It's Pineland Time again!!

It is true.
I wait until the last possible minute to commit to any race in the Pineland Trail Running Festival.
Even last year when a 50k was the final hurrah for my spring season I waited until the latest conceivable second to hit "send" on my entry.

The first thing about Pineland is that it is the greatest social event of the entire year (depending on who makes it to MDI which is also a big deal.) But one does not wish to spend the most fabulous running party totally soaked to the bone and shivering in 40 degree weather (like in 2013, the year I passed!)

Once I saw the forecast I knew it was going to be awesome so I bit the bullet and signed up.

Sunday, you look totally decent! Keep up the good work. No shenanigans!

Nothing too insane for me this year, I'm sticking with the 25k. I want to have fun and nothing about the 50k sounded fun, or particularly smart given my already exciting Spring adventures. And clearly, nothing about the 50 miler sounded great at all. I would just straight up die.

The honest and brutal thing about Pineland is that the course really is a tough old broad. I'm not a trail runner at all so any mention of running off the pavement gives me hives. The hills are relentless and the fields are both boiling hot and muddy. There is danger around every turn like ticks, sasquatch and the very real possibility of falling down (I have seen people racked right out. I'm not quite sure how given the (honestly) relatively tame terrain but if it happens to others it easily could happen to me!)

The FINAL and MOST IMPORTANT thing about running at Pineland is that it is a damn good time. You see all of your friends! You get to run through what feels like insane conditions if you are a road runner (and you get to hear the real trail runners scoffing at what a wuss you are!) and if you manage to finish you get two free beers! You might get to partake in the pot luck lunch unless, like me, you are put off by pot luck in which case you will just drink your damn beer and have a great afternoon. OH! And you get a free pair of socks, which makes me very happy. And there is a gigantic cock rooster which always makes me snicker inappropriately because I am 12 in my heart.

Giant. Rooster.....Pineland 2014 post 50k insanity

 I ran the 25K in 2012 faster than a speeding bullet. That isn't really my game plan this time...

Two free beers! After the fastest 25k ever run by anyone ever. WOOF.  With Danielle who loves trail running so much that she is doing the 50k this year! Total badass. 

I'm really excited for the weekend, I had a nice easy week of running last week- between needing a little down time after the 39.3 Challenge and having horse show fun, low mileage sounded right. I'm back to doing some fun running this week and feel like a little Sunday adventure fits into my plans nicely!
I'm also pretty pumped for my friends doing the 50K (crazies!) and the 50 miler (OMG stop!) and hope to see them out on course and to enjoy the after party with them as they celebrate being completely and totally insane (I can say this because I have been called crazy too... and they know that I love them!)

So let's get after it kids. Remember not to blast off like you are running a 5k and, more importantly, remember that we all deserve between 7-32 donuts upon race completion!

Science.