Half the route was runnable. The other half made “running” feel like the wrong word.
I was out in the Windham-Blackhead Range in the Catskills with a fifteen-pound pack. The trail moved through wet forest, rocky climbs, and overlooks above the valley.
The runnable half was still rough. I ran or jogged it where I could. The rest was terrain I could not run at all, so I hiked.
Rain kept moving through. It made the trail harder and cooking more complicated. The temperature dropped lower than I had expected. A lean-to offered a roof, but not a way around the wet miles.
The photographs from the route look greener than I remember feeling. One shows a shelter under the trees. Another shows a bright yellow “NO TREE CUTTING” sign fixed to a trunk. At an overlook, the whole valley opens beneath a ceiling of dark clouds.
My estimate afterward was 28 miles and about 6,500 feet of climbing. I told my coach that those numbers were not absurd by themselves. The trail conditions and weather were what made the weekend tough.
It was still tons of fun.
I had gone away wanting a break. What I got was mental rest and almost no physical rest. The pack, climbing, rough footing, and rain turned the weekend into a long strength session that I knew I would feel for days.
I came home Sunday and wrote the recap Monday morning. My plan for the day was rolling, a massage, and whatever recovery I could get.
My head came back rested. My legs came back carrying 28 miles.