I can’t believe it is November and I can’t believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Where is time going?!
However, despite it being November, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. I am talking about weekends that are in the mid to upper 70s with sunny skies. 
Just look at that view! Beautiful! That was Auburn this past weekend. Pigeon and I agreed to meet at the Auburn Overlook and go for a 14 mile trail run. I’ve been feeling a little run down lately (Squeaker has been having some sleep issues) but I was super excited to run. I have not been out on these trails since I did She Rocks the Trails in June where I suffered miserably because of my ankle.
I brought along my camera because I wanted to dabble in some video. Poor Pigeon had no clue what the day was going to be like before she got there. Little did she know that I would turn into Director of Photography and make her run and re-run certain sections of the trail so I could capture it on video. Luckily she is an awesome sport and she even got into it herself by taking the camera and doing a little shooting herself.
Like I said, the day was beautiful and warm. I had decided to test out my hydration and fueling a bit. I knew we were running long but I only brought one 20 ounce bottle of water with me. I had salts and some dates just in case, but for the most part, I wanted to challenge my fueling as I haven’t needed to fuel on a run since my days training for the American River 50 Miler in 2010.
Pigeon had also told me we’d hit a spot where I could potentially refill my water bottle if needed. I had two or three dates while on this 14 mile run and I really enjoyed having them. Medjool dates (without the pit) make for awesome running food. I just throw them in a baggy and pop one in whenever I feel like I need boost.
Dates are an energy dense fruit that is mostly sugar. They can range from 60 to 100 calories per date, much like a packet of processed Gu or gels. Dates also contain some protein and amino acids but they are very low in sodium so you have to keep that in mind when using them as fuel. A lot of gels these days contain electrolytes so when you consume dates, you’ll have to plan your sodium intake accordingly.
I even shared one of my dates with Pigeon who said she kind of liked it. I really enjoyed having some natural food with me on my run and despite dates being a fiber rich food, they didn’t affect my stomach at all and I am definitely one who has a sensitive tummy when it comes to certain foods.
The run was pretty awesome. We were bounding up and down the trails and walking some of the steeper climbs. I need to work on my power walk which Pigeon has perfected. Most times I would run up the hill as much as I could and then start hiking. I’ve really been working on strength at Breakout Fitness and I can tell it is paying off when I reach the climbs.
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At one point, we came to this bench and Pigeon shared the history behind with me.
If you are running in Auburn and you come across this bench, you might find it odd because it truly is out in the middle of no where. There are no roads close by. No trails off to the side. Just this bench and the amazing view in front of it.
Pigeon told me that a husband and wife used to walk this trail all the time together and admire the view. One day while Pigeon was on a run with a friend, she came across this woman staining this bench on the trail. They have no idea how she managed to get this bench to the location but there she was, by herself working on it. They stopped and I guess chatted with her a bit.
She told them about her husband and how they used to walk this trail together. Well sadly her husband passed away and she put this bench here over looking his favorite view. There is a small plague on the back of the bench that says something like “For Jonathan who loved this view. Enjoy.” I thought that was absolutely one of the sweetest stories and it touched me.
It reminded me how short life can be and how much we need to value it and be thankful for it. I started off the day by myself in the parking lot of the overlook taking photos of the sunrise just feeling thankful for the chance to run these glorious trails and ironically, I was returned to this same grateful feeling near the end of my run when we passed this bench.
Remember to find time in your day to love the moment you are in. Cherish it, be thankful for it and embrace it.
~Trailmomma
