One of the things that I love so much about the trail running community is the sense of kinship with others who love being on the trail. I’m extremely lucky to have a great running community that helps keep me grounded and engaged. This past Saturday about 20 of us met up at Elm Creek for a fun morning of exploration. We headed out all together, and then a little over a mile in, we broke into two groups. One that was doing a standard loop, and a second group that wanted to go a bit longer.

Our fearless leader Mark took the longer group on an exploration of some of the trails on the south side of the park. We ended up making a wrong turn or two, including a quick jaunt on some deer trail that literally led us in a circle. However, it was a ton of fun, and we all had a great time. Mark and I even got some quality trail time, talking about lots of topics that have nothing to do with running. It’s been amazing over the past couple of years to learn more about these folks, and get to know them both on and off the trail.

It’s also been great to have folks rooting for you as you try to work your way back up to shape. This past week was one of the longest mileage weeks I’ve had in a long time. In fact, the last time I had a week over 26 miles was September of 2016. Just typing that out makes me say “wow”, and wonder how the training slipped away from me. However, I feel like I might be moving more back on track, and getting myself closer to where I want to be.

I’m thankful for what I’m able to accomplish right now, and I’m very thankful for the people who are helping me accomplish it.