What a perfect day! Fall at its finest! Trail running, crisp air, colorful leaves, choosing a pumpkin from Papa's pumpkin patch (our greatest fall tradition), and carving pumpkins with cousins!
As some of you remember from my last post, last night was not only a date night for my husband and I but it was also a spontaneous stop for some Brooks Cascadia Trail Shoes. I have never had any desire for trail shoes but my husband insisted that I get some so that he could take me out on his favorite trail near our house for a morning trail run date. It didn't take too much convincing. He had me at Brooks. I couldn't wait to try them on and get a feel for them! Nobody in the northwest Portland area seemed to think that a woman in heels and jeans trying on trail shoes in the middle of the sidewalk was out of the ordinary.
I didn't remember or expect to love trail running as much as I do after today! We headed out to Wildwood trail in Forest Park. It is 30 miles of GORGEOUS winding trail through lush forest right in Portland city limits and close to downtown. Such a gift!
It turned out to be one of the best dates EVER!
10.4 miles of gentle hills and winding path.
7:48 average.
Second half was 7:22 average and last mile had to be close to sub 7.
Talk about feeling
HIGH
and
FULL OF LIFE!
Life all around us.
We talked,
prayed,
set goals,
DREAMED BIG,
laughed,
and put our hands up to the sky in
THANKFULNESS!
Note to Self:
Must
Make
Time
For
MORE
TRAIL RUNNING!
 |
| I think this is me "getting my trail groove on". |
And the video I promised.....
You have to turn your head to the side if you really care enough to watch it. Just some trail running. I even grab my butt for you.
And...
I don't always include pictures of my family but today was such a special day. It is a yearly tradition to go to Grammy and Papa's house every fall and all the cousins get to choose their pumpkin from Papa's pumpkin patch. He drives them around on his little tractor and they eventually wind up at the PATCH.
This year, I even got to drive the tractor. Wahoo!
I'm looking forward to catching up with so many of you tonight! It is long overdue!
1. Do you like trail running? Have you ever been?
2. What are your fall traditions?
3. Please share treadmill advice! We are in the market and I'm really excited! It will make Boston training so much easier with time management and fitting in high mileage.
4. Go check out my friend Barbora's giveaway that is helping to raise money for her Team Whole In The Wall and get ready for the New York Marathon, her first 26.2!
Amanda
I've only been trail running once and I loved it. Your post reminded me that I need to go again SOON! Love the pics! Looks like a great time!
ReplyDeletecool video -- looked like ya'll were really rolling!! I've had excellent luck with Pro-Form treadmills...I'm on my 2nd now after putting many, many miles on the first.
ReplyDeleteLOVED the video and the shoes and your emotion and it all :) So glad you had a fabulous day. Cant think of anyone who deserves it more. It was a beautiful day!!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a blast. I am not a huge fan of trail running. I fell once and haven't liked it since. For me it requires too much multi-tasking and paying attention to the ground, haha. I have ran the Go Girl 10K and it was pretty fun. :-)
ReplyDeleteLoved the video! I turned my lap top side ways and it wasn't a problem to watch. I am in love with trail running and need to do it more often. Unfortunately solid trails are an hour away, lame. Good luck with the treadmill purchase, I so want one, but alas we have no space. My favorite fall tradition? Birthdays. My hubby, son and daughter all have October birthdays.
ReplyDeleteHOly crap! I want to know the trail you were on...maybe you can take me b/c when Joel took me it was so friggin HILLY..I mean HILLY that our average pace was like 10min and I was DYING!!!!
ReplyDeletesoft surface running is important when putting in lots of miles so this is good to start for Boston!!:)
Really excited about your run today. I would LOVE to go up there JUST to run that trail with you. Very nice :)
ReplyDeleteYay about the treadmill! That WILL make it much easier for 2 people training for marathons in the same home. No advice, but maybe look into the forums for posts on treadmills and see what others say.
Now to view the video :))
Have a great week!
Ha! beautiful trail cam stuff! Nice kicks :)
ReplyDeleteAlso- forgot to say, love the pumpkin tradition!!
I love trail running. Our fall traditions include the kids get a week off of school right before Halloween and drive me nuts!!!! and carving pumpkins. And decorating the house and trick or treating.
ReplyDeleteI love love love the Wildwood Trail! It really is so beautiful - Forest park is the best place - one of my faves. Love your trail run date!
