About

Bird Hills Nature Area, Jen Bizzotto

This blog is for the hills, the mud pits, the narrow paths and unseen trails. It's for the seasoned runners and the reluctant beginners. It's for those who know - or are willing to know - the hot thrill of conquering a hill, of whipping over trunks and under branches, of crunching autumn leaves and sucking breaths of fume-free air. 

How To Use It

My intention, with this resource, is not to provide tips and suggestions for runners: I don't presume to know any more about running than the next person; I'm hardly qualified, either, to judge what or how someone should or should not exercise. I only hope that I've provided a useful (maybe motivational?) resource for people who don't quite know how to start, or who might want to try mixing up their normal running routes for something different.

On that note, here are some basic aspects to this blog:

1. Given mileages are always approximate. They can increase and decrease depending on the means by which you reach an area or park, which paths you choose to go down, and, of course, where you start from. The estimations that I've provided assume that you'll start from the University of Michigan Diag. (This is mostly because of my own bias, having spent four years there as an undergrad, but it also works because it's a downtown spot which is generally known to Ann Arbor inhabitants and visitors alike.)
2. My directions - namely, the routes I've drawn out on maps as suggested ways to reach trail areas - are completely subjective. Often I cite main roads because they're simpler to remember; you'll quickly discover how to avoid cars, hills, pedestrians, and extra mileage by using different roads.
3. Most of these runs require going farther than five miles. Some of them are shorter - see "Recommended Runs" for a list - but the best of them will make you stretch your legs farther than the typical 5K. If you're worried about that, "Recommended Runs" also has lists of destinations that will have water and/or bathrooms along the way.
4. Please provide feedback! The only reason that I was able to discover all of these areas was through the help and suggestion of other runners (and then by doing my own subsequent exploration). If I've missed particularly wonderful details - details that will make my posted runs even better - post a comment so others can see.

Why "Galloping Maize"?

Galloping: a slightly sideways synonym for "running," one which could have easily been replaced by "cantering," "meandering," "steamrolling," or any other sufficiently eccentric verb. Maize: need I say it? - a blatant allusion to the University of Michigan, the central campus of which is the general beginning of mileage estimations. 

Credits and Citations

Pictures are, for the most part, credited to Jenifer Bizzotto, who's logged more time on these trails than I probably have. Links are provided in the captions, but they may also be accessed in bulk here. Most maps stem from Google and have been modified by myself; in some cases, they were drawn from publicly-accessible pages and PDFs. Again, links are provided in the captions.

Contacting Me

In the event of dead-end links, grievous errors, or blatant overlooking of amazing parks and routes, please send me a quick message! It's not likely that I missed great running areas, it's certain, and if you feel as though you know routes that belong here, I would appreciate that contribution.