Trail Running in North Texas...

When I first discovered my love for trail running, I was convinced I live in the worst place in the WORLD to run good trails. As I still tell people today, I believe I was supposed to have been born deep in the mountains somewhere above 10,000ft.

Alas, I was born in Dallas, Texas and now live just 20 or so mile north of Dallas in Plano, Texas.

To me, North Texas, would be my downfall, when it came to being prepared for big mountain ultras.

When I ran Zane Grey last year, I couldn't help but think, "Man, I wish I had trails like this"... and I kept telling everyone I met, "How lucky they were to have such awesome trails so close by".

What I don't think I realized is that most people drive anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to there favorite trailhead, no matter where in the world they live!

Literally, within a mile of where I live in Plano,  I have access to around 15 miles of "trail" with a few 100-120ft steady climbs. I think the problem here is me, and the fact that I become bored running the same trails, day after day. On the other hand, I know all my local trails like the back of my hand.

Again, I diverge from my main topic.

Over the years of trail running I have found out why, contrary to popular belief, North Texas actually has some pretty awesome trail running, with "some" elevation changes to boot!

Pro #1) Plenty of Trails!

Not only does the DFW (Dallas/Ft Worth) Metroplex have a plethora of high fashion malls, but we have a plethora of mountain biking and hiking trails!! We literally have around THIRTY different trails to choose from ranging from 2.2 miles in length to over 30 miles. The furthest of these trails from me is around 1.5 hours! The trail with 30+ miles is only 30 minutes down the freeway! (not to mention it's FREE)

If I drive over 2 hours I can get to trails like the Cameron Park trails in Waco, any of the numerous trails in the Austin/Hill Country Area, plus quite a few trail systems in Oklahoma with some good elevation change up there!

Pro #2) Wide variety of terrain!

While most of our trails in DFW are VERY well maintained by our friends over at DORBA, there are the occasional rough and tough trails like Sansom Park in Fort Worth and the Cross Timbers trail up on Lake Texoma! If I'd known about a trail like Sansom Park before I'd done Zane, I definitely would have been training out there!

Two snapshots of the Sansom trail: (Photo Credit to my friend Brian)

There's definitely NO lack of rocks at Sansom!

Most of the trails in DFW are very smooth and ridden frequently by mountain bikers to keep them that way. Most of the rugged trails like Sansom don't get as many mountain bikers due to the difficulty which is also nice for us trail runners.

Here's some of our smoother, more groomed trails.

Pro #3) Some elevation if you want it!

There is a small ridge that runs from just south west of downtown Dallas, all the way south of Midlothian to a small town called Venus. On this ridge there are a small handful of trail systems, but none of them better, or with more elevation than the Big Cedar Wilderness Trails.

I started running Big Cedar about 2-3 years ago, and have watched it go from a small 2-3 mile jeep road, to a 15 mile trail system with beautiful single track, tough climbs, rocky descents, and great views.

On the right you can see the trail I was on just right, then on the left side of the photo just below the tree line you can see the other trail I just climbed up from about 150ft below.

Other good trails with some elevation would be, Sansom Park in Fort Worth, Cross Timbers at Lake Texoma, and Cameron Park in Waco.

While the elevation in north Texas can be a "Pro", it can also be a "Con", because let's face it. There are not mountains within a few hundred miles. (300+)

The longest sustained climb within an hour, while running is maybe 5-7 minutes. Max. So, living in this part of Texas has made me resourceful, and I've worked well with what I have.

Pro/Con #4) The Weather!!!

Oh Texas weather, how I love thee. Personally, the weather would be a Pro for me. First let me list my reasons why.

Having grown up in Texas, the summer days of 105+ degrees feel completely normal and I actually welcome them with arms wide open! I've learned to take the heat seriously, and ALWAYS carry a minimum of two bottles with me when on runs over 4 miles during the summer heat. I've learned my salt intake requirements, and I've learned my post workout hydration. (From our record breaking summer of 2011/70+ days of 100 degrees)

As a good friend and fellow ultra runner (or two actually) said, "Since we don't live in the mountains or at elevation, the next best thing is the oppressive heat!" I couldn't agree more here. Running 10-12 miles when it's 110 degrees is absolutely brutal, but you come out SO much stronger than you went in.

The other side of my "Pro" opinion is the great mild winters! While it can get cold here, it's pretty rare that we drop below freezing, and it's even more rare that we have wintery weather, with the exception of the below picture :) (The snow of 2010)

As for the "Con" side of the weather, obviously some people just can't deal with the heat. So if you're not a heat runner, Texas isn't for you. If you're looking for some good Badwater training? Come on down. You have a place to stay :)

What this blog post boils down to, is that your local trails are exactly what you make of them. While I don't have mountains in my backyard, I do have some awesome trails like Big Cedar, The Northshore, Sansom Park, Cameron Park, Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, and Boulder Park just to name a FEW!!

If you're curious about more of the trails in the DFW area, check out these websites.

1) The North Texas Trail Runners: They have some great resources there as well as a short listing of local trails.

2) DORBA: (The Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association) This is the authority on local trails and is one of the main reasons we have such a phenomenal trail system in place. DORBA, has ALL of the trails in the area listed, except for the very few trails that are not mountain bike friendly, like the Dallas Nature Preserve, now known as the Cedar Ridge Preserve.

If you're still lost and confused on how to start trail running in the DFW area, shoot me an email. I'll introduce you.

Now get out there and enjoy the trails!!!

-Jacob