So, I ran pretty lousy today. I didn't drag myself out of bed until past eight. I won't beat myself up too much, since it is the weekend and all, but not an early bird start. It was raining out, and cold. I had it in mind that I'd run about 18 miles on Blanchard. Last night I ran a pretty hard run in high gale winds up on the Shi Shi Trail, so it was a quick turnaround. Running in the woods during a wind storm--it wasn't as bad as it sounds, but not something I should make a habit of.
I got to the Blanchard trailhead around ten, after coffee and such, and it was still raining. I just sat in my car for a few minutes, uninspired. Finally, I just got out and went. That's ultrarunning sometimes--pushing through the unpleasant. But I'm always struggling to find that line between determination and stupidity. I don't want to be a dog that mushes and doesn't think. Anyway, I got going and the trees provided some cover for a little while, but not a lot. I got soaked, and I probably should've worn the gore-tex. Then, as I went higher, it got colder, and then the rain turned to hail, and then the hail turned to snow.
I took in things, even while semi-miserable. Skunk cabbage is blooming. All right, skunk cabbage--you go! There was an interesting little wetland of yellow blooms, pictured above. I just learned that bears use skunk cabbage as a laxative. Above Lizard Lake, I saw a rednaped sapsucker woodpecker. Then, on my second lap, I saw it again, in almost the same location. It was sucking sap and pecking wood, very diligently. It was work for me, moreso than play, and I was probably an hour slower than I should be, but I got in my 18, and I'll give myself props for not just leaving after lap number 1, which would've been easy. Today's run caps off a good week for me, mileage wise. Next week is Diez Vista--looking forward to a north country run. I understand it's a pretty cool course.
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