Mellow

The rest of the day Sunday was nice and relaxing. Sam and I got out the pretzel making kit she'd gotten as a gift at Christmas and had fun with it. Ours definitely did not look like professional pretzels 😂 but no matter, they sure did taste good! Yum! 😋

Tuesday morning, I carefully tiptoed across the powerlines to Highland Green Road to avoid the ice, and was grateful to find the sidewalks 99% clear. Nice morning for an easy run. (6.0 miles)

Decided I'd rather sleep on Wednesday morning, so I brought my running gear to the Y to run on the track during swim team practice in the late afternoon. It was a busy place and there was a lot of weaving in and around people the entire time, but felt good. The watch once again measured more than 13 laps per mile. I'm going with it, but can't be quite convinced it is right... (5.6 miles)

Cold but calm morning today for a mellow run around town. Watched the sky light up with bright pink and orange hues as I ran along the path paralleling the Androscoggin and through town to the bike path, and enjoyed the pastel colors above the frozen waters as I crossed back over into Topsham. Really pretty morning. (6.3 miles)

And now it's off to do all.the.things in preparation for heading south for Frozen Yeti tomorrow. Looking forward to some trail time! No big mileage goals, just shooting for the bare minimum of 30 miles to count as a finish 😂😉 When we signed up, I had had grander plans to run 45 for my 45th (Wait, what?! Coming right up on Monday?!? How did that happen?!) and while I've gotten in a few 20 miler over the past 6 weeks, it's honestly just not quite enough to warrant additional mileage and there's really no need to push too much right now. I want this to be a good day of training, not a day that sets me back for weeks as I work towards my 100k in April. So, trying to being realistic and practical, and recognizing that 30 miles is nothing to sneeze at and I can eat cake on Monday in celebration of however many miles I run and however many years the calendar says I am 😃🎂🍰

Snow Fun

After a few weeks of not really enjoying running in the elements, it was nice to have a week where temps were moderate, and the snow was fun to play in!

Thought about running on Monday morning, but the thought passed quickly 😆 and instead, I went back to sleep for another hour and spent the rest of the morning relaxing. It was a nice treat! Then it was off to get Sam's haircut and for a lunch date at Ricetta's, complete with 2 cannolis each. Yum! 😋

Later in the afternoon, Ryan joined us for a family xc ski over at the Kate Furbish trails along the Mere Creek golf course in Brunswick. The snow was perfect and with the set tracks, it was pretty sweet! Sam did a great job and was really gliding well! Beautiful sunshine and snow-covered trees added to the ambiance. A bit cold but really nice to get out in the snow and enjoy the woods together! (2.3 miles skied)

Tuesday became an unintentional rest day when I didn't get out the run in the morning because, well, -1 degrees, and then Sam wasn't feeling great so we skipped swim practice and therefore my evening  track run was also skipped. 🙅 Ah well... so onto Wednesday!

Got up and out in the morning darkness. Only 10 degrees but calm so it almost felt balmy 😝 Felt a bit sluggish after two days off, but nice morning to be out. Ran down the powerlines to Topsham Crossing - a bit too soft to want to continue on - so I turned around and looped onto the back Highland Green Road. Perfect screwshoe running! Rest of the loop was mostly clear sidewalks. (6.3 miles)

Up and out Thursday morning too. Single digits but calm again and a nice sunrise. Ran the Highland Green loop with a trip down to the river and back thrown in. Trail was fairly packed by foot and snowshoe traffic. Powerlines decent, back road fun and the rest dry pavement with a bit of ice. Felt good. (6.0 miles)

Felt a bit uninspired to rush right out on Friday so dropped Sam off and then headed out into the sunshine. Mid-20s and no wind truly felt wonderful! Nothing like some mild temps, sunshine, birds chirping, ice pancakes floating on the river and a few miles out meandering the trails in the woods to make a girl happy! Slow going with really only the very main section of trail packed and the rest rather loose snow, so it was just a nice lollygag out in the Cathance and around Highland Green. (8.0 miles)

Followed up the run with a nice massage from Lauren along with the typical Friday errands and house cleaning chores, and then Ryan suggested a late afternoon walk down to the river with Sam to finish up the day, so that is what we did. Enjoyed a walk and talk down to the river with my two loves, returning as the light faded. Snow was much stickier than it had been in the morning! (1.25 miles walked)

Turkey prints

💖

Still some ice pancakes hanging around! 💓

Sam attempting to escape the family photo 😂

Came home and made baked taquitos and flautas. I liked the flour tortilla version better but both were yum and it was a fun dinner!

