If you go down to the woods today...

Yay...a day off from throwing weights (and myself around), but with such a jonesing to get outside and go run in the woods.

Although a little chilly, weather.com was reporting 34 degrees, it was sunny and with no wind. The trails were fantastic, dry, wintry and still. I had in mind to do the Watkins Mill-Rt. 355 out and back which would give 10k. The entire trail end to end is 12.5 miles and I've run (and) mountain biked every mile of it so many times over the last year but I never tire of it. Every time I notice or see something a little different, and each time running somewhere other than a road or laps around a lake just seems to lift my soul.

The first two miles (and surprise surprise, the last two) are up and down through the woods overlooking the creek before finally descending and running alongside it, the difference always jolting, one moment running well worn singletrack, the next hitting flat marshland vegetation. Even though it is mid winter, any number of stream and creek crossings are dried out, the creek itself running much lower than in the summer. My legs certainly could feel the last two days, the 300 squats, and all the cleans but yet they didn't feel dead, even after two weeks of Crossfit I could feel an increase in strength and spring in my step. Though the last two miles, the spirit and aerobically I was willing but there seemed little in the legs, not a tiredness, just very little in the bank.

Even so it was great to be outside, food for the body, mind and soul.

Legs like tree trunks -----> ;-)

This is the playlist along with a random thought that I had while each one played...

• Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm - yes the Michael Jackson song, but nu metal style
• Twice as Hard - Black Crowes - such a raunchy opening guitar riff, and so difficult to not sing the chorus
• Mary Had a Little Lamb - Buddy Guy - no blues player past or present gets as wild as Buddy, grin inducing stuff
• Jump, Jive and Wail - Brian Setzer Orchestra - makes me want to Lindy Hop in the middle of the trail
  
• Alfie - Lily Allen - no wonder her brother threw her laptop out of a window when he heard it
• Pink Houses - John Cougar Mellencamp - acoustic guitars in the woods, perfect, I was just missing a porch to kick back on
  
• Fire Woman - The Cult - ahhh takes me back to me yoof
• Spit it Out - Slipknot - anger, resentment and detuned raging guitars, "All you want to do is drag me down, all I want to do is stamp you out !" - vid has extreme profanity, its not a rock show, its a war on the stage
• Hangar 18 - Megadeth - Live in Buenos Aires, with a crowd going completely bonkers who sing along to not just the words, but also the riffs.
  
• Crazy Train - Ozzy - Randy Rhoads playing is incredible, the solo just blows my mind every time
• Head Like a Hole - Nine Inch Nails - BOW DOWN TO THE ONE YOU SERVE
• Candyman - Siouxsie and the Banshees - Much more complex than I remembered it
• I fought the Law - Stray Cats - Written by the Crickets post Buddy Holly funnily enough
• Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper - Live - "This is my daughter Calico Cooper, go put some clothes on"
• Madaleine - Winger - Reb Beach is a criminally underrated guitarist, great riff and a killer solo
• Minstel in the Gallery - Jethro Tull - Songs in the Wood might have been a better choice, but nice and rustic
• Garden Party- Marillion - Edgy eggs and queing cumbers, rudely awakaned from their slumber