Grass is Good and Always Greener

I will use green for this log. Grass. Yesterday I began my new training. Oldest had his last Soccer practise before his big tourney this weekend. The practice location is on a huge field just for soccer. It is a large terraced field sitting above a lower grass field. The lower is essentially a very large water/storm collection basin. Vegas, yes does get rain. All for 4 inches each year typically happen at once for some meteorological reason. It can leave the valley with a very flooded afternoon or day. Anyway, the grass on these fields are perfect. The Soccer fields have a shorter less thick variety that perpetually looks like my face after two days of not shaving - except green. The field below is longer and very thick.

Anyway, I found training heaven in the lower field. It is probably 100 -125 yards from one end to other. So, while the son was kicking the ball, I was kicking some blades of grass. I did mix it up by running on the streets around the area. However, I soon discovered that grass is greener than concrete. It actually was tougher to pick my feet up at times on it. Heavy foot feeling. However, back/forth 2-3 times on that left my knees and legs with this nice feeling of comfort. The grasses natural cushion and the extra pull on my feet lifting them with each stride was a great combo. Then I hit the hills!

From the upper terraced Soccer fields to the below area is a sharp, almost straight down 15-20 foot drop. You know perfect if your a 4-6 year old needing a hill to body roll down. However, there is just enough of a slant to make it walkable or in my case runnable as well. It only took three times up and down, to realize this is the perfect Achilles, ankles and knee workout I could ever do - and it is all on nature made beautiful green grass. Nirvana. I need more of this. I need more now.

I will do this twice a week for a month. It is exactly what my training needs, mixing it in with the longer 5-6 mile asphalt kicking runs. You know I wish Vegas had more trails. I have been reading a blog of late by a woman in Kansas. It is an interesting random happening. She does trail ultra runs. It has been fun and inspiring to read. I lived in Topeka, KS for four years. However, after reading her blog I don't remember Kansas being so fun? Plus, places you could trail run for 20 and 30 milers? It makes me think what was I doing out there for 4 years? Obviously not living a life I wanted. At least she is. Anyway, the trail sounds like a blast. I must admit a certain boredom with the streets, developments and neighborhoods I run in. At least I found my grass.