Yesterday, I got out relatively early and ran out and back on the bike path. It was nice to not have to think much and just be able to run and enjoy listening to Work Play Love and laughing occasionally along the way too. Sidewalks to get to the path were kind of iffy but the bike path itself was clear, and when there is no wind, it really is a nice run option! Overcast but relatively mild morning. Felt good. (10.0 miles)

Sam had a playdate mid-morning and then after lunch we headed over to Crystal Spring Farms for some xc skiing before the predicted rains. It was warm but overcast and fairly damp feeling, and the snow was pretty soft and saturated from the warm temps. Still, there had been some nice tracks laid down and people had done a really good job of staying off the classic tracks and snowshoeing on the other side of the groomed area. We followed along the edge of the fields for a bit and then headed into the woods, where the terrain was a bit more challenging, and Sam did a really good job of navigating it all! We also stopped for a bit of snow flinging and so that I could look at the milkweed pods - so pretty set against the snow. (1.8 miles skied)

We did indeed get rain overnight, which is always a bummer mid-winter, but it had stopped by the time I came downstairs in the morning, so perhaps not as bad as it could have been. Had a lazy morning doing a bit of relaxing and getting some things done around the house and finally headed out around 10:00 am for my run. Misting slightly and kind of cloudy bright. Ran the roads around town, jumping puddles on the sidewalks. Felt good - always a nice way to wrap up the week! (6.1 miles)

More Snow and Ice Plus Wind and Cold

The miles this week were hard fought, and honestly, the weather was making me fairly cranky, which didn't help. What can I say? It's not all beer and skittles, and some weeks are just more work than others.

Things warmed up on Monday and then froze back up on Tuesday morning, leaving everything covered with a thin glaze of ice and making things a little bit sketchy in the darkness. Out and back on Canam and Highland Green. (6.0 miles)

About an inch of snow fell overnight Tuesday, just enough to coat the roads and sidewalks and make things a little bit more work than they should have been on Wednesday morning. Probably should have worn screwshoes. Nice and calm though, and I was able to loop around Highland Green without too much slipping on the back road. (6.0 miles)

Snow day on Thursday with 8" or so falling, and temps were predicted to be in the low single digits with winds in the 10-15 mph zone for Friday. Oh winter, how I love you... Had made plans to meet up with Keri for a long run at Bradbury, as she is doing the Frozen Yeti too and wanted to get in 20. Which all seemed like a good idea at the time, but seriously. Roads were messy and snowy, and wow, it was cold! There had been some bike and snowmobile traffic out in the park, and it seemed like they had gotten out with the bike roller too, but it wasn't enough to pack the snow and boy was it soft out there. Keri and I floundered around for a few miles out on the trails, talking about how we might be able to get in our 20 over the rest of the weekend as we turned around and headed back to the parking lot, thinking we'd just call it and wave the white flag of surrender on the day. We looped up into the campground, although it hadn't been plowed around the loop so not enough to get in much mileage, and then decided to go down the road a bit in an attempt to at least get in six miles for the day. Ha.

We were at a side road pondering if we should continue or not, when Ryan came down the road towards us, having been over to check the snowshoe course for Sunday and hoping to get in a long run too. We decided to all continue on together for a ways longer. A trip up a side road out to a cool house with all sorts of sculptures and the side paths through the woods, and some funny stories from Keri as we ran along the far edges of the shoulder in our spikes, and then up and out along Poland Range Road, which was actually pretty decent running.

