It's still hard to get there, and most deny its existence, but the time I ran trails in middle/inner earth was the best week of training I've ever had (though it was hard to actually measure the week, with the different daylight/hours of the 'day.')
Regardless, 12 runs on what were the best spongy trails I've ever encountered means the odd scare from a wooly mammoth was more than worth it.
Anyone else have an Middle Earth stories? Favorite foods found there? Stories about permanent inhabitants?