KEEP ON KEEPING ON

The end is near for my Rouxbe online cooking course. Very near. As in a few days. All that I have left to do is take a final. A TWO HOUR final but still, that’s all that stands in my way right now. It has been a great, educational and sometimes stressful six months for sure. I have learned quite a bit along the way. Some of it probably more than necessary. A lot of it, I already knew (healthy benefit wise) but regardless, this course brought my girls into the kitchen with me. Especially Squeaker. She had a blast “helping” in the kitchen, especially near the end … when I was doing my final practical exam.

In between cooking, chopping, dicing and sautéing, I have also been trying to maintain a training program. The Salmon Falls 50k is on February 28th and I wanted to feel better and run better which in turn means better training.

To date, I have had some good runs lately on the course. Last weekend I ran with Stonegate and Burning Girl. While I wasn’t feeling 100% we conquered 16 miles and saw some amazing sights.

Then it was a week of work where crazy things happen and I feel absolutely drained by Monday evening. The energy picks up a little during the week and then Friday comes and I canont wait to get back out on the trails only this time, Pigeon was joining us!

I haven’t run with Pigeon in two weeks and I really miss her when she’s not with us. Her wife is 39 weeks pregnant and due any day now. Still, she gave Pigeon the “ok” to run long with us today provided she carried her cell phone.

Today we were scheduled to bust out 20 miles. Apparently I mentioned something about not running up all the hills before started but really have no memory of even saying that! I think Pigeon thought I said it but I didn’t. Clearly, since every time we hit a hill, I’d just keep running. I was feeling 10 times better than I had felt last weekend which was nice. No tired legs. My back has been stiff, but it loosened up nicely.

It was chilly but still a pretty beautiful morning. Nothing to complain about. We ran the same course we did last weekend (to show Pigeon how awesome it is) and as odd as it sounds, the views looked different because it was a bit more overcast. Still gorgeous, just different.

Yet the same obstacles were still in the way. Namely, this giant tree. I was in the lead and pretty much hopped over it only to see Pigeon standing there with a look on her face like “what the?!” So that meant I needed to whip out my camera … you know, just in case we had a situation. 🙂

Both of them made it over. It may not have been graceful, but they made it. Pigeon has never run on these trails so she was relying on Stonegate and I to lead the way. Some how that translated into me being the lead runner. I am okay being the lead, until a bird enters the picture and in this case, these birds were turkey vultures!

So remember when I said that Pigeon’s wife is 39 weeks pregnant and that I was required to carry my phone? I always carry my phone but I generally leave it in the “off” position or airplane mode. Today I left it as it normally is as we ran. At some point we here the distinct chime of a text message “CHOO CHOO” (that’s my distinct sound). I stop dead in my tracks and I look at Pigeon. The agreement was that I would have my phone just in case Missouri couldn’t reach Pigeon on HER phone since her cell service was spotty in this area. I took my phone out of my pack and realized it was just a text from a friend, and not an emergency. I asked Pigeon to put my phone back into my pack since I was having a hard time putting it back.

Boy did we start cracking up. Pigeon couldn’t get my phone to fit in, Stonegate was cracking up because Pigeon asked me to bend over and I was just laughing at the situation. The jokes here were ENDLESS. Oh how I love a good trail run.

The trails were busy with hikers, other runners and even some horses. On our way back, Pigeon’s energy picked up massively and she seemed to be having a blast bombing some of the down hills and making fun of me. 🙂

She laughed a lot, until she came to that tree again. 🙂

Climbing back over was way easier than before but it was still fun to capture it all on camera. 🙂

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The 10 miles back seemed to take longer than on the way out but it also was full of laughter, a few pit stops and some photos.  Stonegate rocked with the cell phone photos today.

Next week our miles dip down a bit before a big two week build. I am happy that I felt so well on today’s run. I needed a “good” run under my belt after a few icky days.

Also, Pigeon is about to embark on life’s biggest ultra, parenthood. I am looking forward to meeting this new little bundle and addition to the trail family.

But first, I need to get to taking that final Rouxbe exam. Wish me luck!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma