Compared to yesterday, when I was up and ready to go by 7:30, today I was sluggish, and possibly hung-over from too much wine (though only 3/4 of a bottle) and exercise yesterday.
Luckily, I had dug out a map last night from an old training I had set in GFVA, so, I didn't have to think too hard when I did get out of bed at 8:45.
Tracks
Got to the parking lot outside of the park and hit the trails about 10 AM. I was due at a baby shower at ~1, so I was allowing myself just 90 minutes or so. I started at #12, and realized I had missed 13 to the left when I was in the next reentrant over, but I had no time to fiddle, so I went on. I also recognized where I was when I missed #6, and then skipped 8-11 on purpose and headed to the car, hitting 9 & almost 11 totally by accident, so I am not sure I am able to claim those as spiked, or semi-spiked controls, since I was basically just bombing downhill to the car. I didn't take the trail going right into the parking lot, since it was marked as closed at the road.
It felt like a mid-summer Washington, DC day with high humidity, and temps in the low 80s. The water plants were totally leafed out making the streams difficult to see, and the gnats and spiderwebs were numerous.
I taped my heels, and that prevented any blisters, but I need thicker socks with these shoes since my heel was slipping around and making it difficult to run, at the few times I wanted to run.
I did take a couple of falls today - one after getting a stick twisted between my legs, and the other a full roll down the hill to the car. Nice bruises on my left shin, and a little bit of wrenching feeling to the right hip/lower back.
In terms of fitness, I was not regretting that I skipped WP this weekend as I was climbing from 4-5.