my own off-road path within the park, running behind the baseball fields and running behind the water tower.  It was raining this time, but flooding wasn't an issue and there was plenty of support with red clay to run on.

The one mile extension is also on a pretty decent decline going out and a likewise incline coming back.  Not too big of a hill, but it'll definitely let your legs know you ran up it.

The Dog Park which is attached is a wonderful bonus, and it is a very nice area for your four-legged friends.  The Dog Park is also broken into two sections, one for small dogs and one for large dogs.  Very smart.

Safety again, seems like it would never be an issue.  The neighborhood is very nice and with the baseball parks on premise, I'm sure there are plenty of other folks there at night.  I am not certain of this, but having played ball as a kid, I know we played most of our games at night.

For the kids, there is a HOLY COW facility for the kids that I swear did not exist when I was a kid.  It looks like a mini-Six Flags park built as a continual playground that, were it not raining, I would have been all over myself.  My wife went onto the playground area and said there are also plenty of areas for parents to sit while the kiddos are playing.

My run was - meh.  Still sore from my incline walk yesterday, my legs were sore from the get go.  Could never find a good pace and my breathing never settled on me.  Can't blame it on anything but myself, because the weather was perfect for getting some miles in.  Either way, I logged 7.2 miles, which will get me closer to my goal, so mission accomplished there.

As a plus for me, apparently the local football team has taken on the Steelers monicker.  The Langan Park team had the Raiders name and logo, so perhaps that's a thing around here.  Whether it is or not, I'm glad to see those hypocycloids in my new hometown.

This park is a winner and if I were giving stars, it would get the full 5/5.  Hopefully on to another park tomorrow, assuming the weather doesn't keep us on the treadmill.  Cheers!

The Hidden Gym Under The Stairs

In addition to hitting all of the parks I can find in the Mobile area, I am going to log some massive miles on Mr. True Treadmill in my personal space that I like to call The Hidden Gym Under The Stairs.  Basically, when my wife and I selected this house, it was sold with a bonus "man cave" that has a separate entrance from the back yard.  Figured it would be pretty cool to make it our workout room.  Additionally, it will be awesome in the Spring and Fall to do some working out outside on the shaded patio.

The Hidden Room Under The Stairs is not climate-controlled, doesn't have a bathroom, and is the home of our central heater.  Therefore it smells pretty bad and the fumes from the heater give me the impression that an hour running in that room would find me passed out with a giant smile on my face.  Gonna keep that door open while I'm doing my miles.

The Hidden Room also does not have a television in it yet. No matter how good the music is, it is darn difficult to work a treadmill for over an hour without some visual enjoyment.  Going to have to remedy that as soon as possible.

Anyway, the magic machine that is going to take me there is my True, which already has been in the Carpenter household for 5 or so years and has had many miles put on it already.  We've only had it serviced once and the thing is in spectacular condition.

The belt on this True has stayed in perfect condition over the years and has never shown any signs that it is giving in.  The motor purrs like a happy kitten and the incline gives no wobble while you're running.  I highly recommend this machine.

Today my task is to achieve 6 miles and split up the miles between running and walking with a large incline.  I started at 6.5 speed (9.3 minute mile) and planned on alternating between the walk and run to reach my 6 miles.  The run is easy, walking on a 14 incline, not so easy.  After 1.5 miles, I switched to alternating 1/2 miles.  Much better.

What I figured out from this form of workout is that you really, really work up the sweat on the incline, and it gives your backside a challenge.  In other words, if I wanted to make my rear end smaller, this is the way to go.  I used muscles I do not use with a normal run and although I couldn't care less about my caboose, I'm gonna keep this in my routine.  A very strong workout.  

All-in-all, the process took me less than 90 minutes, which is what I was aiming for, so that works for me.  A work of constant motion while I was able to keep it interesting by switching it up was pretty great.  Avoiding boredom is clutch for me.

As a bonus, if it matters to anyone who would read this, at 5.5 miles, one of my favorite running tracks came on (I keep my IPod on random), finishing off the run with a spiritual lift-up.  I added it here for a listen.  

Dream Theater - The Bigger Picture

On to tomorrow and hopefully the weather will hold up to visit Medal of Honor Park here in Mobile.

Langan Park

My first run for the 2015 Mile Challenge was in Langan Park.  This is a very large park located in Spring Hill with tons of activities.  In addition to having plenty of running trails there is a full playground for kids, gazebos with grills, an amphitheater, and a disk golf course.  It is also surrounded by The Azalea Golf Course, The Mobile Tennis Center, The Mobile Botanical Gardens, and the Mobile Museum of Art.  A great spot to start a challenge and a park that I'm sure I'll be running in quite a bit this year.

 There are several elevation changes in this park, so if uphill running is important, the option is there.  There are so many different paths to take though, so if you want to avoid the hills, it's easy to do so.  The variety of paths here also make it nice to keep your surroundings ever-changing.  I believe you can probably do a 5 mile run here and not have to cover the same ground twice.  However, if you wanted to do one small continual circuit, there are plenty of small loops that allow you to do that as well.

Another nice aspect of Langan Park is the ability to cover some historical ground for education.  The park itself is 720 acres, and mixed in those acres are several side-paths to take with signage to guide you along.  Pretty cool to add to your trip there.

I don't see safety being an issue here but the park closes at dark, which is probably a good idea.  There are tons of families taking in various activities there as well, so it looks like you can be comfortable with your children there as well.  I didn't see lighting near the paths, so it looks like the "close at dark" rule is held pretty tight.

As far as my run goes, after 4 months of no running and way too much beer and wings, it went pretty well.  I got over 6 miles in without getting worn out or losing pace.  The pace was pretty slow, averaging about 10.5 minutes per mile, but that will solve itself in time.

I stuck to my Dream Theater soundtrack for the entire run, leaning pretty heavily on 14 minute songs so that I could say "I only need to run 5 songs to get through this."

The weather was pretty ideal, being slightly cold for wearing shorts, but warming up quickly after about a half mile or so.  Cloudy, but no threat of rain.

All in all, good day, good park, good run, and Langan Park will be seeing the bottom of my shoes many times over 2015.