Do you ever get asked why you run? For me, it’s a hard question to answer. There are a multitude of reasons why I run – some simple, some complicated. But one of the things I love most about running is the escape it provides.

When I’m out on a run, I can use that time to think about anything that’s bothering me, or I can think about nothing at all. I can have the busiest day, but when I get out there on the trails time ceases to matter, if only for those miles. I may have to rush off the second the run ends, but that little break is all I need. I’ve recently come up with a term for the time I spend running on trails: Western Time.

The term Western Time was inspired by this song with the same title. It has nothing to do with geography. To me, it’s more of a state of being. It’s a time when time doesn’t matter. The world has become such a busy place, and it’s important for all of us to find an activity which gives us that escape. A little Western Time is good for the soul.

Where do you find your ‘Western Time’?

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you won the lottery? I’m not talking about some nominal amount. I’m talking the big Powerball jackpot. The one that sends people who don’t normally play the lottery to gas stations in throngs to stand in line and buy a ticket.

If I won the jackpot, I’d take things slow. I don’t think I would buy some grand house or a bunch of expensive things. Although Barry and I would probably find some land somewhere and build our own house. I hope that I would manage my winnings wisely to ensure a comfortable life (there would definitely be a team of professionals helping me here…. some kind of estate planner and an accountant). I’d pay off debts and make annual charitable donations. I would not work anymore… unless I wanted to. But it wouldn’t be about earning a living anymore.

I’d have the freedom to do what I want. That would definitely include traveling the country (something Barry and I always talk about), and eventually traveling the world. I’d spend more time with family and I’d probably also hike the Appalachian Trail. In short, I would live my life.

This post is part of Debbie’s Wednesday Word link up. This week’s word is freedom. Click on the button below to see who else is joining in and to link up with us!

What would you do if you won the lottery?
Do you play the lottery?  I bought a scratcher when I turned 18, but that’s it.

Call me crazy, but I went and ran a 10K trail race the weekend after Ragnar, on May 7 (I seem to have this thing for running challenging 10K’s the weekend after an ultra). The race wasn’t too far away and I figured if I was going to be out running trails may as well do it with others instead of solo. Plus it was a Mountain Junkies race, and Josh and Gina are the best. I was nowhere near recovered from Ragnar and this was solely a training run. I even fought the urge to race someone at the end – as luck would have it she beat me by less than a minute and snagged third in our age group. Ah well, it was for the best. Here’s my race recap, as part of the Weekly Wrap linkup, hosted by Tricia and Holly.

I hit the road to head up to Roanoke around 7:15 AM and arrived at Explore Park off of the Blue Ridge Parkway a little before 8:30. Parking was tight, but I found a spot. I wasn’t actually registered for the race, yet, and with the 9 AM start I was worried I wouldn’t have time to register get back to my car and then get back to the start line (Partly because I didn’t actually know where the start line was. Spoiler alert: It was basically next to my car!). So I took only what I needed from my car, stashed my race shirt at headquarters, and put the change from my registration fee in my sports bra where it would stay for the race.

I had time to hit the porta johns and then it was time for the pre-race prep talk pep talk (aka the pre-race meeting, but that’s not as fun to say). This was not the normal location for this race, so there were a few extra instructions including a heads up about a really sketchy bridge towards the end.

I talked to a few friends, met a few new people, and then it was time to head over towards the start. The half marathoners started a little after 9 and 10 minutes later the 10K followed. Our first three tenths of a mile were uphill. Overall, the race course was much hillier than I expected. The only time I have run at this park was a 5K in the snow and I basically blocked that out. 🙂

The first three miles of this race blur together for me. There were rolling hills and I ran the first mile and a half or so before taking a walk break. My legs and body felt super tired, still, from Ragnar. I also felt like my Achilles were really tight and my calves were on fire. But it was good practice running on tired legs, and I don’t think the distance was longer than what I should be doing.

Around mile 4, we dropped down to run along the river. The downhill was a little sketchy, so I took it easy going down it. It felt good to run along the flat section, although it felt pretty hot here with the sun shining down on us. Don’t get me wrong, though, it was a gorgeous day to be outside and be running trails.

