Happy Summer!

Summer solstice this week, summer vacation for Sam and first camping trip of the season = happy summer! 🌞💗

On the run front, as we were headed to Southwest Harbor on Thursday for our annual end of school camping trip, and knowing I wasn't planning to get in any big mileage while we were up there, I decided to see if I could still get in 50 miles for the week in my typical 5 runs. Perhaps not as effective in terms of training, but I figured it was a good challenge and a good way to ensure I got in some miles early in the week before we headed out for our trip.

And so it was that at 6:20 on Monday morning, I was out the door for my run. Yes, it was a holiday day from work for me, but the summer sessions of swim practice started this week too so Sam had to be at the Y for 9:00 am, hence the early start. Nice cool morning for a meander on the cart paths, down to the river, and on some of the neighborhood roads. We'll see if I actually manage to complete my intended run plan for the week, but at least I got it off to a good start! (10.0 miles)

Got home in time for a shower and a quick snack and then it was off to the Y. Big, noisy practice this morning with a lot of the older high school kids attending as it was a combined A/B practice. Sam and her group of B practice buddies did a good job keeping up! 

Tired on Tuesday morning, so took the day as a zero day after 5 days in a row of running. I went into the office and Ryan had a morning meeting, so Mom and Dad took Sam up to swim. After practice, they went into Bath for a snack at the coffee shop and to wander down to the water to check out the Virginia replica that is being worked on and then out to Popham for a walk. It was low tide, so they were able to get to Fox Island too. Sam is one lucky girl - sounds like a good morning to me! 😍

Had to head into the office on Wednesday too, so I was out the door at 5:30 am for my run. Ran out on the powerlines and enjoyed the nice, if muggy, morning. The milkweed was blooming, the hay scented ferns smelled heavenly, the blueberries are beginning to turn blush colored and ripen, and I even found a small patch of rose pogonia! 💕And another chunk of mileage checked off for the week. (10.0 miles)

Rose pogonia, a beautiful little orchid 😍

Up and out again relatively early on Thursday to get in a run before we started our drive up to MDI. Headed out at 5:50 am to do a road run around town. Very muggy, misty and overcast morning. Ran out through Mom and Dad's neighborhood and along the Andro, crossing into Brunswick and then back into Topsham via the bike path connector before heading out onto Foreside and then back via the neighborhoods and the back dirt road of Highland Green. A solid loop. Lots of rose begonia, crown vetch, cow vetch, daisies and some lupine blooming roadside. So far so good with the running for the week, but we'll see if I can pull off  the final 19ish miles in two days up there while still leaving time for family fun and hiking! (11.25 miles)