Ryan took the first shift with Sam, so I headed over to meet the group for the 8am start. Chuck had planned out two loops, the first a 4+ mile loop through the woods behind their home, with lots of singletrack and twists and turns, and a little bit of sand running at the edge of the Desert of Maine. The second loop was a 6+ mile loop on the Hedgehog Mountain trail system - these trails are well-used and well maintained. The combination of both loops made for some great running, and some tough running at that!
I ran most of the time at the back of the pack with Shauna and Dora, and we had a fun time chatting as we ran along. I felt really good throughout the run, although by the time we got back to the house at the end of the Hedgehog loop, I knew I wasn't going to head back out on the 4+ mile loop. This was partly because I was starting to feel pretty tired and wasn't sure I wanted to be out on the trails for another 40 minutes, and partly because Ryan had arrived with Sam, and I realized that if he really wanted to get in his planned 20 miles, he had better get going and go with the group or he'd be out there for a long time.
When I went inside for "shift change", Katy's mom, Lori, offered to watch Sam if I wanted to go back out for a few more miles. Thanks Lori! Such a nice offer, and a good treat to be able to sneak in a few more miles! Dora and Shauna wanted to get in a few additional miles too, so the three of us decided to just take to the roads for a quicker and easier final few miles. I ended up with 13 miles, 10.5 of them on the trails and the remainder on the roads, in the 2:08 I was out there.
I had hoped to get in 14 miles for the day, but given the terrain, I was happy with the 13 miles and the time I was out on the trails. It was some good training and lots of fun! Sam and I spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at Chuck and Katy's, enjoying some good food and good company! A fun time, as always, with the Trail Monsters :-)
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