This past weekend I finally wrapped up my summer of travel! It seems I have been out of town almost every weekend since the end of July and to be perfectly honest, I am really looking forward to spending some time at home. This is especially true since I am now in full on marathon training mode. It is hard to fit in 12-18 mile runs & travel!
Labor day weekend was my first weekend in town since the beginning of August. Like I do with every three day weekend, I was determined to take advantage of it by fitting in a run, a bike ride, and a hike. However, my work situation was a bit tenuous, so I didn't want to make plans and have to cancel them if I did end up having to work. I decided this was a great opportunity to try to meet some new hiking buddies by joining up with a local hiking club.
I should have realized the group I picked may not have been for me when I e-mailed the leader for the A-hike (slightly shorter/less elevation than the Crypt Lake hike in Glacier) regarding a meeting location and she insisted on talking to me on the phone & effectively banned me from joining her hike. Essentially, she was concerned I couldn't keep up with the pace since I have no clue how fast I hike. Apparently my Crypt Lake hike the week before wasn't fast enough - I didn't tell her in addition to you know, trying to enjoy the hike with friends, I was also stopping to take a million pictures. Luckily there was a B hike that she suggested I try first so I didn't have to give up my dream of hiking.
Not one to give up easily, I headed to Centreville Saturday to meet up with the B hike. As I arrived in the parking lot, I realized that the average age of the group was probably 60. This was confirmed by the conversation I had with another new hiker nearing her 50s who agreed she also wanted to find a group closer to her own age. *Yes, this is the same group that banned me from the tough hike over concerns I couldn't keep up.)
Regardless, I enjoyed the hike, saw some great views (and 3 bears!), and had some good conversations. A fellow hiker/accountant decided to use this opportunity to pass along all the wisdom he has acquired over the years the last 30 minutes of our hike. While I appreciate the life advice, it was a bit much. Oh well, lesson learned. Next time, I will try to join up with the Meetup group that meets at the same location but looks much younger!
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| Gorgeous View - I can't wait for the leaves to change! |
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| Really cool rock formation |
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| The group waiting for everyone |
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| I found this at the Shenandoah National Park gift shop. You might recognize the top left photo from my Glacier post! |
On Sunday I did a 17 mile run along the Mt. Vernon trail. Boy, was picking a path that goes along the water and over a swamp on a humid day a smart idea! It was made even better by dodging bikers/runners on a windy path with construction the entire time! On the plus side, at least I was rewarded with some good views.
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| View from the trail |
The other highlight of labor day weekend was a last minute impromptu 42 mile bike ride and winery visit with a Team Z teammate who I absolutely admire but haven't gotten a chance to really know. She did an Ironman the weekend before (after another one four weeks before that) and amazingly was up for another ride. I am really glad we got a chance to hang out. I responded to her Facebook post at 8:30pm the night before regarding a ride/wineries and we finalized plans for an 8:30am meeting at 6:50am. I debated not responding & taking a lazy day, but I am really happy I got my act together. The ride and winery really reminded me of how breathtakingly beautiful Virginia is. In another month and a half, we will rival Glacier for natural beauty! It's too bad I couldn't take any photos during the ride but safety first.
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| View from the winery |
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| Outside tasting area |
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| We sure clean up nice after a long ride! |
This past weekend I again got to explore the beauty of Virginia's wineries. I am maid of honor in my friend's November wedding, and this weekend we took her out of town Friday/Saturday to another of the bridesmaid's in-laws house along the bay. It was gorgeous!
Saturday we went to three wineries with a spa in between. I managed to get my long run in before we headed out. Let me tell you, a 13 mile run without properly fueling/hydrating before wineries really makes the wine hit you hard! Sunday was a bit rough as we woke up early to head back to Northern VA for her bridal shower. I am so happy the weekend went well, and I am even more happy she has friends who are much more detail oriented than I am and willing to help!
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| Gorgeous view from the house |
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| Relaxing before a day at the wineries/spa |
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| She's ready! And happy we didn't leave her stranded in a cornfield like we had joked about. |
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| Wine and cheese at the first winery |
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| Beautiful group |
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| Excited about oysters/hot dogs after the wine tasting |
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| I love this girl! |
After the last month and a half, I can't wait to just get back to my normal weekend routine, including Team Z bike rides (with some runs thrown in) and FOOTBALL. This weekend that also means taking my brother and sister-in-law to Costco so I can buy them a membership as a birthday present! Yes, this is how exciting my family is. Please don't be jealous.
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