Pre-birthday, semi-celebration run

As we've done the past few years-- with our birthdays only six days apart-- we wanted to run our age in miles on Wildwood trail. Since we're three years apart, we have a bit of wiggle room on the total distance. This year, however, is a milestone birthday for one of us and we wanted to run that particular number.

Travel plans have us apart and out of town for nearly three weeks around our birthdays and the conveniently long Thanksgiving holiday, so we decided to postpone the official birthday run. Instead we ran all of Wildwood, from the zoo to Newberry Rd (simply because we hadn't done that direction since 2011) on Saturday, before Ann left on her trip the next morning.

Wildwood's start, at the zoo

I parked at the Newberry terminus, then John and Ann picked me up, and John dropped us off at the zoo. To cement his spot as Top Trail Spouse of the year, John then parked the car at the 53rd Ave trailhead so we would have an aid station at mile 9, and he hiked home. Now that's service. Thank you, John!

Just a couple of miles from the end we let a man pass us who then said our pace was helping him not go too fast, as he had just twisted both of his ankles. I told him we were running Wildwood end-to-end and were nearly finished, and he was amazed. He took off, but was there at the Newberry trailhead and took a nice photo of us at the end. Thank you, sir, and take care of those ankles!

A decorated trail marker
We lucked out and despite the forecast, it stayed dry our whole run. I have to admit that starting at the zoo is easier, because you get the climb to Pittock Mansion out of the way. We had a great, uneventful run and all too soon it was over. So soon, in fact, that it felt like we barely had time to discuss what our next adventure should be. We have been working on our 2016 race calendar, though. It's the adventures and mountain circumnavigations I can't wait to research.

Girls gone Wildwood, at the Newberry end

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