Bring on the Taper!

Monday was a scheduled rest day, with Ryan away for a work trip and work on the bathroom continuing.

Tuesday, I really did plan to run, but it just didn't work out that way... I have strong feelings of anxiety about going out in the early mornings to run and leaving Sam sleeping at the house while Ryan is away. I know the likelihood of anything happening is slim, but it really sort of freaks me out. So I did not get out for a morning run. I had hoped I would be able to get out in the afternoon/early evening after I got home from work, but we needed to make a trip out to pick up additional bathroom materials and then the guys stayed until 6:30 working on the bathroom, and by then I was starved and there was no way I was going for a run. Are all of the above excuses or choices or just life? I don't know, but sometimes running just has to shift down the priority list a bit for one reason or another. We did make a stop at DQ for ice cream while were out, so maybe it all evens out. I mean, ice cream is the same as running, right?! 😂😋 

Wednesday morning, you can just read the line about anxiety and just say deja vu. But thankfully I was working at home, and so after meeting 1 of 3 for the day, I snuck out into the sunshine for a run! Nothing like starting the running week on Wednesday, especially when you are attempting to get in one final big week before the taper starts 😐😏😆 Ran out and back on Highland Green Road to make it as quick and easy as possible. (8.0 miles)

Ryan got back Wednesday night. It was nice to have him home, and meant that Thursday morning's run was a run on the cart paths in the murky, sticky darkness followed by a weird yellowish lightening of the sky through the thick clouds as the sun rose and finally a loud crack of thunder and lightning followed by pouring rain for the final mile. (7.0 miles)

Asters in the yellow morning light before the rain started

Friday was a run out through the Commons to Coleman Farm to take in the glorious later summer asters blooming along the field edges and the always beautiful salt marsh views. Cool, crisp and bright morning but very blustery. Nothing says fall like a run in long sleeves followed up by a pumpkin glazed donut from Frosty's! 😋🍩(10.0 miles)

Love the late summer wildflowers

Garter snake

Yum!

We had originally planned to head up to Keri and Tyler's on Friday afternoon to stay over before Saturday's HVNC Race Through the Woods, but life got a bit nuts on their end and it didn't work out to stay over, so we ended up just driving up on Saturday morning. It meant no early morning run to do a course check for me, so instead I got up and out early for another run on Highland Green Road before we headed north. Cool, still blustery and very dark. (8.0 miles)

Pretty sundog over the Woolwich marsh

We arrived in time to help with registration and then Ryan headed off with the rest of the runners to do the 5.5 mile race, while Sam, Elise and I took a walk on the trails out to the bog. A beautifully bright and crisp morning, and so many pitcher plants in the bog amongst the reddening cranberry leaves. So pretty! (1.0 miles walked)

So many pitcher plants!

💗

Enjoyed catching up with friends, cheering on the runners, volunteering and just enjoying a beautiful day outside. After the race finished and things got cleaned up, we headed over to Tin Top Cider with Keri, Tyler, Elise, Val, Rick and Mindy to sit outside in the sunshine, grilling sausages and drinking cider for a few hours before heading home. A full and fun day!

Definitely tired out from all the fresh air and activity of Saturday, so I did not get out until around 8:00 am on Sunday for my long run. Another beautiful morning, perfect for arm sleeves at the start and warming up nicely for the final few hours of the run. Put together a nice loop around town linking up eight of the trail sections in town that I can reach on foot from home - trail along Granite Hill; trail along the Androscoggin River along Elm Street; Highlands trail; Foreside Field trails; powerlines; Gone Fishing; Cathance; and trails behind Mt. Ararat. Fun! Two deer, one downy and one hairy woodpecker seen. Last long run of the training cycle done. Now bring on the taper! Although slightly anxious about No Business (only 3 weeks away!!), also grateful to be able to get out and enjoy these long runs to appreciate the beauty of where we live and the fact that my legs allow me to explore, and am looking forward to continuing to test myself and explore new places through this crazy sport of ultra running! (22.0 miles)

Partridge berry along the Highlands trail

And in home news, the bathoom is finished, and really looks great!!! Now if only I had a pot of money hidden away somewhere so we could immediately move on to renovating the rest of the house 😂 The rest might have to wait, but for now we are definitely enjoying the new bathroom 😊

Disarray and Resetting

The work on the bathroom continues.... aie. So the house remains in disarray and once again, thank goodness for Mom and Dad’s shower!! 

