Well, I'm back from the New Paltz trip and it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. We loaded up into a 15 passenger van and a few other cars and headed up at the crack of dawn on Saturday, and 2 hours later arrived at Minnewaska State Park to do our long run. We knew we were going to be doing trail running, which is always a bit of a challenge, but we didn't know just how hard this particular trail was going to be. The climb was incredibly steep, so much so that it felt more like a tempo run than an easy pace, and the "trail" was laden with rocks and roots and leaves and other hazards, and parts of it were just a few feet away from a massive drop off. It could have been pretty mentally challenging if you focused on the crazy terrain - on top of everything, the fallen leaves create this pattern that kind of hypnotizes you, in addition to being slippery - but we were completely spoiled by amazing fall weather and some of the most breathtaking views I've seen in a damn long time. The fall colors were really showing off: bright reds, yellows, oranges, and hybrids, so vibrant and beautiful. It was 100% worth it.
We were enjoying ourselves so much actually that when we reached our designated turn-around time, we decided to run a little further down to this beautiful lake, just to check it out. It was an excuse to stay out there in relative solitude and peace and serenity for a little while longer, too. It was such a happy little surprise. We also didn't really run in pace groups - the advanced runners kind of stuck together, and then the intermediate runners stuck together, and then a few smaller groups of beginners held back and did their own thing. I got to run with people I hadn't run with before, and it was cool because we'd run a mile or two and then stop to check out the views and wait for some of the other runners to catch up to us. It's obviously not the way we'd typically run long, but it felt incredible. I also stopped at one of the cliffs with a completely uninterrupted panoramic view of the valley below and said a special prayer for Grandpa. I could feel him with me up there.
We finally forced ourselves to turn around and accepted that we couldn't stay and play in the mountains all day, and I had made it through just shy of 9 miles when the inevitable happened. I fell. And when I say I fell, I mean I F-E-L-L. I was running with people I'd never run with before and I think it freaked them out more than it freaked me out, actually. Both knees got banged up pretty badly, as did my right hip and both hands, and I ripped my tights. It was a pretty solid wipeout. I'm grateful I didn't get seriously hurt, but annoyed that it happened when I'd made it through more than 75% of the run sans incident! But, such is life.
The rest of the day and night were spent BBQing and partying and s'more-ing at Michael Conlon's house, which is a perfect country get away with a fire pit and space galore. The recovery run this morning was a little rough, due to exhaustion, my now-swollen/injured knees, and a slight touch of a hangover, and then don't worry, we got to suffer through bootcamp. We did 14 stations including tire pulls, mountain climbers, push ups, squat thrusts, jump rope, ladder work, suicides, and more. How we were able to do that after the insanity that was the Saturday run, I could not tell you, but somehow it was actually fun! We were paired up with people we didn't know, for the most part, and it was a very cool way to bond and meet new peeps. It was a great way to close out the weekend.
I think the point of the trip was to get out of the city, shake things up, get us out of our comfort zone, meet new people, bond more closely with people you already knew, and experiment with a different type of running. Mission definitely accomplished, and these were all great things. Huge props to Michael Conlon for putting it together, I can't wait to do it again!
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