A Run with Friends

I tend to do most of my running alone, simply due to time and schedule constraints. And I'm OK with that. I like to run alone, listening to the birds and enjoying the woods along the way. It gives me time to think things through, process ideas, and de-stress. However, it is always fun to run with friends! So, today, I met up with Valerie, Mindy and Dora for a run on the Fore River Sanctuary trails. I had never run there before; in fact, I don't think I've really run on any of the Portland trails except Eastern Prom and Bay Back, again due to time and scheduling. Which made this run even more of a treat. New trails! Time with friends! Hurray :-) We met at 11:30 at the entrance on Frost Street, and Valerie led us out onto the trails, which meandered around and through some pretty tidal marshes, up into the woods and by a great waterfall. It was a surprise to me to realize that amidst all the residential and commercial spaces right in Portland, there are some great trails. Yes, we didn't run long - getting in exactly 4.0 miles with a bit of meandering here and there - but still, it's always great to see trails tucked away amidst civilization. We kept the pace easy, making it the perfect recovery run after the Breaker. And it was fun to catch up as we ran along. The conversation continued after the run at Saigon, a funky little Vietnamese restaurant that Mindy recommended. It was just a tiny place, where the hostess was dressed to the nines, tacky art was on the walls and Christmas carols (Silent Night to be exact) played in the background, but the food was crisp and fresh and delicious. Oh, and spicy too!

I wish that these mid-week, mid-day runs could be the norm, instead of the exception, but I'm so glad it worked out today! Thanks ladies :-) And thanks again to my parents for watching Sam so I could go have a bit of fun.