But at least by Wednesday, I was feeling pretty much back to normal and was working on resetting things in the midst of the chaos.

Monday, I worked at home and got out for a short and slow walk in the late afternoon, just to move the legs and see how I felt. Definitely still low energy. (1.7 miles walked)

Tuesday, I decided my best course of action was to get as much sleep as I could so I did not get up early to run. Instead, I got out after Sam got home from school for a mellow run around the Highland Green block. Still feeling a bit off but not bad all things considered. So so humid 💦💦💦(6.0 miles)

Wednesday was late start, so I headed out just as the sky was lightening for a run on the powerlines. Pretty morning light, mushrooms, ghost pipes and late summer asters. Felt better overall, although my legs felt kinda clunky. (9.0 miles)

I did contemplate going over to Bradbury to run the UXBBA on Friday, just because, but in the end, my heart wasn't in it so I headed over to Freeport instead for a fun little trail adventure. Started out on the Chase Reserve trails, running them up to Brimstone Hill and then along the fields and through the woods to the end of Litchfield Road. Boy, are these trails technical and slow going! But it was a pretty morning to be out, nice and cool.

 

Once I hit Litchfield Road, I headed towards Wolfe's Neck, veering off onto the Field Estuary trails, which I had never explored before. More thin technical ribbons of singletrack, with two dead-end spurs that led down to the edge of the saltwater marsh. Many mushrooms, and much aster and goldenrod. A fun additional exploration. 

Then it was back onto the roads and up to the park, where I looped around, enjoying the trails that seemed relatively tame compared to the rest of the route so far, and the ocean views, before heading down to the campground. Surprised to see so many people camping although I guess the weather certainly has been good for it! Meandered around the campground loops and along the trail between the two before heading onto the Deer Run Trail and connecting to Whippoorwill Woods and the Brewer Trail before popping back out onto Flying Point Road. 

Ran back on the road for the final few miles and added on the smaller ocean-side Calderwood loop, finishing back at the car with the watch reading exactly 20. How's that for exact?! Legs felt tired, but it was a nice time on feet effort and good mix of trail and roads. Was it "enough"? I don't know, but given how I felt on Sunday and earlier this week, I'm happy with it, and I know in the end, I just am going to have to go with what I've put in the tank and see how it all shakes out at No Business! (20.0 miles)

Later in the afternoon, we all got our updated Covid shots, and then headed over to Mom and Dad's to shower (again), staying for a yummy dinner of Japanese, because who doesn't like take-out after a long run?!

Although Ryan and Sam woke up with headaches and sore arms, I somehow managed to escape the headache, so after a rather leisurely few hours in the morning, I finally headed out around 8:00 am for my run. Not the spryest run ever, but it sure was a beautiful morning to be out! 45 degrees and longsleeves = oh so lovely! (10.0 miles)

Then it was home to cook up some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to enjoy nice and warm from the oven while sitting on the couch for a bit with a cup of tea and my book, because, well, who doesn't want cookies on a cool September Saturday morning after a run, especially when the guys are upstairs sanding the bathroom ceiling?! 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

Slept much better on Saturday night, and arm was feeling better by Sunday morning which means I even managed my very light and short arm weight routine before heading out to run. Ran up around Highland Green, then out on the Cathance trails to Head of Tides before returning via roads and the powerlines. But that was too short so had to make some convoluted wanderings to get to my intended mileage goal. Some cool fungi, winterberries emerging in their red brilliance and one young catbird seen. Moved the catbird off the trail - hope it is OK. Felt decent overall with good energy and legs feeling fine which I'll definitely take as a positive sign, given that this was the end of a 3-day 45 mile block and a 60 mile week. (15.0 miles)

Not the UXBBA

It has been a week! Work on the bathroom commenced and let's just say there has been a fair amount of issues and stress. Sigh. Never a dull moment. Poor Ryan is about ready to run screaming for the hills, and we aren't even doing the renovations ourselves. Aie. 😂😑😭😵😶

Monday was a holiday. I had made plans to meet up with Emma for a walk and coffee at Pineland, and although it was a bit misty and drizzly when we set out at 7:30, thankfully it wasn't pouring, so once we got moving, it was relatively pleasant out in the woods. We walked Oak Hill, and it was so great to catch up! 💗(5.0 miles walked)

Sam and I did make a trip out to Target later in the afternoon, but otherwise it was very low key the rest of the day. 