I wasn't feeling great though and just wasn't sure I had the mental fortitude to continue, but the best thing about running with friends is that peer pressure often wins, so I just tagged along for the ride. We ran out on Poland Range Road until we hit the Freeport line and it turned to pavement, then it was back, straight into the wind - brrrr! - and out along Libby to hook up with the snowmobile trail back into the park. It was pretty soft and I was hurting. I lagged behind as we trudged through the snow (or maybe that was just me?!) and was sure I was going to call it back at the parking lot. I mean, 14 miles would be more than enough, right? I urged them both to go on, but after a bit of whining to Ryan while Keri was in the bathroom, I had a gel and said I would keep going with them, knowing deep down, even if my brain was kicking and screaming,  that I'd feel much better if I managed to suck it up and finish up the final 6 miles of the run.

Not sure I contributed much to the conversation for the rest of the run as we retraced our steps down Rt. 9, back up the side road and then out onto Poland Range Road again, just putting my head down and holding on. We didn't have a solid plan for the final miles but decided to go down Libby and just continue on until we hit Elmwood and return to the park that way. Ryan and I weren't sure what the exact distance of this route would be but it seemed like it would end up close to 20 one way or another, and it did, even coming in a little long. The wind hit us full force once we got out to Elmwood and then it was just a grind back to the park.

Pretty woods

Despite conditions, it truly was beautiful out, with the snow covering the trees and bright sunshine. Felt like I had so much less power and energy out there than Ryan and Keri, which was a bit disappointing, but such is life. Like Ryan says, they can't all be zingers. And I guess there's something to be said for 20+ miles on a 6 degree day with crazy winds and rough conditions, and that even if I didn't feel great, I persisted and got it done. Thankful for Ryan and Keri for putting up with me and keeping me moving forward! (20.7 miles)

We had a yummy lunch in Freeport and then I continued on with the errands for the day, spending a few hours running around town getting cat food and birdseed, going to the farmer's market and dropping off the recycling at the transfer station, and hitting Target and Hannaford for groceries before picking Sam up. Made some soup for dinner and realized I was darn exhausted! Holy moly.😴😴 Early to bed for this lady after a full day!

Didn't set my alarm for Saturday, but the cats woke me up anyway. Headed out around 7:30 am, once again all layered up, as it was only 1 degree. But it was calm and bright so it was doable! Headed out through the Highlands and ran the bike path out and back. Wore the new Nike Pegasus trail shoes and enjoyed the lovely cushioning! Bike path was completely clear but the sidewalks getting there were decidedly meh. Definitely feeling Friday's run in my legs but just kept the pace nice and easy. (10.0 miles)

Bike path view

Then it was off to Sam's swim meet for the afternoon!

More snow fell overnight, another 4" inches or so. I had already decided last night not to get up early and run before Ryan headed out to Brad for snowshoe race set-up. It was nice to have a bit of a leisurely morning before Sam and I followed along a few hours later to volunteer at the race. Spent the rest of the morning chatting with friends, doling out soup and enjoying the sunshine. Thankfully it was a bit warmer than the past few days, and Sam had a great time running around in the snow with Elise while everyone raced. After the race and awards were done, a bunch of us headed to Maine Beer for pizza and beer. I abstained from the beer, as I still had some miles to run, and I peeled off early to head home and get out before the sun set.

Sam and Elise playing games after pizza

With the roads looking decidedly sketchy and the sidewalks not plowed at all around home, I decided to drive down to the bike path, for what would assuredly be some safer, if slightly boring, miles. Put in my earbuds and listened to a few podcasts as I ran along, enjoying the relative warmth and calm afternoon. Despite it being late afternoon after standing around in the cold for several hours in the morning and eating a late lunch of pizza, I'd say today's miles were the easiest of the week. Wasn't super energetic but the legs had loosened up since yesterday and it was nice to not be freezing and on clear pavement where I didn't have to work with every footfall! (7.0 miles)

Happy to be able to crank (or maybe slowly churn 😂) out another 50 (just!) mile week, and looking forward to a holiday day off with the kiddo tomorrow and a down week before Yeti!

