Weekend of TMR Group Runs

I was looking forward to running new trails Saturday.  Blaine was the TM leading the group run.  He'd picked local-to-him trails in Brunswick.  Unfortunately, Spring had other ideas.  We had a warm up and rain that made the trails a post holing mess.  Fortunately, the Neptune Woods Trails were adjacent to the Brunswick Naval Air Station, so there were road/paved trails right from the designated parking.

A smallish, but quality, group of Trail Monsters headed out on the maze-like roads.  Blaine knew the area so we didn't need to worry.  I was psyched that Amy R joined!  I hadn't seen her in some time.  I hope she can make more runs.  She had a great, semi-sad goat story for me.

My bothersome back made me a burden for the first two miles, but no one seemed to care.  They all put up with my need to stretch or walk.  After two miles, it's like I don't have a problem.  We all called it good after five road miles.  I hope we get back to try out the trails and to try out Flight Deck Brewing.  I was surprised the trail head was less than 30 minutes from my house - totally doable any time.

Right to left: Tami, Amy, Peter, Me

Peter trying for a keg

Our host, Blaine

Sunday was OSGR time, of course.  I held out hope for Brad's trails firming up over night; it was supposed to get below freezing fairly early.  Tami said Sam was starting early to get more miles, so could probably let us know if the trails were runnable.  Otherwise, we'd have to do the Animal Loop.  Now, for roads, I do like the Animal Loop, but many of the animals aren't there any more.  I'll point to a place and say, that's where the goats were, or that's where they had horses, goats, and a llama.  Sam agreed to let me know so I could put it out there.  Not everyone would want to drive just to run roads.

I was so happy to get the message from Sam just after 7am.  Wear traction, but trails were good!!!  I was aiming to get to Brad early enough to do two miles for a warm up.  Somehow, I didn't get out the door in time for that.  I did get about .75 miles.  I'd hoped that was enough to not effect the group run.

We had a good turn out.  Peter and Tami (both from Saturday's run), Sam, Karen, Don, Tom, Jocelyn, Steve, John, Nicole,  Anne (new to us), Susan and Rachael (although they couldn't start with us cause one of them had locked the key in their car and they were waiting on AAA.  Fortunately, we were going to do an out and back so we could pick them up at some point) were ready for OSGR.  If I'd checked my phone, I would have seen that our newest TMs were almost there.  We would have waited for them, of course.  Luckily, Sam was on top of things and messaged Craig where we were headed. 

Anne joined at the lead of the group.  I tried to rein in her pace, but she seemed to just have one speed.  It wasn't super fast, but it wasn't OSGRish.  Not to worry, I just had us stop for some photo ops now and again.  I was happy that my little warm up had tamed my back.  I wouldn't have wanted Anne's first run with the group to be disappointing for her.  While we ran together, I did try to emphasize the idea of OSGR.

The day was beautiful, the trails were pretty sweet.  I think everyone was pleasantly surprised and relieved.  Spring can be really rotten...there's great weather that renders the trails useless.  It's such a tease.

I pulled off the trail to pee (I do that more than most).  I was just rejoining the trail when Craig caught up!  Yay!!!  I didn't know yet that he was coming.  I teased that it was my peeing that allowed him to catch up.  I asked if he'd seen Susan and Rachael.  Nope.  I wondered if they would join after all.

So OSGR is billed as an all-paces welcomed, six to eight mile run.  We turned around at the cornfield, at about 3.5 miles.  We hadn't gone too far back in when we ran into Susan and Rachael.  Instead of turning around to head back, they asked where we'd turned around.  They were doing the full run ❤
Then we picked up Karen Ela!!  Had I asked Craig if she had joined.  No.  But she'd done a bunch of the single track before we'd joined up with her.  So cool that we met up.

Once we got back onto park property, we took Ginn West, to Regan, to Lanzo, back to the parking lot.  It gave us about 7.5 miles.  Now Tami, the one who said how tired her legs were before the run, coerced (too hard of a term...wooed, no...asked?) people to do two more miles.  Just a mile out, a mile back.  I'd barely wanted 6 for the day, but there was not a fiber of me not wanting to join.  Once we did the mile out, we opted for a different, slightly longer route back.  I love trail runners :)

Once I got home, though I wanted to call it a day, Piper needed her time outside.  I didn't run it, but did take her out for another couple of miles.  It was a good two days of outdoors.