The Dawn of Day Seven

I ran my final loop of the week at 5am on Day 7. Tracy was there too. We had some great views of the sun rising over the prairie and trees along the course. On the left is the view we had at the beginning of the 5-mile loop, on the bottom-right is the view that greeted us at the end of that same loop. The Lake of the Woods trail can be beautiful at any time of day, but the morning light is extra special. It was a cool and crisp morning. As usual, lots of dew was on the grass and our feet were soaked by the end of mile one. The fog settling in the valleys, the deer prancing across the trail, and the sun rising on the horizon kept my spirits up. This was my fastest loop of the entire week---even with me stopping to take over 50 pictures. After seven days, you sort of know what to expect. There aren't a lot of surprises. Though I wasn't surprised by the beauty of the trail, it did make me pause. We are lucky to have this little county park in our backyard.

This was my second try at 7 days of running and it didn't go very well. Last year I did 303 miles, this year only 151 miles (full results for everyone tomorrow). I basically stopped after 2.5 days. I did enjoy the rest of the week. After getting in my my 5am loop, I would come home, shower, eat a second breakfast, watch a little TV, take a nap, and then go to the gym. The rest of the day was spent lounging in bed or on the couch. I caught the Champion's League final and the FA Cup. Two good games and a great way to end the soccer (futbol) season. I even took up a new hobby--shopping! My new favorite store is TJ Maxx. Picked up 2 new pairs of New Balance running shorts ($9.99 each) and 2 Nike drifit running shirts ($12 and $15).

After lots of thinking I have a new perspective on life. Running has now taken its rightful place as a high priority in my daily routine...but not the highest. I'd rather lounge with my rodent friends and watch a soccer match than run for 24 hours. I'd rather go for a garden walk than do a 100 miler. I'll be staying closer to home for a while...likely trading distant ultra runs for local 5Ks.

I want to thank everyone that came out this week. Even if you didn't complete the full 7 day event, it was good seeing you on the trails. I won't be repeating this next year. It's possible the event will take on a life of its own and continue...maybe with greater organization & flair. I have plenty of fantastic memories from 2008 and 2009. Some good photos too. I'm glad a few others enjoyed this lengthy informal fun run. I appreciated your support and encouragement.

The Buffalo Trace 7-Day Stage Race banner was unfurled for the last time at 4:55am this morning. I hope everyone survived the week and finished with a renewed sense of determination and pride. One of the quotes on the header of this blog reads:

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." -T.S. Eliot

We've all had the opportunity this week to test ourselves and see how far we could go. I hope you reached your goals.