Snow and Rain and Ice

Tuesday I put on my screwshoes and headed out into the darkness. Conditions were fairly decent on the powerlines, so I decided to chance it and see how far I could get. Pleased to find the trail mostly packed, if a bit soft. The trail out onto the backside of the loop by the dump was softer and I ended up turning around and added on a bit out towards Lover's Lane to finish up my miles, as that stretch had seen more traffic. Pretty glow on the horizon in the final mile as I headed back home. (6.0 miles)

We got an inch or so of snow in the early morning hours on Wednesday and flurries throughout the day, so Thursday morning was another screwshoe morning, this time around Highland Green with a short loop out onto the Cathance trails down to the river. Cold and windy but decent running. Too dark out in the woods to see anything, but yet another lovely early glimpse of the sunrise glow on the horizon as I headed back up the powerlines on my way home. (6.1 miles)

A bit milder on Friday morning as I headed out for my long run. Put my spikes in my pocket and headed out once again on the powerlines. It seemed the fat bikers had been out the night before as there was a nice packed ribbon in the middle of the powerlines. Hurray! Found they had continued onto the back of the dump loop too, which was nice so I headed that way and then up onto the Gone Fishing mountain bike trails out by the dump pond. The twisty singletrack was a mixed bag, with one stretch really good packed running and the rest a bit more uneven and less trafficked than ideal. Still, it was nice to be on trails and the Hillsounds were perfect. I could hear the wind whipping above, but was fairly protected in the woods.

After winding out and around and back again, I returned on the powerlines to Highland Green Road for a bit of road running before doing a loop on the Cathance trails down along the river. There had been a fair amount of traffic out in the Cathance proper and the running was decent, if a bit uneven underfoot. Knew I needed to tack on another mile or so before I headed home, so did a Heath loop too, but that was not quite as good as there hadn't been nearly enough traffic out there. Then it was back via roads and powerline, and ta da! First 20 of 2020 done!

Took the pace nice and easy out there and the legs felt pretty good, if a bit fatigued in the final miles. Listened to a number of good podcasts, including one with Melissa Ossana as well as a Trail Runner Nation podcast with Katie Arnold. I really enjoyed her book, Running Home, and she's an eloquent speaker as well. I smiled when she said that she stopped often on her runs to enjoy and take into the views, which she laughingly said probably wasn't good training, except that it was good for the soul, so maybe it really was good for training. Indeed! :)

Lots of deer and turkey tracks seen, and stopped to admire a hawk circling above as well as to watch a pair of bluebirds flitting about on a winterberry bush. The bright blue of the male in particular was striking against the red berries. So pretty. All told, a pretty good day in the woods! (20.0 miles)

Didn't sleep well on Friday night and the warmer temps on Saturday morning meant that most of the packed snow on the sidewalks had turned to ice, with a thin veneer of water on top. Sketchy indeed! Not to mention the legs were certainly feeling Friday's miles, so yesterday's road meander was a bit of a slow one. Ran out through the neighborhoods down to the bike path, and turned around when the watch beeped 5.0 miles, which was conveniently at the bathroom 😂, and then turned around and retraced my steps. (10.0 miles)

Woke up to rain and 37 degrees this morning which turned into rolling over and going back to sleep + eating donuts + having a lazy morning instead of going out for a run. It's pretty atypical for me to not just get up and run but the weather was kind of crappy and it looked like it was going to clear later in the day, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped that would be the case! Anne came over for playdate with Sam, and I was starved, so I ate lunch while Ryan took the first running shift around noon when it appeared the rain had ended and the wind was picking up as the weather was moving out. I finally headed out around 2:00 pm once he got back and looped around town, surprised to find that 99% of the ice I'd found yesterday had been melted by the warm temps and the rain. Crazy! Felt much more spry than during yesterday's road miles, although having clear sidewalks certainly helped! Could have done without the wind and the spraying spittle in my face for the last 3 miles, but I did see a rainbow, so that was nice.  (8.0 miles)

Happy to finish up a solid 50 mile week and good to come home and hang out in front of the "fire" with these two 😻