Trail Magic

Trail magic, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, is finding what you need when you least expect it, experiencing rare nature, or encountering acts of generosity. I always leave the trails feeling that I've experienced trail magic, whether it's petting a sweet dog, spotting wildlife on the trail (especially deer), or simply running on a beautiful trail. I even experience the runner's high on occasion on the trails--you know, that feeling you get when everything falls into place. It happened twice this week! 

I've been feeling good about running right now. I'm going to credit the heavy strength we're doing at the gym for giving me a boost. The cooler weather helps, too. Even though I got a late start on the Mammoth Trail Challenge, I'm feeling confident about getting all my miles before the end of the month. I'm halfway there and as you read this, I'm out on the Lodi Marsh Segment working on another 8 miles! Next weekend is going to be extra special as I tackle some new-to-me segments with my youngest son. Stay tuned for that!

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Ice Age Trail run 14 miles/800 ft

Monday: Strength training

Tuesday: Yoga with Adriene

Wednesday: trail run 6 miles

Thursday: Strength training

Friday: Fluid running

Saturday: Ice Age Trail run 8.4 miles/1500 ft

I wanted to spectate at the Chicago Marathon, but the guilt of not getting any miles yet for the 45 mile Mammoth Trail Challenge was eating at me. So I was out the door before 6:30am for the 75 minute drive to Whitewater, Wisconsin, for a planned 14 mile run on one of my favorite segments, the Blackhawk Segment. It has been a few years since I ran there, and when I first started on the trail, the foliage was quite thick and looked much different than I remembered. It was seasonally cool--perfect for a long run. I wasn't sure I would be able to finish this one, as I hadn't run anything over 10 miles for a very long time! 

Once my legs loosened up, this run felt good. This trail is like a roller coaster, with frequent, steep ups and downs. I ran the downs and walked the ups. I wore my new Brooks Cascadia 19s for this run, hoping to avoid the tired, sore feet that have been plaguing me lately. I also brought along some of those Honey Stinger waffles that I won a few months back, and was pleasantly surprised by how well they worked for me! I felt good on the entire run and finished strong! Tired and sore, yes. But not defeated. 

I had one very unsettling experience on this run when I encountered a hunter standing on the trail with his gun in a gun stand, aimed towards the woods. Shortly before that, I heard a gunshot. Hunting is allowed in this area, but I questioned him about why he was standing on the trail. I also wondered what he was hunting for, since I hadn't seen any game birds or any critters on this run. I was happy to put some space between us as I dashed down the trail. 

On Monday, I went to the gym early for my strength session. I had a full day ahead and couldn't attend my regular class. It was deadlift day! Since deadlifts were part of the WOD, I joined the CrossFit class for that. We built up to a heavy set and were supposed to do 3 sets of 2 at that weight. After yesterday's run, I knew I'd struggle, and I did, but I did get 2 sets of 185#, but for the 3rd set I dropped to 175#. 

I woke up on Wednesday to a gray morning. The radar didn't show any rain, but as soon as I put my feet on the trail, the sky opened up. It never poured, but it rained steadily throughout my run. I decided to run the main trail instead of the single tracks-I wanted a nice, easy, steady-paced run, plus I wanted to avoid getting wet from brushing up against the foliage. The trees sheltered me from most of the rain, and I accomplished my goal, saving my legs for the weekend. I finished with an 11:11 minute pace--it's a lucky number, right? 

On Thursday, it was back squats and bench presses again! We were supposed to build to 6 sets of 3 reps with each lift. I did not do that. For my bench presses, I built to 85# and did 3 sets of 3; we ran out of time. I think I did too many sets prior to my working sets. For the back squats, I wasn't sure what to build to for my working sets. I ended up doing 2 sets at 125#--they felt really good--, and one at 130#, which was too heavy for a working set. I also need to work on getting below parallel with my squats. I learned a lot from this session and am prepared for my working sets next week!

The hubs and I were on the road early Saturday morning to go to the lake. I wanted to get to the trails early before it got too crowded. I had plans to knock out more big miles this weekend on my 2 favorite segments. First up, Gibraltar Rock. There weren't too many cars when I got to the trailhead, but naturally, I got stuck behind a group of 4 older folks (hey now!) who were, as one of them told me as I passed them, 'taking their time'. I made my way up the beautiful trail to the top and had most of the vistas to myself. It was very hazy--we had storms earlier in the morning--but it was still beautiful. The foliage is changing colors, but as it's only at 40% of peak, there is still a long way to go. 

Compared to last Sunday's strong run, this one felt hard. I'm not sure if it was the later start, the humidity, or the warmer temperatures, but I was sluggish. I was grateful to be done! Mammoth Trail miles so far: 22.5/45!

Off the road...

On Monday, I drove into the city to meet up with my friend Kristin, who was in town for the Chicago Marathon. Do you remember her from my Trail Sisters and Brooks Running Collective events? She moved back to Hawaii a while ago, and I was so excited to see her and congratulate her on her finish! We met for lunch at a hot dog place--her dad wanted to go there--but for me it was all about the hugs and seeing her in the flesh. 

Speaking of the marathon, one of my pool running friends finished big! Katie Anstandig, who trains 1-2 times per week in the pool, finished in 2:52:07 and was 147th woman overall. I guess pool running really does work! Also, one of my former BRC teammates, Dan Oh, whom I ran into on the trails a few weeks ago, finished in 2:38:04. I'm happy for all the finishers, but it's kind of cool to personally know people who run so fast!

On Saturday afternoon, it was so warm and beautiful that we took the boat for a ride. The water was way too cold for waterskiing, but don't think that I didn't consider it! There weren't many boats on the water, and the calm conditions made for a really pleasant ride! Cocoa enjoyed it, but was not happy with my efforts to get a good photo!

All-in-all, a really nice, productive week! How about you? Are you seeing signs of fall? Is it still warm where you are? What goals are you working towards?

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.