Kicking off my #121In21 Challenge with four PA State Park runs in one day

With all my planning done and the car packed with supplies, I woke up early and headed down south to run the first parks of my 121 In 21 Challenge. I would be running a mile at Mont Alto, Caledonia and Pine Grove Furnace State Parks as well as Kings Gap Environmental Education Center. 
​
Let the adventure begin!

Mont Alto State Park
Date: 1/2/2021
Run location: Bricker's Clearing Trail
Description: This 24-acre park was created in 1902, making it the oldest park still in the Pennsylvania State Park system. 
Run: Pennsylvania’s first state park seems like the perfect place to kick off my year-long running challenge. Nobody was around and the fog was still covering most of the area. Wearing my brightly colored safety vest, I headed out from the parking lot to the Bricker's Clearing Trail.
​I started off listening to music but stopped shortly after putting in my headphones. Why run in a beautiful park if you’re not going to listen to nature? So, no more music from now on. I’m going to be listening to my own desperate panting. As well as birds, and leaves blowing and all that good nature stuff I keep hearing so much about.
Right before I hopped on the trail there was a pile of animal entrails. It was giant, like 2 feet across. It was a surreal sight. I hope it's not an ominous sign for the rest of this adventure. The trail was nice and well-kept. There were some hills, some rocks and some elevation. A good first run!
Highlight(s): Relaxing run in empty park.

Caledonia State Park
Date: 1/2/2021
Run location: Midland Trail
Description: The 1,125-acre park is located in Adams and Franklin Counties.
Run: This was a fun park with lots to offer runners. I ran along the Midland Trail and got to see some beautiful nature. With temperatures dipping, there was no one on the trails. Which is perfect with COVID social distancing in place, it gives me a chance to run without a facemask on.
​The trail was well-marked, but that didn’t mean I still didn't wander off trail and get lost momentarily. Maybe I'm just an idiot and can't follow trails. The trail was covered in pine needles, giving a little {crunch scrunch} sound with every step. Very satisfying.
Highlight(s): Great trails for running.

Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Date: 1/2/2021
Run location: Creek Trail 
Description: This 696-acre park is at the northern tip of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in an area known as South Mountain.
Run: While this place seems like a haven for mountain bikers, this park offers some great running trails. I ran the Creek Trail, which was great. It started at the amphitheater and followed small creeks. There’s something about running along the water that makes a run so much more enjoyable for me. The trickling sound is just awesome.
​The trail was clearly marked and was easy to follow. The Creek Trail provides some fun technical terrain with roots, rocks and wet leaves to watch out for. No hills. Fun and flat.
Highlight(s): Technical trails for fun run and ample mountain bike trails.

Kings Gap Environmental Education Center
Date: 1/2/2021
Run location: Maple Hollow Trail
Description: Kings Gap consists of 2,531 acres of forest on South Mountain, with more than 25 miles of hiking trails, a permanent orienteering course, picnicking, hunting and other recreational and educational opportunities.
Run: This run was so utterly brutal and demoralizing. I mark this failure down as a result of poor planning and overconfidence. I did not know what I was getting myself into when I chose to run the Maple Hollow Trail. I looked on the map and determined that the trail didn't look THAT steep. And, since I figured I’d be fresh, I’d run a little extra.
Big mistake. I got totally smoked. I wanted to end my first day on a bang. Instead, I ended it on a whimper. I must have climbed 500 feet in about a half mile. I could barely breathe once the incline started. It was so hard. Heart rate was at 170 the whole time. I never felt that spent during any run in my life. When I finally walked to the top, I was able to muster a run back to the car. Holy shit. Lesson learned. Avoid elevation and only run ONE FRIGGIN' MILE.
​However, the trail was beautiful. It was covered in bright green moss and tons of rocks. This would make for a great trail/hill run when I'm in shape. But since I wasn't in shape, it kicked my ass so hard.
Highlight(s): Beautiful, challenging trails with scenic views.