It’s been awhile since I talked about a training run in a certain area, so today I am going to talk about the Rails to Trails bike path that runs from Buffalo into Tonawanda.

The first time I visited was the middle of winter, and was disappointed to find out there was no snow removal. Since it was a snowy and icy winter here this year, it was well into Spring before we could actually run it.

Getting to the Rails to Trails (from Buffalo)

The easiest way to start the trail is from the LaSalle Metro Station. We don’t have a big subway system, but we do have a light rail that will take you from Canalside to the University of Buffalo (South Campus).

It will cost $2 for one-way (cash only), since the station is underground. The above ground section of the rail (downtown) is free!

At this time, you are on the honor system that you have bought a ticket. I have seen the metro police on the cars checking, so make sure you purchase one. A lot of people have monthly passes if they use it for commuting, so you may feel like you are the only one buying a ticket.

Once you are out of the station, go out the left exit (there are only two doors once you come up from the platform). You will cross a driveway into a parking lot. Go all the way through the parking lot to the back and you will find the start of the trail on the left side of the “My Kids” building.

It is free to park in this lot, so you can also drive here and leave your car.

You are technically starting on the North Buffalo Rails to Trails route, so when you start to see mile markers on Kenmore they will start at 0.

Because of the extra section, the mileage is over 9 miles out and back!

Getting to the Rails to Trails (from Tonawanda)

If you prefer to start at the other end, there is a small parking lot on State Street in the City of Tonawanda.

From Buffalo, take the I-190 North and then take Exit 16 for the I-290 East towards I-90/Tonawanda/Rochester. Keep right and follow signs for I-290 E for about 2 miles and then take Exit 1 for Elmwood Ave.

Turn left onto Knoche Rd., left onto Delaware Ave. and right onto State St.

If you enter 1 State Street Tonawanda, NY 14150 into your GPS that will take you to the parking lot from wherever you are.

Strides

The run was hot, but I’m not complaining! I just have to think of this past winter and being sweaty is well worth it!

The marathon recovery phase is finally going well (see my post about runs that suck), and this run was a slow and easy 5 miles with 4×20 second strides at the end. This added another mile.

Doing strides will help you gain speed and it actually feels good to take the legs out for a good spin once in awhile.

To do them, I use my “intervals” app. For a 20 second stride, jog for 2 minutes and then accelerate for 5 seconds gaining speed as you go. 10 seconds are devoted to running a fast pace. I’ve seen different explanations of what speed you are supposed to achieve…anything from “fast pace, but not a sprint” to “95% of your top speed”…whatever THAT means (if you can figure that out and how to realistically know while running really fast for 10 seconds, please let me know!!).

You then decelerate for 5 seconds. Then jog for 2 minutes. The time in-between also is different depending on who you ask, but anywhere from 45 seconds to 2 minutes. Enough to catch your breath.

I set my intervals to start with a 2 minute/20 second cycle and do that 4 times. You can check out my intervals app post or see me set it up on YouTube.

I’ve only done strides twice now, but I will be adding them to my training this summer as I try to get faster for my half-marathon in September. Instead of just running miles, I’m going to be adding some drills into the mix to see if they affect my performance.

What are some drills you incorporate into your training? Have you seen a fitness benefit?