Mid Week Miles

Wind whipping.
Rain falling, filling pollen-lined puddles.
The smell of honeysuckle in the air.
Drenched.

That pretty much sums up Tuesday morning's rainy run on the cart paths. (6.0 miles)

On the plus side, things cleared up later in the day and the lovely patch of bearded iris out front are now in bloom. 💗🌸

Wednesday, I went back to sleep after the alarm but still managed to get out of the house, just a bit later than normal. Hill repeats on Mt. A. were on the schedule. Legs are feeling a bit tired from last week's miles, and I swallowed 2 bugs en-route 😬, but otherwise all good. 5x up and over Chicken and Suicide. (6.2 miles)

I had intended to head up to Camden on Friday but at the last minute, ie. when my alarm went off at 4:00 am, I decided I'd rather get some extra sleep and not deal with driving close to 3 hours round trip on a Friday in June along the coast and just run around here instead. It was nice to just have a mellow morning. I got Sam and Ryan out the door and then went downtown to hit the farmer's market right when it opened so that I could snag some local strawberries for strawberry shortcake tonight 🍓😋 and then finally got out myself a little after 9:00 am.

It was damp and cool and very squishy soggy slippery out on the trails. The bog bridges were especially sketchy. I ran out along the river to Head of Tides, enjoying the riotous greenery and the trailside bunchberries, false lily of the valley and ladyslippers along the way. The grounds out at Head of Tides boasted some beautiful dames rocket, purple and white columbine and the glorious swath of lily of the valley up along the trail in the woods. Also saw a great blue heron and two cormorants out in the water.

Cathance is flowing!

Head of Tides lily of the valley

Carpeting the forest floor

Dame's rocket by the steps

and beautiful Columbine at the edge of the grass

I added a bit by running down the road to Topsham Crossing and up the powerlines, stopping to smell the fragrant hay scented ferns coming up trailside. I know I say this every year, but that smell... 😍 reminds me of the AT and makes me smile every time. I crossed over into the Highlands and ran the trail up and back along the stream down in the valley there before finishing up along the bike path along the Connector, which has been strewn with lupine. Gotta love late spring in Maine with everything blooming. Seriously, so pretty.

Ferns blanketing the powerlines

Jack in the pulpit down by the Highlands stream 

Lupine 💜

Legs were feeling a bit tired, but it was a lovely morning to be out, without a lot of bugs to contend with. Listened to a few podcast along the way today, laughing along with Work Play Love, and listening to two timely Western State themed podcasts, a good conversation on Ultrarunner Podcast with a British runner who had some good things to say, and Billy Yang's podcast about the 2018 Western States, more of a follow-along audio look at the race last year, following 3 talented women runners, including Courtney Dauwalter. I will admit I felt a bit emotional listening to Billy's podcast and hearing the roar of the crowds, the startline countdown, the cheering on course, thinking about these women running around that Auburn track, and envisioning myself doing the same. Getting a chance to run in Western States, especially getting in with only 2 tickets, is a true privilege. I am insanely lucky. I am also scared out of my mind. 100 miles, no matter what Karl says, is a long way and a whole lot can happen. But I know that it's true that doing the thing that scares you means you're doing it right. That there is joy in pain and that the suffering, completely self-inflected by the way, is part of the journey. I can't wait to take it all in and enjoy every step, even when I'm not 😉😂😁 No matter what happens it's going to be one heck of an adventure!

A few more miles to run the next two days and then it's time to bring on the taper. My legs and mind are ready! #seeyouinsquaw