25 miles of trail-ful bliss

Oh, oh, is there anything in the world better than running trails?

Sunday MM and I took off from the Campbell Creek Science Center for a 25-mile run. It was raining and overcast, andwe encountered this in the parking lot.

This couple had just married and were posing for pictures in the rain. Wild!

After wishing them well, we took off. And really, the miles flew by. The trail was wet and muddy and gooey, all the things I love. I had a bit of a meltdown around mile 9, when we proceeded up what MM called a "slight" incline and I called a "mountain," but after that, we hit some killer hills, up and down and up and down, and my legs felt strong, and it rained on and off, and the mountains looked moody and mysterious and the trees were wet and the leaves so green and bright, and I was so happy that I could barely stand it.

There's something mesmerizing about running long distance over trails, how you travel through so many landscapes: Steep inclinces, valleys, creeks and wooded areas, and always, always, the magic of emerging in a clearing and looking up and seeing mountains. Each time feels like a gift.

Both MM and I sagged a little bit around mile 23 but I kicked it in and my last half-mile veered around an 8:24 pace, which is extraordinary for me and must have been a gift from the birthday gods ("We'll give the lady one last sprint, so she'll forget how old she really is.")

Mile 19: I look unhappy but really I'm trying not to laugh.

Monday, which was my birthday, we took it easy. Well, I took it easy while MM did yardwork. Basically, I ate EVERYTHING in sight. I couldn't seem to fill myself up. I devoured a bag of my favorite "junky" food:

In the evening we took The Beebs for a walk at Kincaid Park and saw lots 'o moose. One cow appeared to run straight at us. Scary! We had to jump in the weeds. Didn't get a picture of her but did get the backend of another.

Me, my cool new purple birthday rain jacket, The Beebs and a moose's backend.

It was a great walk. Except for one biker, we passed no one the whole four and a half miles. It was just us, the woods and the moose.

We did, however, encounter one of the funniest signs I've seen in a long time.

Isn't that hilarious? Of course The Beebs and I had to climb that hill, hee, hee.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, great runs, and great memories.

Running: 50 miles, weekly total
Reading: The Edible Woman, Margaret Atwood (one of her first books, from waaayyy back)
Writing: Working on an literary essay about running (so much fun to write!)