Switched-up schedule

I am starting to see a pattern here.  On Tuesdays, I start running and in response, my brain says, 'OH COME ON!  We just ran XX miles!  Isn't that enough?  IS NOTHING EVER ENOUGH FOR YOU?'  Then after about 2 miles or so, it settles, and we go on our merry way.  I'm off to Pittsburgh for the weekend, so I wanted to get my long run out of the way in advance -- see, I learned from my California adventure!  Thursday, then, will be this week's long run.  Instead of 5 miles today, I did 9, so that I can save the shortest distance for when I am in Pittsburgh.  However, today 9 felt looooooooooooooong.

Partially, this was because I ran at Flatwoods, one of the conservation areas around Tampa.  It is actually contained within a super-giant nature preserve and generic suburbia forms its borders:

Image courtesy of generic suburb website that borders park, hence the 'YOU ARE HERE' marker

As you can clearly see from the map, there is a 'paved trail for biking and rollerblading.'  You can also use it for running, but it's better suited for the other sports.  First, it is a 7-mile loop.  If you are coming at it from the west (Bruce B. Downs), there is also a 2-mile trait just to get to the loop.  So you are looking at some relatively hefty mileage right off the bat.  Also, while it is scenic (provided you find pine trees scenic), there are a lot of parts which do not provide very much shade.  Not too bad if you are on a bike, but potentially awful if you are running.  I'm glad I waited for a cold front or else it would have been quite unbearable.  There was a stretch of probably a mile with almost no shade at all.  However, in the shady parts with the wind was quite pleasant.

I have to say, though, that it does get a bit boring after a while, at least in my opinion:

Actually the road as you are leaving, but looks exactly the same as the trail.

Now imagine looking at that for seven miles.

I realize that some people might enjoy this a lot more than I did this morning and I'm pretty sure that part of my boredom with Flatwoods was just fatigue from Sunday.  It is quiet and there were no sidewalks for me to trip on, so that was good.  Also, it is well marked for mileage and, provided that it is cool, not unbearable.  There are water stops at various points as well.  Oh, and as the name suggests, it is flat as can be.  I've been told that I will get my butt kicked by hills in Pittsburgh, so I shall revel in Florida flat until then.

I did see a few interesting things along the way, though.  One was particularly shocking:

WHOA!

Do you see how those leaves are a different hue than green?  That is Florida foliage, people.  Florida foliage.  I don't think that I have ever noticed that before!