This and That.

Not much happening around here - been working more than usual as our program wraps up for the summer. I needed to go on a date with myself this morning, so I treated myself to early-morning trail running. The trails I run on are about 25-30 minutes away and I don't go out there too often because gas is $$$, and I can just run here. After Sunday's run, I felt like I needed the mushy-gushiness of the just-rained-on trails instead of tough sidewalks and tarmac. My sore legs definitely appreciate this. 

One of my favorite parts of running on the trails is that these are the same trails that I grew up hiking on frequently with my family. Hiking out there was one of our favorite - and most frequented - family activities. We used to bring our dog out there and he would swim, play fetch, and enjoy the nature to his heart's content. So did we. Once he was gone (and as we were older and busier) it became a much less frequent family past-time of ours. Heading out there for runs reminds me of happy family trips into the woods, the salamanders we caught, the river we waded in, and the "mountain" (it was really a hill) that we tried to climb each time. I don't think I would be as comfortable running on trails like this alone if I didn't feel like I knew them by heart already. 

When I got out of the car, the first thing I saw on the path was this! The Burning River 100-Miler is coming up this weekend. 

Remember when Alex and I drove around all day to meet his cousin at different points of the BR100? That was a lot of fun - but I don't think I could (or would) ever do a race of that magnitude on my own. Support crew, yes, but running for 24+ hours straight just isn't my thing!

Got some pics in my favorite spots.

Favorite cool tree.

Looks like Jurassic Park.

I just think thistles are so CUTE! Is it possible for a thorny flower to be cute? I just think they are.

When I got home all I wanted was a cold, thick smoothie. I blended up some of Trader Joe's mixed frozen fruits and chopped up some fresh nectarine to put on top. Lots of granola and a little bit of fresh ground PB went on top too. YUM.

Heading off to finish up about 987458 loads of laundry! Hope you're having a great day :)