Quick Version… I ran in Park City, it was awesome…here are a bundle of photos to prove it. Enjoy!
Long Version… With my recent quest to get as many miles on my feet as possible I chose to bail on the Blend Retreat’s morning boot camps in favor of running. Alone. There was a group of runners headed out on Saturday morning but I failed to plan properly and ended up on my own. I enjoyed it so much I chose to do the same on Sunday morning!
Saturday Morning Run in Park City – Paved
It was cloudy and raining when I headed outside but it has been so long since I ran in the rain it didn’t even matter! It felt good to frolic alone the pavement in the rain. At first I tried to stay dry but before long I just gave up and took on the puddles. I was soaked before I hit 2 miles but it was so fun, so freeing.
Along the way I came upon the McPolin Farm, a preserved and restored farm. The farm girl in me was fascinated and had to go exploring! It was a cute little farm surrounded by open space that included a nature trail with information plaques along the the way. My farm wanderings tied in perfectly with my mileage…I finished up with roughly 6 miles!
Sunday Morning Run in Park City – Trail
A beautiful, lonely run was a perfect start to my Saturday so I did the same thing Sunday morning, only this time around I drove out to a trailhead and things got a little messy! And I may or may not have gotten slightly lost…
It was much colder on Sunday morning and the mountain tops were all frosty. I stopped by a trailhead along the road, read the map and headed into a residential area to find the Cove Trailhead. I was surrounded by silence, beautiful mountains, massive houses and muddy trails. Can I girl ask for anything more peaceful and breathtaking?
I may be minutes away from mountain trails but there is something fascinating about finding new trails with a whole new set of mountains in the background. The trails off the Cove Trailhead were perfect. They were not technical but twisted through all sorts of terrain. Only the furthest half mile was muddy and I was running a loop so there was no escaping it. Once again I just let it all go and had some childish fun slipping and sliding around in the mud.
By the time I got back to the car I was muddy, wet, happy and late for breakfast. I have this thing with trails…I can never properly estimate the time it will take me to make a loop, even if the distance is clearly marked on a trail map. I ended up running roughly 5 miles in an hour then headed to the Blend Retreat breakfast to feed my face with an awesome spread from Chobani – including pancakes and made-to-order omelets!
Both of these runs were perfect. Yes, it did rain. No, I did not get my prescribed 12 miles in. Yes, I muddied a brand new pair of shoes. No, I didn’t get any bluebird sky scenery. Yes, I soaked myself to the bone then headed right to breakfast two days in a row. No, I do not know my exact distance. No, I haven’t a clue what my pace was. But it doesn’t matter, the runs were exactly what I needed for that moment in time!
Gear Note: I ran both mornings with my new Brooks Infinite Capri. It was love at first step! These capris are freaking amazing! They are long enough to cover my knees without bunching up in my “knee pits” and just tight enough to securely stay in place without making me feel like a stuffed sausage. Seriously, love these pants!
Ironically I managed to head out in my Mizuno Ascend trail shoes on Saturday morning to spend 98% of my run on pavement and my brand spanking new Brooks Pure Flow road shoes on Sunday to get covered in mud. Clearly I excel at planning ahead!
