Recipe for a Long Run

Saturday I met up with folks for a long run, which began at Willowdale State Forest (along the Stone Cat 12.5 mile loop) and completed at Bradley Palmer. Three weeks out from the Stone Cat Trail Races (marathon & 50 miler), this was THE weekend to run loooong—rain or shine—before the kitty. So thankfully, the weather on Saturday was purrrfect for 4+ hours in the woods.

I drove my best “Daisy Dukes of Hazzard” along Old Right Road to meet GAC's trail-tour group but missed them; as I was tying my sneakers, they disappeared into the woods. Thankfully the usual trail suspects waited for me. (Sorry to make you wait! I hope I made up for it with some entertaining animal imitations and calls of the wild (not the "W.C." kind-of-call).)

Recipe for Saturday’s long run:
Add six trail runners, three maps, a bag of Chips Ahoy, two Feelmax Pankas, four Garmin Forerunners (with four different distances), and 6 ¼ cups of pit stop into two State Forests. Slowly mix in a Stone Cat loop (plus a little extra for dusting), and a Fat-Ass & 6-Hour lap with some mud. Stir with an upside-down map and beaver tails. Chill. Let the clock run for 4+ hours. Flip over 22 miles for a half-delirious group. Optional: add mountain bikers for texture. (Missing Ingredient: Michelle!)

POP Quiz: 6 runners and 4 maps.
(no cheating)

1. Who laminated a map?
2. Who left the map in the car?
3. Who printed a map onto waterproof paper?
4. Who yields to the trail?
5. Who laughs in the map's general direction?
6. Who Zip-Lock Baggied a map?

Nicknames, etc.:
(Note: sometimes a nickname readily appears while another warrants deeper distillation. All are very subject to change.)

• Dan: The Cartographer;
• Streph: Dr. Feeling-Quite-Himself;
• KZ: The Vim in Vigor;
• Steve: Cookie Monster. Leading: Capt. Chips Ahoy;
• Paul L.: Slingshot or maybe *Speedy Gonzales (the fastest mouse in Mexico). *This might not fit/sit well??—need more information and runs.