Back to the Trails

So, I guess I spoke too soon. That nasty weather we were having last week went away and the sun showed up this weekend. It was definitely appreciated.

Weather on highway 242 however, was a bit snowy we heard so we opted not to ride. Maybe another time (before it gets opened up to motorists again).

Sunday morning, I finally decided to run after taking three days off. I'm happy that I forced myself to take it easy for the past few days so I didn't injure my back anymore. Saturday consisted of some biking (in the form of my commute) and a yoga class, which I did cautiously - transitions were definitely not graceful.

Yesterday, I opted to go on a running date with the Ridgeline Trail System. I tried to take small steps as I was running up the steep sections to keep my body in alignment as much as possible. Not gonna lie, the buns are outta hill running shape!

    

Luckily, I didn't see any of the fuzzy, ferocious friends shown on the warning sign above. Occasionally, hikers and runners see cougars along this 12 mile trail. Good reminder to make lots of noise (or bring a whistle) when you run alone on the trails. 

Oh and I've noticed something about wearing the "I <3 sweat" shirt. Both while running and when I wore it to the pool in Vegas, people give you a look. At the pool some beefcakes read it outloud "Ha ha...I heart sweat?!" 

My observation: you've gotta wear it with a little swagger. People give me this look like "Uh, really? Why is sweat so great?" I've got to own it because not everyone is as sweat obsessed as the rest of us. 

Anyway, my run went well and I had some beautiful views. I finished about 90 minutes on the trail and felt good about my reentry to trail running - I even stretched and foam rolled later!

Oh and I have to share this photo of Jonah Bell at the dog park this weekend. She LOVES the kiddie pools and once she's found it, it's hard to get her back out to chase the ball.

A short walk on the bike path was required to get her dried off from said kiddie pool.

After a somewhat relaxed weekend, I feel ready to tackle the next few busy weeks before my brother's wedding in California. And if the sun will stick around, you can bet I'll continue enjoying the heck out of it.

On the fitness front, I'm continuing to strength train 3x per week, even if that means just 20 minutes in the morning before getting ready for work. It's an important part of my wellness that's made me stronger in so many ways. P.S. Gina's got summer shape up starting this week!

I'm also trying to fit in some forced stretching (yoga podcasts) and cross training (finally got a new commuter bike that is lighter than my old mt. bike!). And now, it's just time to get back to the hills on the running front. Luckily, the McKenzie River Trail (where the 50K is held) is fairly flat, but training on hills will make me that much more prepared for the ups and downs on race day. 

How did you get your sweat on this weekend?