Cathance Run

Mom headed back to North Carolina yesterday, but my dad is staying with us for a few extra days before he heads up to my grandmother's place in Williamstown to do a little cleaning before the sale of her house. Today he offered to take Sam for a walk while Ryan and I ran together - how could we say no?! So, after her mid-day nap, we drove over to Highland Green and parked by the clubhouse. We figured it would be too windy down on the bike path, and besides, I wanted to get in a trail run, so why not run on the Cathance Trails and get muddy? :-)

Dad and Sam took off on their walk, while Ryan and I headed out on the Heath Trail for a run along the trails. It was surprisingly snow-free for a fair chunk of the trail system, and there was a lot of dry, bare ground too, but there was also a lot of spots where you just weren't sure what you would find with your next step - Would it be solid ground? Or mud? Would you slip? Or would you sink? There were funny little sinkholes everywhere - hoar frost beneath the mud or mulch - making footing tricky. The trails twist and turn through the woods and along the river, which was flowing nicely, and we stopped in one spot to admire the rapids.

Along the Cathance River

We ran into a number of other people out walking the trails - everyone was out enjoying the beautiful day! With all the twists and turns along the trail and the variable conditions, the pace was slow, with us logging 5.5 miles in just under an hour, but it was great to be out, and a treat to get in a nice trail run with Ryan - thanks Dad!