Three Days Worth

I better get caught up...Friday, I headed to the Brad to get in a long one.  Normally that's a Saturday activity, but I knew I'd be volunteering at the Craig Cup and wanted to get the miles in without taking up all of our weekend.

I think it was 9:45 before I hit the trails.  I planned to run another 4 hours, hoping to get in more miles than last week's 4 hour run since I wouldn't take as much time at the car in between laps.  I guess I shouldn't have brought the camera if I really wanted to run farther.  I even remember thinking I should drop the camera off so I wouldn't be tempted to take any more.  Everything seemed either beautiful, interesting, or of concern.  I ended up taking 48 pics.  Last Saturday I ran 18.4 miles in 4:02:XX.  Friday I ran 18.43 miles in 4:06:XX. 

I started with a Mindy's Loop.  It was way noisy on the backside near the boundary of the park and along Ginn East.  I don't know what construction was being done on the road behind the park, but there seemed to be some big vehicle backing up the entire time.  I was happy to get out of earshot.  Leaving Fox East onto the Snowmobile Trail, I was struck by how torn up the trail was.  There were big bulldozer-type tracks going up.  When I reached the bridge, there was a huge pile of dirt.  Then a tractor with a bucket appeared to take a load.  I ran past.  The smell of diesel hung in the air for most of the snowmobile trail.  I was happy to turn off onto Ginn West.

On Fox West, where it is right next to the Snowmobile and Fox East trails, I heard an extremely loud vehicle.  A dump truck, made for trail environments, emerged.  I was torn between loving the design and engineering of the vehicle and resenting it was there.  I worried about the reconstructive surgery Brad was undergoing.  I hope the scars they make are more than offset by the good they do.  I love the patient.

After that loop, I had a GU, refilled my Fuelbelt bottles with Nuun (cola flavored), and set off on the mountain side.  From the Boundary Trail, I took my new route on the trail that heads toward the Tote, but took the right onto the single track that pops back onto the Boundary by the big bench.  I went from the Boundary to the summit, to the Tote, including Krista's Loop, and back down the Ski Trail.  Back at the car, I ate a Honey Stinger Waffle and a few sips of Coke. 

Then I ran a mishmash of trails on the east side to get in the rest of the time.  I'd gone into the run with a sore back.  I kept expecting it to get better.  I do always brag how the Brad fixes me.  My back was actually pretty tender by the time I was done.  I did too much shoveling of wet mulch the day before.  Sabrina, of E&L fame, offered me ibuprofen with my soup.  I was sore, but happy I stuck it out. 

Oh, and here are some of the pictures from the run:

leaves covering the trail

innocent mushrooms

I took the old path for a change

Snowmobile Trail

dirt piles all over the place

the tractor

Brad seems to be decorating for Xmas early

the weird dump truck

again

Boundary

tenuous bridge

muddy goodness

Saturday, Rick and I volunteered at the Craig Cup.  It was a great day for a great event and always fun to see all our fellow TMs!  After, Rick and I were joined by Mindy and Pete for our own 5K loop.  We ran through mud, got bitten by nasty bugs, and had fun.  It was Mindy's first run in a while, but you'd never know it.

Sunday, Rick and I were back at the Brad.  We ran the connector out for four miles and added some extra mountain side miles to bring it to an even 9 when we finished up.  It was getting hot, but there were pockets of real cool in the shade and dampness of the mountain side.  Rick is on a steady improvement track and can push me up some hills now : )