ReplyDeleteOh my God, you are so damn fast!!! And this seems to be a great date idea, I guess I need to start dating a runner :) Not much trail running, since I do not have any trails around, but I am looking forward to go out to the mountains in the spring to get some hilly training for the marathon I am running in May. Good luck with the treadmill, I am getting one as well, but second hand, so I do not know much about the new ones.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome run! And great pace- especially on those trails! I will email you about writing {although I am certainly NOT an expert!}
ReplyDeleteLoved the video!! SO pretty! I run on trail a lot but don't have chances for a trail like that often! Too many bears and such here in the woods trail-ha! Too bad you didn't have the same size feet as me. I have at least 6 pairs of unused trail shoes!!! I like to ruin my launches on gravel and leave the proper trail shoes in the box....
ReplyDeleteReally great pace which I already mentioned!! So excited for you!
I run on a Sole and a Star Trac primarily. My parents have a Smooth Fitness and my boss has a Landice so I can switch it up:) I'm not one who needs a lot of bells and whistles and options. The bones of the treadmill and simple pace, time, incline are what matter to me.
Awesome pumpkin patch day!! Uggh-off to work:)
Ahhhhh.....one of my favorite running trails! I haven't been to FP this Fall yet...I'm thinking I need to go before it starts getting too muddy.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE trail running, it's so much more "zen" than running on roads, at least for me. My hubby and I always run together and it's one of our favorite things to do together. We plan to do much more trail running after our ironman is over, we hope to complete a trail ultra next summer =)
ReplyDeleteOh and to answer your question (don't feel bad I am pretty vague about it on my blog and it's sweet of you to ask) I am the education manager at our local zoo.
That looks like an amazing date!! I've tried trail running but got pretty bad shin splints. Yuck! We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday...yours is so precious!
ReplyDeleteI've said it before on your blog, I'll say it again....
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE MAKING ME SO JEALOUS.
I miss trail running like crazy. Boston just doesn't have the trails like Salt Lake City does.
Gorgeous run! And what a fun date!
Wow, this sounds like the best date ever. I must find some trails like that in my neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteLOVE trail running. Love it. I'd so much rather be on the trails instead of the roads...except for the fact that most of our trails are WAY hillier and rockier. Having to pay attention to where I'm stepping makes it go so much more quickly.
ReplyDeleteNo advice on treadmills. I just use whatever our Y has.
Fall traditions...ummm...usually a trip to the pumpkin patch, but not so far this year. Decorating pumpkins, of course, and our big Halloween party, not to mention the Griswold-ization of our house.
Awww what an amazing weekend. That is so great that you and your hubby went running together and I am very excited you were able to try out trail running. Love the new shoes!
ReplyDeleteI have never been trail running and I live in Utah .. I'm sure there's LOTS of trails to be had here in the Wasatch Mountains. However, if someone said, "new shoes" and/or "Brooks", I'd say .. SIGN ME UP BUTTERCUP!! Loved this post.
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda! Thank you for stopping by my blog earlier. I just had a trail date with my husband, too (I think I wrote about it on Tues or Thurs of last week). Aren't these just the best kinds of dates? Ours wasn't as long as yours (because I was playing hooky from work), but it was very refreshing. Looking forward to following your blog!
ReplyDeleteoh my word, amanda...how in the world do you guys do all those things on a date at a 7:15 pace?! I'd be sucking air. you guys rock! i have brooks cascadias...love them! What a fun tradition with the pumpkins. we did the pumpkin patch this weekend and pumpkin carving this weekend...so fun!
ReplyDeleteTrail running looks like so much fun! Amanda, seriously--you are so darn amazing and full of life.
ReplyDeleteHave fun this week!
dang! you guys are fast on the trails. i'm just gonna tell myself that yours are fairly flat with no insane steep hills .... yeah... that's why my trail pace is 10:00/mile or slower... yeah... :)
ReplyDeleteYes! Trail running rocks! (to borrow a term from my tween daughter) :)
ReplyDeleteTrail running is fun. Love running dates! We have a nordic track. Now that it is fully functional, it's awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI can't run that fast, but I love running on trails. It's more relaxing and engaging at the same time for me. I love the variety of it and the beauty of the land.
ReplyDeleteI do a few running dates with my husband but I don't think we fit in that much things in it... He still has some catching up to do ;)