It was just what the doctor ordered. We launched our houseboat earlier in the week so we’re now set up at the lake to spend most of our weekends down there when I’m not working. This is a long weekend and I hoped to make the most of it, after a very busy week last week with lots of on-call and many nights spent at the clinic when I should have been in bed. I was tired and my tummy hasn’t been feeling great due to too little sleep and not enough food but I decided to head out and run the light blue loop of the 50k trails which is about 7k. I ran it once last year with my trail running partner and her family but would be doing it solo today.
It was a cool afternoon with a strong breeze but the sun was trying to shine. I walked from the equestrian campground to the start of the trail head, inhaling so much dust due to many people driving by on the road. I started nice and slow but remembered that this was a long uphill again. I ran what I could but ended up hiking quite a bit today, stopping to take lots of pictures and enjoy the scenery. The ground was so dry that a lot of the descents were tricky given I wanted to slip down the fine dust. I used my poles a lot more on this run given it was quite a technical loop and found they were great while going down the steeper hills, using them as a brake and another point of contact so I always had 2-3 points of contact with the ground at all times. There were many times without cell coverage due to the isolation of the trail and I didn’t want to risk slipping and getting hurt so I kept my downhills very, very slow and cautious.
I heard many birds today, saw many butterflies and even squealed a little when I was trying to traverse a marshy area and saw a tiny little snake slither away. I stopped and checked many times for ticks but it was another successful tick-free run. I’m not sure if it is the new insecticide I’m using with icaridin instead of Deet or if it is just because I am overly cautious/ paranoid so try to avoid brushing up against the grass whenever possible. I heard a rustle in some bushes as I was going by an area with dense trees and had stopped to see what was making the sound given we have deer and moose in these hills but was unable to see anything in the thick brush. Before I knew it I was behind the Horseshoe and had my final ascent followed by a ridge run (it was so windy up on the ridge I had to hang onto my hat!) and a final descent before running through the meadow and back to my vehicle. Another 6.4k in the legs and a strong reminder that I have a lot of work to do this summer if I want to be able to run more of the trails instead of hiking.
I’ve got a lovely chicken in the BBQ while I sit on the front deck of my boat sipping a well deserved beverage. Tomorrow will be more R’nR followed by another shorter trail run on Monday. I think I even have hubby convinced to join me on that one if I promise to keep it short🤞
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SaskAlliecat
Graduate10
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Thanks Jan. We had a wonderful supper with another drink, blasted some awesome tunes while we cleaned up and then went for a boat ride in our smaller runabout sport boat. It was a perfect day 😊. I’m now enjoying sitting on the front deck again while the sun is setting watching all the shore fisherman. A great end to a wonderful day!
I hope you’re enjoying your chicken and beverage! I love the photos you post. Along with the description, the photos make it easy to imagine your run and locale. I hope you have a nice long weekend!
Today some regular volunteers and runners from our parkrun took a road trip to another parkrun celebrating their 100th. It was fun. I’ll try and do my long run of 11 to 12k on Monday. And there is a porchfest musical festival with bands playing music on porches in our neighbourhood. Overall, it should be nice.
Thanks David. The last couple months at work have been so busy I was really looking forward to this weekend, even if it was the typical May long weekend of cold and possibly snowy. We got near freezing overnight but continue to be in a drought with no precipitation. The poor farmers really need some rain. The sun is shining today though and my biggest plan today is to enjoy some coffee and read my book. Heavenly 😊
I love me some wilderness 🥰 and am so glad to be out there again exploring the trails. I just have to get my trail running partner back out there and get hubby out. I know he’ll love it too if I can just get him to join me.
I absolutely love your posts Sask. Your runs always sound exhilarating, no matter what season. ❤️
That one sounded fabulous. I can picture the scenery and terrain from here! Can’t wait to read about your upcoming runs this summer. I have no doubt you’ll be running up all those hills before too long!
I’m hoping so. I had very little gas in the tank yesterday and it is tough when you start on a long steady uphill. That being said when I hit a great incline on top of the ridge I ran up it like a mountain goat and felt so free. I’m just loving being out here again and exploring my hills. I’ll be keeping you posted, especially as I explore different trails.
It definitely has it’s own beauty. I grew up in the lush temperate rain forest area of northern British Columbia so initially found this area quite barren and desolate (and couldn’t believe tumbleweeds actually existed and weren’t just a movie prop of westerns) but I have really grown to love what we have here. It makes for some very hot runs in the summer with the lack of shade but then you appreciate the constant wind. Although on a run last year as I made it to the top of one of the steep hills and the wind hit me, it was like someone had turned the furnace on full bore. There was no relief from that heat 🥵. We go from one extreme to another around here but you just have to embrace it.
Sounds like a fab weekend.... but wow those hills!! I'd need more than a couple of poles to get me up there!! I'm thinking a crane or similar!! Good training though and makes those treats all the more delicious! Enjoy the rest of the weekend x
Goodness. You seem to have gone from snow and ice to dust in the blink of an eye! Looks like an incredibly tough run - go you! Your weekend plans sound like the perfect respite from your heavy workload - enjoy every minute 😍
I definitely live in the land of extremes but try to embrace it as much as I can 😁. It often takes a day or so to unwind but then I turn into a puddle of goo out here which is exactly what I need. It’s nice to let go of the stressors and enjoy some quiet time at the lake.
Last year a mouse got on board (we figured it hitch a ride on one of the pontoon boats that had just come on the docks) and we’ve had a goose perched on top and lots of little barn swallows nesting underneath but no snakes yet 😅. I've been watching a beaver scoot around the marina this weekend and splash his tail as we walk along the dock and get too close but he’s staying away thankfully.
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