Aesthete Runner

Oh Week 11. Where do I begin. I knew this week would be tough, with long back to back runs, but I never expected it to be as hard as it was. I struggled a lot, both physically and mentally and feel a bit raw in the aftermath.

Happy June! Right before the GRT 50k I was treated to a surprise visit from my bird as well as a few other egrets. I haven't seen him since this day, but it was so neat that he was this close to the trail.

Happy May Day! I think a sure sign of spring is when all of the baby geese arrive. They are so cute! And of course, the return of my bird.....

I took a brief hiatus from running to get some rest and spend time with friends and family, so this week is a little light on the pictures. I have seen a few of my woodland friends which I always enjoy when running.

A short Trail Tuesday this week as the weather has been making it difficult to get out and run. Thankfully the view is still pretty amazing after fresh snow, and a visit to the waterfall on my usual trail proved spectacular.

Well actually it's Trail Wednesday, but that just doesn't sound as good! This week I have a mixture of some sunrise/sky pictures, birds, and fall foliage. As much as I dislike the sun coming up later in the morning, it does make it easier to catch a sunrise, and the birds love it too.

This week I have some more pictures of the beautiful late-summer flowers that are blooming. I love all of the yellow, gold, and reds that have started to pop up along the trails. This is also the time of year where I see the herons and egrets out and active, so I am happy to see my "birds" every day during my runs.

You might remember a Trail Tuesday a few month's ago where I posted some pictures of a running adventure I went on that ran near a heron preserve - Lake Renwick. At that time the public access was closed for nesting season, but a few week's ago the trail was back open and I enjoyed seeing all of the herons from a safe distance. I saw a few other animals as well as beautiful scenery, and I have no doubt I'll be back to run here again soon.

Marathon training can get redundant and boring after a while, so I like to head to new trails or ones I haven't frequented in a while to shake things up. It is neat to check out new scenery, and you never know what you might see! I am careful to select some paved trails so that I can still get pavement time on my feet in preparation for the marathon, but part of the fun is running on different surfaces.

It turns out that a cut back week during week 10 of training is still a lot of work. The miles that were cut out of the long run were added to the mid-week runs, so I still put in a lot of time on my feet. It feels odd to say that a cut back week was only 30 miles!

One of my favorite things about running on trails year round is being able to notice when new flowers suddenly pop up, or when my favorites return. Normally spring is what you think of when you think of flowers blooming, but August in IL is pretty great as well.

We are back on my home turf again for this week's Trail Tuesday. While it's a far cry from some of the beautiful trails I've seen this summer, the wildlife around here is still pretty great.

The best part of running outside is seeing wildlife. Thankfully most of the wildlife in my area is harmless and I love sharing the trail with my animal friends!

This past weekend I went on a little running adventure to a trail I've always wanted to explore, but hadn't - Lake Renwick. While I will definitely be back after August 15th so that I can explore the closed portion of the trail (see below), this will not be the last time I visit. It was a beautiful 5 miles on a paved trail, with some decent tree cover and pretty scenery.

This week's Trail Tuesday is full of pictures of my bird. I get excited every time I run and see the herons and loons out. They are so cool to watch and beautiful to see flying.

I am still reflecting on my first 50k, so until then, enjoy the Trail Tuesday!

A few week's ago during my 20 mile run I had a magical moment on the trail. During the second loop of the trail, I came across a clearing and could see a lot of birds diving for fish. Upon closer inspection, I came about a foot away from a Great Blue Heron, which loyal readers know is "my bird". I was so in awe of it and was almost afraid to take a picture because I did not want it to fly away. That moment gave me extra motivation to finish my run as strong as ever.

Trail Tuesday is back from a two week break! The trails are calling, and I must go...when I am not at work!

The ice has thawed out and with rising temps, I saw the return of my bird at the start of the new year. While most of the snow has finally melted, we are in for another round soon!

The last Trail Tuesday of November and ironically it is almost 60 degrees outside. Unfortunately the main trail I run on is flooded due to heavy rain, but here are some pictures from my weekend adventures: