Chad and Mike had met John at 6:00 so they were already an hour in when I met up with them at 7:00. We headed out onto the East side to run the Scuffle-ish, managing to run the Bat Cave loop backwards and cutting off at the Link to get Mike back in time to head back home. We were moving at a quick clip with John in the lead, but it was fun to banter with everyone and I was feeling good. Back at the lot, Alan and dog, Micah and Clark joined us and all six of us headed out onto the BBU west loop. I wasn't leading, although I did have to keep giving directions ;) I didn't quite get them out early enough for us to turn up onto Krista's so we just kept on heading down the Tote and skipped that portion. I was hanging near the back of the group with Chad but we were still part of the train, moving well along the trail.
Trail conditions throughout the day were an interesting mix of firm trail, mud, water, springy semi-frozen trail, big patches of hoar frost and even some ice. It was chilly out but we were luckily protected from the wind in the woods.
Shortly after we crossed the final bridge and were headed back to the field along Lawrence, Bill came running down toward us, having arrived late and taken a guess as to which way we might have headed. Good scouting, for sure!
Back at the park, we turned right up the Boundary Trail which was icy and which is definitely not my favorite trail in the park. I was losing a bit of steam and was just taking my time, so when the group continued on past the bench that marks the Reverse Mindy, I called up to John to tell him I was turning here and was just going to do my own thing for that stretch back to the parking lot. He said he'd join me, but I told him to just keep going with the guys, knowing he could keep up ;) Of course, perhaps I should have insisted he come with me, as apparently soon after we parted, he went down hard on an icy ledge and smashed up his right side. Ouch! I enjoyed the Reverse Mindy and Tote trails and then turned up Northern Loop to head to the summit.
Just off the summit ledges, I saw the boys, heading back toward me, so I turned around and ran with them down the Ski Trail and back to the lot. Although I was feeling the miles, the time and the slightly too fast start, I was determined to get in my final 6 miles, so I said I was going to head back out to do the Scuffle. Bill and John, gluttons for punishment that they are, joined me. I said I was going to be slow... and I was ;) But John was hurting from his fall and Bill was thankfully content to just cruise along with us. Unfortunately John took yet another fall along the snowmobile trail in the last two miles, so it was a bit of a rough end to the run, but we got it done.
My watch beeped 20 just as we were crossing the road - hurray! It was a fun, if tiring, run and I am very happy to have gotten in the miles. And now I am headed back to sit on the couch and relax :)
No comments:
Post a Comment