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Chubb Trail.
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St Louis is a long way from anywhere, be it beaches, snowfields or National Parks. And of all the places I have lived, St Louis provided the fewest good trail running opportunities. That's not to say there aren't any, but they are not particularly long, nor very inspiring.
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Chubb Trail.
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There were a few I visited regularly when I got sick of running in the suburbs and local parks, and perhaps my favourite was the Chubb Trail which was only half an hour's drive from our home. It was about 7 miles in length and my usual run would be out-and-back for 14 miles, and occasionally I would tack on the Castlewood Loop for an extra 3 miles. The Trail, which generally followed the course of the Meramec River, started with a hilly section in Lone Elk County Park and ended with a climb to the turnaround in West Tyson County Park. In between, in the river valley, it was flat, passing through an old farming area which is now a mix of forest and prairie. It was all very runnable and the hills weren't too bad.
I wouldn't call it an exciting course, but I have pleasant memories of running there late on a weekend afternoon, with the sun setting as I finished, and in very chilly autumnal weather on leaf-covered trail. One of my old friends from St Louis still runs the Chubb Trail regularly and I doubt it has changed much in the seventeen years since I was last there.
Running for me today was around my regular Thursday morning 11km circuit after the morning track session I supervise at Terrigal Haven. I was hoping to feel fresher, but the legs were heavy and motivation was low. I didn't push it in the hope I will recover some zest by the weekend.
