More Running Adventures

Life in the military is not always easy. It often seems that I find my running peeps just in time for another move, and it has happened yet again. In February I finally found my running groove here in VA. These groups always bring my running joy to a new high and is probably what is prompting all my running posts lately. All I can do is soak in every minute before it is time to find a new group as crazy (or often crazier!) as me. This new group I have found has introduced me to trail running. I have to say that it is something that I have stuck my nose up at before. Alas I am easily influenced and I found myself lately in environments like these...

How can one not fall in love with this?! It has brought a whole new freedom to my running. On the trail, there is no watching your watch and concern for your pace; a break from the pressures or road running. It is now the route I seek on my long runs where the scenery can truly carry me away from the worries of the day. Just a few weeks ago we ran through a field of blue bells so beautiful that I had to stop and take a picture!

Ahhh, the picture does not due it justice!

And your feet often end up looking like this. What a way to break in a new pair of shoes!

Meet Dora Elmore (rundominican.wordpress.com), the peep who introduced me to trail running. She is a RRC certified running coach, a Lulu Lemon Ambassador, very active on social media, and has blessed me so much by bringing me into her running world. She is the head of a Ragnar Trail Relay team, a team of 8 running a total of 120 miles overnight at Big Bear Lake/Campground in WV and somehow I have found myself on this team! It is no secret that I am not the biggest fan of camping but I guess we will be running instead of sleeping! Together we plot many training runs headed toward our Boston dreams. Somehow we both also managed to score free bibs for the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon yesterday (thank you Integrated Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy of Loudoun County!) and used the run as a long training run (with some added warm up miles). Exactly a year ago, I had signed up to run this race with some dear friends but found myself in a leg cast instead. So it was awesome to finally conquer this one! I might have gotten just a "little" grumpy around mile 8 (which was mile 10.5 for us), and dear Dora stayed with me step for step. It was by far the hardest course I have ever run, 2 up hills for every down hill! But the route was amazingly beautiful and I am super thankful to have gotten to run it with a great group of gals.

 Some peeps from my Ashburn Mom's Run This Town running group before the race. MRTT is a great organization to find running support and encouragement, and people to laugh and cry with you along the way!

Finished with a time of 1:55.13...not a PR but still something to be proud of!