In addition to the loose right shoulder that pops out if overstressed, achilles tendonitis after walking around a lot in Europe, and sacroiliitis, an inflammation of the joint that connects the spine to the pelvis (the worst time it flared up, getting out of bed was incredibly painful and I was barely able to walk; I made an octogenerian look like he was running when I was making my way from the parking lot to the doctor's office), I've had a knee that wouldn't bend and an ankle that wouldn't rotate after running. I'll probably get arthritis when I'm older, but I've accepted that, for there to be this much awesome, there had to have been some external design flaws. The laws of the universe couldn't handle it otherwise. Now, I mostly exercise by hopping on a stationary bike at the gym or doing yoga, but the Paul Carr Jogging Trail is still one of my favorite places in Houston to overtax my joints.
The Paul Carr Jogging Trail spans 1.8 miles on Heights Blvd., from 20th St. to 4th St, so 3.6 miles round-trip, and thus a better workout than the Rice trail. It's a sandy gravel trail, and rather pretty, with benches, a gazebo, some sort of memorial, and plenty of trees, bushes, and flowers along the length. As it's along Heights Blvd., there are lots of large houses to gaze at, as well as other things, such as a funeral home (I'm delaying my death! go me!), Waldo's Coffee House (where the barista got pissed off at me for parking in the driveway--what, these things are hard to see!), the Houston Zen Center (where I once showed up late to a class, it turned out there was a guest speaker, and a neighbor came up to the Center really pissed off, because I'd parked in the driveway--I swear to god, those things are invisible to me), and small shops (post-running reward shopping?). Due to the fact that the trail intersects streets 4-20, you do have to keep an eye out for cars, but each intersection has a stop sign, so, more often than not, you don't have to pause for cars.
There are more people running, walking, and walking their pets in the 5-6:30pm time period than around 7-8:15am, but it's never been overrun with people when I've been there. Early morning, around 6am, there's very few people, and, around 7pm, there are a few people. Parking is a breeze, as you can park all along Heights (um, so long as you don't park in a driveway). You can run your way to a neighborhood street, down south past I-10, though it's dodgy making your way past I-10, and, of course, the Paul Carr trail has already ended. If you do make a detour on a side street closer to I-10, you might just wind up next to some railroad tracks. Turn back around, because that street doesn't lead anywhere. However, my favorite detour is east off of 7th St., as you wind up on the MKT Rails-to-Trails, which is a paved area for bikers and pedestrians. It's still a work in progress, but it adds several miles to your run. read more