What's Next?: 20/10

Saturday, August 6, 2016

20/10

Had the chance to run with Val and George on Friday, which was fun! They were heading up to the Androscoggin Riverlands to run the snowmobile trail from end to end. Val's brother John was visiting and joined in too, while Rick and Anne chose to do a shorter out-and-back. Because I was hoping to run 20+, Mindy suggested that she meet me at the other end of the trail and run back with me. Hurray! Always nice to have company on a long run, and it has been way too long since I've had a chance to catch up on the run with any of these guys.

We headed out around 9:00, up the snowmobile trail out into the park. While not technical, the trail was definitely not easy. There were rocks and loose sand, plus a lot of little ups and downs. The day was warming up quickly while were out there, and the deer flies came out to visit with us for a few stretches along the trail, but luckily, we were mostly in the shade and we were keeping the pace reasonable, so I felt decent coming into the parking lot off Conant Road at 11.3 miles. We also saw a ton of little pinky nail sized frogs hopping across the trail, plus a few mushrooms, and came across one high-bush blueberry bush which yielded a few berries :)

When we arrived, Mindy was just pulling in, so there was a short break to refill my pack with water, eat some oreos, get some ice from George and Anne and wait for Mindy to be ready, then it was back off into the woods. It was definitely much warmer on the return trip - the air just seemed dead out there - and I was definitely feeling the heat. Luckily, Mindy is just returning to doing some longer mileage and she was happy to walk some of the bigger hills and just meander along.

We cut off one of the extra loops we had done on the way out and came back into the parking lot with my watch reading 20.25. I was more than happy with that given the heat/humidity, and was really glad to have company along the way! It was great to get a chance to catch up with those guys on the run. A hot 20 miler is always more fun with friends!

20 hot miles = ice cream for me ;)

After I picked Sam up from camp, we stopped off to do some blackberry picking - yum! - and then home to cook up a healthy, delicious dinner to balance out my big ice cream cone :)

It's blackberry season!

Berries!

Balancing out that ice cream ;)

I was pretty wiped out from the run, not the miles necessary as my legs really felt fine, but just overall tired from being out for 4 hours in the heat and humidity. It was early to bed for me, but of course, I did not sleep. What is up with that?!?

Slept in a bit and headed out around 6:50 am for a run out in the Cathance. Still insanely humid but at least cooler with the early morning hour, and while the deer flies were bothersome, they were not biting, which was nice. I ran along the river and then out onto the Ravine Loop and across the new bridge to run the Blueberry loop. Scared up a family of turkeys out there in the woods, the kids scattering one way and the mom running the other. Stopped to pick raspberries in a few different spots, because, well, you just should not pass up berries on the run!! :), and made my way back on the powerlines, where I stopped yet again, but this time for blackberries :). Finished up with 10 miles, feeling tired but not bad overall, considering a 20/10 back to back for the weekend.

After Ryan got in his run, we went out to lunch and then up to Thorne Head for a hike. Yeah, you know, just needed a bit more time on my feet. HA! :) But seriously, I feel like it's important for Sam to get out in the woods on the weekends too, and although she wasn't too keen to go, she did say, unprompted, several times while hiking, that it was fun to be out. Of course, it was also d*mn hot, but at least along the Kennebec there was a nice breeze. We got in a lovely if hot 1.5 miles for the day and then headed to get some ice cream to cool off!