The final two miles had a fair amount of uphill (see elevation chart above) and my legs were really feeling it. My right hamstring has been bothering me lately, ever since the North Face 50K. It doesn’t really hurt per se, but it’s been telling me it no longer cares to be attached to my hip/glute area anymore. I’ve been putting more focus on stretching it gently and doing some foam rolling, though, which I think is helping.

Somewhere through this uphill section I came to the bridge we had been warned about during the pre-race prep talk pep talk, and Josh wasn’t kidding. It was the sketchiest bridge I’ve ever run across. His advice had been to run across the nails of the bridge, which attached the rotten boards to telephone poles (he promised the telephone poles would not break). I heeded his advice and made it across in one piece.

Close to the finish we ran through a really neat cabin area of the park. I’m pretty sure we ran through here in the snow, too, but like I said I blocked it out. I could hear the finish line in the distance and knew I was getting close.

We had one final little uphill and then I crossed the finish line – 6.2 miles in 1:25:22. Probably my slowest 10K, but it was definitely a good amount of time spent on my feet while already tired. Good training for things to come.

The drive to and from the race on the Blue Ridge Parkway was gorgeous, too. I took advantage of the beautiful day and drove up Roanoke Mountain on the way home for some views.

Have you ever run an impromptu race or do you always plan them in advance?

This is the aftermath and some final thoughts from Ragnar Relay in Richmond (April 29-30). In case you missed my actual race recaps, you can find leg 1 HERE, leg 2 HERE, and leg 3 HERE.

After we finished running and got our official team photo, there was a flurry of packing up. It was a fun weekend, but it had been a long event and we were all ready to wrap up our time there. Barry and my dad helped me take down my tent and get everything packed up. Luckily, Bill had gotten a ride over to our RV campsite with Debbie’s stuff, and he was able to come back and pick me up with all of my stuff. He gave Deb and me a ride back over to the campground side of the park while dad and Barry walked through the woods to meet us there.

We unloaded everything from Bill and Deb’s vehicle, and then chatted with them for a bit before saying goodbye. Barry and I would be staying another night in the state park, along with Dad and Robin (who had an adjacent campsite). I was looking forward to a nice hot shower, a good meal, and a good night’s rest.

Unfortunately, two out of three of those did not happen. The hot water was kind of hit or miss at the bathhouses in the park, and I had to endure an ice cold shower. It was really a testament to how much I wanted that shower, because I think standing in that water was harder than running Ragnar. 😉

We had a delicious meal (hamburgers, salad, and fries) and then I collapsed in bed around 8:30. I slept terribly, though, which I think was due to being over tired. I woke up a lot throughout the night and finally got up around 8 the next morning. We walked the dogs a lot on Sunday morning and I think that really helped my legs start to recover from Ragnar. On the sleep front, it took me nearly a week to recover. That’s one of the main reasons I think this was my last Ragnar.

One thing is for sure, we really lucked out weather-wise during Ragnar. It rained on and off throughout the week leading up to the event, and there was a big thunderstorm on Thursday night at the park. It also rained really hard again Saturday night and again on Sunday morning. But from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon we had good weather, apart from some really light rain early Saturday morning (like 1 AM early). It doesn’t get much better than that.

So Ragnar number 3 is in the books. I’ve now run a Ragnar road relay, a Ragnar trail relay on a non-ultra team, and a Ragnar trail relay on an ultra team. All three were great experiences. They were tough, I had to face down some fears, and I accomplished a feat that at times did not seem possible. In the end, it’s a great bonding experience. You’ll walk away with new friends, fun stories, and incredible memories.

Have you ever run a relay event? If not, is it something you are interested in?

I am a creature of habit. I love a good plan and I’m a big fan of routine. But sometimes, things can become too routine. Doing the same thing day after day can lead to burn out – especially with running. If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, I encourage you to mix things up and try something new.

If you run solo, try running with a group.

If you typically run roads, give trails a try.

If you’ve only run ‘traditional’ races, check out a relay or obstacle race.

If you always use the same route, try out a new one.

Don’t let uncertainties or fear hold you back. Adventure awaits.

This post is part of the Wednesday Word linkup, hosted by Debbie @DebRuns. This week’s word is encourage. Click on the button below to see who else is linking up and to join in!

How do you mix things up?