I almost ate it taking that turn. One moment, I was confidently picking up the pace on the wet trail; the next, my Olympus shoes slid sideways beneath me, my arms windmilling as I barely caught my balance. The woods were moody today, and apparently, so was the ground beneath my feet.
The Challenge: Pace vs. Terrain
Today's mission was simple on paper: push the pace a bit faster than usual. Garmin had suggested a 10:50 pace, which was laughably optimistic for trail conditions, but the spirit of the recommendation seemed sound. The thermometer read about 40 degrees—pretty raw—and I figured a faster clip would serve two purposes: keep me warmer and get me into Zone 3 more than usual.
My strategy was minimalist but deliberate. Just a single long-sleeve dry fit under my Path Projects jacket, shorts despite the chill, and a regular hat for some ventilation. The jacket was getting its first real test in these conditions, and I was curious how it would perform.
Nature's Obstacles
The ground was absolutely squelchy. You know that distinctive moment when one foot hits and squirts everything up onto the other one? That kind of day. Within minutes, my feet were thoroughly soaked.
"The traction on these is fine when it's dry," eyeing the slick trail ahead. The Olympus shoes work well enough on wet surfaces, but add thick mud, and things get interesting fast. When the mud's deeper than the lugs, there's not much to dig in with. And today, the mud was having a field day.
Finding the Flow
The first mile clicked by at around 11:10 pace, mostly on fire road. My average speed was hovering above 5 mph—considerably fast for me on trails. My hands were still cold, but the core was warming up nicely with the jacket fully zipped.
Twenty minutes in, I was still maintaining that 5+ mph pace heading into a moderate climb. I'd been experimenting with Zone 3 lately, focusing on consistent effort through smaller hills. The heart rate would spike into Zone 3, then settle back down on the flats.
The Real Test
Just past the five-mile mark, I approached the final climb—the one I knew would test both my resolve and my footwear.
"Don't trust it at all," I reminded myself, eyeing the slick trails. The Olympus shoes were already getting caked with mud, then shedding it with each step, creating a constantly changing traction equation.
Starting the climb already in Zone 3, I could feel my pace dropping from 4.8 mph. But there was a silver lining to all those previous ruck training sessions on this same hill: without a pack, the climb felt almost manageable. Still solidly Zone 3, but not the Zone 4 suffer-fest I'd experienced when rucking it.
"I'd like to say I turned on the afterburners for that last mile back," I thought as I headed toward the finish, "but that wasn’t the case." I maintained a steady pace in high Zone 2, low Zone 3—enough to finish strong without completely emptying the tank.
The Verdict
I hit stop on my watch just as the rain intensified—perfect timing. 6.28 miles in 1:19:35 with an average pace of 12:40. The Path Projects jacket had performed admirably, though by the end, I could feel it sticking to my back from sweat. I noticed water beading on the outside of my sleeves—at least the exterior repellency was working as designed.
Learnings & Observations
The Olympus shoes reinforced what I already suspected: they're not mud specialists. When terrain gets sloppy, their lugs simply can't match more aggressive trail shoes. But for mixed conditions, they're a reasonable compromise.
My heart rate stayed primarily in Zone 2 (63% of the run) with a solid chunk in Zone 3 (31%)—precisely what I'd been aiming for. The training effect registered as 3.8 aerobic, and my watch showed "Maintaining" for training status. Not "Productive," but certainly not "Unproductive" either. I'll take it.
The one-point bump in VO2 max was an unexpected bonus. Maybe pushing pace occasionally, even in less-than-ideal conditions, has its rewards.
My leftover Chipotle was waiting at home—sometimes, the best motivation is the simplest.
Final Stats
Here's the breakdown for those keeping score:
Distance: 6.28 miles
Time: 1:19:35
Average Pace: 12:40/mile
Heart Rate: Avg 154 bpm
Elevation Gain: 827 feet
Heart Rate Zones:
Zone 1: 4% (≈3 minutes)
Zone 2: 63% (≈50 minutes)
Zone 3: 31% (≈25 minutes)
Training Effect: 3.8 aerobic
Training Status: Maintaining
Recovery Time: 33 hours
VO2 Max: Increased by 1 point
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