Two Weeks

Last week I ran two four milers during the week (oops, started this a week ago...I guess this should start, "Two weeks ago I ran...").  Both were in the fields, solo, apres dark.  I could have used more time running, but there was none to be had.  I think I texted the Squirrel on Thursday asking if it were Saturday yet.  I needed the long run.

Saturday did not disappoint.  In fact, it exceeded expectations.  Mindy and I opted to start early cause 24 miles on the trails can take a long time, plus, the earlier the better chance of OK trail conditions.  We planned on running another Bigger Beautiful Loop and hoped the conditions wouldn't totally suck.  The weather had been quite warm.  However, I harbored some hope because conditions were surprisingly good on my Thurs night run.  Ian also had posted something on FB or maybe TMR about good conditions on a run.

Not only were the conditions good, they might have been the best of the season.  Of course, that pretty much meant they just weren't incredibly difficult.  We talked about all the usual suspects, uh subjects and enjoyed the day, trail, run - the entire experience.

gIANt was starting his 30 mile run a half hour before ours.  He was heading back to the parking lot for 8, then heading out after us.  I wondered how long before he caught us.  I just said to the Squirrel I needed to pull off and I better do it before Ian came along and caught me bare-assed.  Well, I took a step off the trail when Ian and Blaine rounded the bend!  Phew!  Said a quick hi, told them to go on ahead, and finished what I started.  When I rejoined them, Blaine was getting ready to head back.  He wasn't in it for the full loop.

We enjoyed Ian's company for a bit before he continued on at his gIANt pace.  I gave some course instruction and told him we were going to head the other way when we got to the power lines. Running the BBL gets you just under 20; we didn't want to get to the park needing to tack on another 4+ miles so we were going to run the other way on the power lines enough to get the necessary miles.

It was beautiful.  The power lines seemed to go forever.  We'd crest a hill only to see more.  Scout and Squirrel were very, very tempted to just keep running.  We could call someone to get us when we reached 24...Except neither of us had brought our phones and who would we call?  Rick was in NJ.  Pete might have been skiing.  Linda was working....Sigh, we had to turn back.

Not long after we rejoined Ian's foot prints, we found a message.  Love BBL and a funny moose.  Funny how a little message from a gIANt can give you new life :)  It kept us bubbling for a while.  Then came the cows.  Hey, cows!  Hay!  We later learned that there was more snow messages for us at the cows, but the cows buoyed us along.  Back to the regular BL.  Man, we were really sweating.  It was hot.  We weren't dressed for nearly 50.  I realized I needed to start rationing my Nuun.

By the time we got to the Connector portion of the power lines, conditions were deteriorating.  I'm glad we got our extra 4 in early.  More snow messages!!!  Squirrel recognized Unstrung work.  Lunch Break was pretty hard, not quite as bad as last week, though.  It was helpful knowing we'd been done back in the lot.  I'm not sure which one of us wondered if Xar or Ian would be at E&Ls.  Both of us couldn't imagine they'd still be there.  But there were :D  It was such a run!!!  I don't even remember what yummy, comforting food I partook of, but it was just that.  I think more so was having our other TM friends still there to relive, hash out, laugh about, and just bask in a day well spent.  I love running.

Sunday, I had to play plant supervisor 6am to 6pm.  I thought my legs/feet would be much unhappier with steel-toed shoes and concrete floors all day, but they were fine.  Thanks to daylight savings, my after-work run was mostly in the daylight.  I did an uneventful 10k.

The past week was a crazy work one.  I went from the 12 hours on Sunday to 14.5 on Monday, and 13+ on Tues.  Wed and Thur was my normal 10.  Still I made sure I got out twice during the week.  The conditions were quite varied.  My feel were wet, muddy, and cold.  Perfect foil to my hours inside.  Friday, things were under control enough at work to leave an hour early to pick Ryan up from Portland for the weekend.

Saturday, I planned to run with Jedi and Squirrel, but had to go into work first.  I thought I'd still make it to the park on time.  When it became obvious I couldn't be at Brad for 8, I texted the Squirrel suggesting she and the Jedi go ahead on the BBL and I run it backwards when I could get there till I met up with them.  She suggested we just push back our start.  After clearing it with Jedi, we were able to meet for 8:30.  Unstrung was on board, too.  Mindy and Xar ended up having similar time constraints so decided to head out with us, then turn back when they were 1/2 way through their limit.  Jedi George and I were down for the BBL.  Conditions were not great, but the weather was.  We had lots of icy stretches and lots of lumpy, frozen fields that gave way to cold water.  It was great to run with him.  He's our Yoda.  Run the 100, we will.

On the way down Brad, we ran met lots of puppies.  George, I think, enjoyed visiting them as much as I did.  He did say that I really do need a goat.  Yup.

Sunday, I trod on virgin ground, well, for me.  I met up with Xar to run Mt. Pisgah repeats (the N. Monmouth Mt. Pisgah).  The trail had icy stretches, but the snow to the side of the trail was firm and we could bypass the risky spots.  There is a fire tower at the top.  Of course, our hill repeats included a tower summit.  The view was well worth it, even if the Whites were in a bit of a haze.  I approved of most of the graffiti in the tower and all of the seahorses running up the road to the tower.  Good stuff.  We called it quits after two hours.  I will definitely run there again.

The rest of the afternoon I napped on and off.  Yum.