While Sam is settling in just fine to 8th grade, I am most definitely struggling with getting up in the darkness and getting in my running midweek in the early mornings. So I'm pretty much just shrugging my shoulders and adjusting. Which is to say that I did not get out into the rainy darkness on Tuesday morning and instead ended up running roads through Highland Green in the heavy sticky mist at 3:00 in the afternoon instead. Blerg. Kinda gross weather. But I did see this adorably cute little red eft. Only about 2/3 the size of my pinkie!! 😍(8.0 miles)

Thankfully Wednesday is late start, which means Sam doesn't get up until 7:15 and I have another hour to get in a run! Headed out a little after 6:00 onto the powerlines. Overall, feeling tired, but it was a pretty morning to be out. Low fog, mushrooms and dew-covered spiderwebs. (7.0 miles)

The tub that we ordered was defective. Ordered another one. Did not get up at 4:00 am on Thursday. Went into the office. Heard from Ryan that tub #2 had a huge gouge in it, and then that #3 had a hole in it. I searched around online and he was able to pick up tub #4 at another store, and thankfully that one worked. Gah. So much time and energy and stress wasted. Headed out at 3:00 pm onto the powerlines again. Kept it nice and mellow, and managed to convince head and legs to do the full distance I had planned for the day. Love the late summer asters, goldenrod and turtlehead. (10.0 miles)

Had a work training to attend on Friday morning until noon, and happily took the day off from running because I really needed a bit of rest. Got a few errands done after the training and then headed home. House is in disarray, with work stuff and drywall dust everywhere. But at least we will be able to shower in our own bathroom by tomorrow, even if the sink has been pulled out and we can't use that. Many thanks to Mom and Dad for letting us come over the past few days and use their shower - that has been a godsend! The remainder of the work on the bathroom will get completed next week. 

Saturday, I headed into Brunswick right at 7:00 so I could pick up some glazed pumpkin donuts from Frosty’s. Priorities, you know?! 😉🍩 Then I drove out to Pennelville to do a road run out to Simpson’s Point. Cool but very humid. (8.0 miles)

Then it was home to get some laundry and house cleaning done, mostly for my own peace of mind but also because Michael and Vicky were coming over later in the afternoon for dinner and so that Ryan and Michael could do an in-person assessment to help fix some ankle/leg issues. While they were doing that, Sam, Vicky and I went out on the powerlines for a mellow but toasty walk. (1.9 miles walked)

Didn’t sleep well overnight, waking up multiple times not feeling great and then when I finally did get up in the darkness at 3:45 am, I couldn’t even finish my breakfast and my stomach was a mess. But Emily and I were set to meet up and start the UXBBA at 5:35 am so I crossed my fingers, hoped things would settle down and headed over to the park.

Emily was already there when I arrived and after another stop at the bathroom, we set off with headlamps onto the east side for the Scuffle. Definitely slower going in the darkness and incredibly humid out. We were both soaked only a few miles in. 💦

I needed another bathrooom stop before we headed out on the mountain side to do the Breaker, and while Emily was running strong, I definitely was not and I was really feeling unhappy with how my stomach was feeling and how low energy I was. I was disappointed but after some internal back and forth, I made the decision to bail after one loop of the Breaker and sent Emily on her way, changing my shirt quickly at the car as I was drenched and just heading right home. I really didn’t want to see anyone and Ryan had not yet arrived. (11.0 miles)

After a shower, getting in a bit of liquids and putting my stuff away, I sat on the couch and after reading my book for a while, fell asleep! I never nap so when I woke up at 11:45, I at least felt like I had made the right decision and something really was off. Spent the rest of the day doing not much else but being a blob on the couch but did feel better after a bit of food later in the day. Definitely not the plan for the day, and I am sad and disappointed but hopefully can bounce back quickly after another day or two of rest. Blah. On the bright side, Emily finished strong and had a solid UXBBA - her first one ever - woohoo! 

Sam lucked out with a trip to Fielder's Choice later in the afternoon with Mom and Dad, so at least someone got ice cream to finish up the day. 😆

Realized I never did a running log for August, so here it is, a week late...

August wrap-up:
220.6 miles run
16.53 miles walked
5 full zero days

YTD:
1,469.8 miles run
181.47 miles walked
9.3 miles xc skied
35 full zero days