Sizzling August Runs

[yellow]

skhill, nice pace! And kat, happy to have you running with us again!

I've decided it's kind of nice to have no races planned for the rest of the year. Now I can just run if I want to or go for a bike ride or a hike instead. Normally I need a goal but after doing substantial events in March, April, May, June, and July, I think I am ready for a break from the spreadsheet. This morning I went on one of my favorite runs up a mountain, just for fun, not "training"!

I am so lucky I have places like this to run. I saw tons and tons and tons of flowers, a badger, some mountain goats, the requisite squirrels, and lots of busy pikas. It was a gorgeous morning. Here are a couple of pictures. I continue to be mesmerized by the 2nd one.

[OakLeaf]

Wow, yellow. That's incredible.

I saw a weasel crossing the road into a cornfield today, does that count?

[rocknrollgirl]

Hi all,
we are on vaca in Maine. We got in a couple good trail runs this week, a decent road ride and some amazing paddling. That makes up for the butter, butter, butter and lobster. At least that is the story I am sticking to

Long drive home tomorrow, and then back to the regular running schedule. I still have a bit of work to do before my race in Sept.

Yellow, thanks for the pics....amazing. My hubby and I are heading west next summer, I cannot wait to be above treeline!!!!!!

Oh and I saw a lobster...not while I was running, but right by my feet while pulling up my kayak. That has to count for something.

[skhill]

I saw a groundhog while I was running, does that count? After what one did to my garden last year I hate those things...

I didn't set out to run an alcohol route today, but at 4 miles I realized I had passed 4 active breweries and one scheduled to open this fall, plus 2 distilleries, only one of which has released any bourbon yet. It takes a while to mature, of course. It's a part of town that had a lot of old unused warehouse and light industrial space. 7 miles again, but the weather was more typical for this time of year so it felt like more. And now it looks like it's about to start raining so there goes the planned bike ride...

[OakLeaf]

I got two of my wishes this morning: race in the rain, and practice running hard downhill. It was just a little 5K in the arboretum down the road, 274 feet of climbing by my watch, and most of it pretty steep. Won my AG ... I'm starting to feel a little guilty, like I'm cherry picking races or something , but I'm just staying local right now. On the one hand, there's only so far I'm willing to drive for a non-goal race, and on the other hand, doing these short races is the best way I know to get some tempo runs in and stay sharp before I start training in earnest. So it is what it is. I thought about doing a 10-miler in the "big city" tomorrow, but between the fact that it would've been another 35 miles each way, AND being a point-to-point race where the last bus from the start leaves at 6:15 a.m., it just wasn't happening.

It really poured down rain today. I had some errands to run afterwards and I was REALLY glad I brought a dry bra.

[katluvr]

Yellow, I'm jealous, of course the climbing and altitude would kill me!
Glad everyone is seeing some nature!
Skhill, I afraid I would have to stop and try out those breweries!
Work this AM so no running for me....maybe tomorrow.

K

[yellow]

Nice job, Oak! If I am going to travel very far for a race, it better be special for some reason. But then I don't really do many races near me because I think I'd rather take myself for a ramble and not pay $$. I know so many great routes; I just need to find the time and motivation to get out there.

RnR, I have never seen a live lobster outside of a tank at a restaurant (I have seen a crawdad--mini lobster?!). Oak,I love seeing weasels and minks when I do, mostly in the winter here. skhill, I think our groundhog equivalent is the marmot. I saw some baby marmots on the run as well (to me, they fall into the "squirrel" category). They don't do much harm in the mountains but I'm sure the ones down in the lowlands give the farmers headaches.

skhill, are you going to invite us for a beer and whiskey trot??

I ran with hubby this AM, just an easy ramble before it got hot. We had our hottest July on record, and August doesn't seem to be letting up.