Mashed Potato Mush

I had coordinated with Mindy and Val and arranged an 8am meet-up at the Brad this morning. That way Ryan could get out on his snowshoes later in the morning to test out the snowshoe course for next weekend, and I could still get a run with friends in. It was foggy, damp and relatively warm as we stood around in the parking lot getting ourselves organized. Along with Mindy, Val and I were Andy, Joe H.(new to TMR), Yana and her friend Marcus. We all started out together down the Snowmobile trail. Conditions were so-so, with some good stretches and a lot of stretches where we were all sinking and slipping in and through the snow a fair amount, down into the slush below the wet, mashed potato-esque snow. Overall, we moved along at an OK clip, given the conditions, chatting all the way. Eventually, the group split up, with Andy off ahead, Mindy, Val, Joe and I in the middle, and Yana and her friend behind. We were running with my schedule in mind, so we turned back at the far edge of the cornfields, right after we had reached the moose leg bone (fascinating and icky all at once!) in the snow to make sure I got back to meet Ryan and Sam at 10:00 am. The stretch through the field boasted the worst conditions, but after that, the return trip somehow seemed to go by more quickly and easily than the way out. We ended up with 8.6 miles in 1:44, and were all fairly soaked upon our return, but in good spirits. Somehow mashed potato mush snow is much easier to run in when surrounded by friends! Thanks guys! 

I quickly changed, Val built a snow kitty :-) for Sam, and then Sam, Val, Mindy and I headed off for Edna & Lucy's while Ryan headed out with his snowshoes on. Somehow after having a snack and chatting with Mindy and Val for a while, Sam and I ended up staying at E&L's until Ryan finished his run around 12:45! I kept asking Sam if she wanted to 1) go home, or 2) go back to the park and snowshoe or take a walk, but she wanted neither. She wanted to "stay here all day!" In the end, we ordered lunch, we read a few books, and Sabrina brought over some cardboard, stickers and markers for Sam to play with, and by then I knew Ryan should almost be done, so we just hung around until he was! Ha. A morning at E&L's isn't such a bad thing, though :-) And with nothing else on the schedule for the day, why not?!