My new love....Trail Running

Years ago, I did a lot of runs at a local reservoir (Manasquan Reservoir.) It was a very simple 5 mile loop around the reservoir and surrounding woods. The trail was crushed gravel, wide, and not to steep (it rolls a little but not much.) It was very enjoyable, and easy and given I was coming off of recovering from a very bad leg break, it made it the perfect place to get back into running.
Now fast forward a few years, and I discover that the local county park has a small 2.1 mile trail in it. I knew they had built a small .5 mile out and back one, I was trying to find it. Parking at the township soccer/baseball fields, I took off running around the perimeter on the grass. I saw there were some fire trails adjacent. Hmmm that could be fun, I left the parking lot and found a sand road used by off roaders. It was hard going on the sandy terrain, it was extra work. I couldn't figure out why I was having trouble holding a 9 min pace. After I found the trail I took it, went to where it met the road then back to park. As I decided to extend the run on the park grounds, I saw a trail head.
Hmmmm, I said, this could be fun. So I took off on the trail, it was single track, very curvy and not what I thought a trail to be. But it was fun. The trail snaked through the woods, came across the sandy road and then back into the woods. The terrain in the woods went through sections of sand, dirt, mud and golf sized rock areas (obviously put down to help with drainage.) It crossed the sandy road again and after going across I lost track of the trail blazes. So I just ran down the sandy road and started to loop around teh parks. It was OK, but I didn't like the fact I had a hard time maintaining the pace, and my legs and hips were killing me. I was like WTF! Some one line friends told me that running on trails can be a little harder pace wise and on the legs due to imbalances caused by the trails. A year later I returned back to this trail again with a new friend. We found (what we thought ) was where the trail continued (it wasn't) and we ran it a couple of times. Again still not crazy about it, but it was OK. On my lunch time runs, I discovered the town I worked in had some small trails cut through wooded areas. I enjoyed running through the wooded sections and not having to deal with traffic.
Then earlier this year, I went to Phoenix and ran on the desert trails (and up a mountain), I was hooked! I loved it, it was so hard and so much fun. Once again not having traffic to deal with was the deciding factor.
A month ago, I decided to go running back on the Freedom Fields Trail and had fun. It was hard, hot, but I really loved it. I returned back a couple of times and have found the actual trail route, although prefer my route better. I found a pair of trail shoes on sale, bought them and it was like the trails were calling me.
I had heard that another local county park had a very large trail in it, it was over 8 miles long and I had wanted to run it.
On a spur of the moment, I had some running stuff with me (but not my trail shoes) and decided to give it a go...boy was that an adventure. I was in for an A-HA moment, and I learned a couple of things along the way. That story will be separate blog post. But one thing is for sure, I really do love trail running, I still like the roads, but the quiet, peaceful nature of a trail just seems to be what I needed. It has definitely become a new love of mine. Hopefully she will not be a fickle mistress and break my heart (or some other part of me) she has already given me the itches (next post.