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Difficult Run

December 25, 2018 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
Met Julia Ernst at the parking lot for the aptly named "Difficult Run," a tributary of the Potomac just past Madeira School near Great Falls. The trail isn't particularly hilly or rocky; in fact, it's rather wide in most places and well groomed. It is, however, lined with mud almost the entire way. Julia told me as we were coming back that the back of my running jacked looked like a Jackson Pollack painting from all the mud splatter. At time times, there was simply no way around it; you had to just squish and stomp through, which, once you embrace it, can be deeply satisfying. There were also several stream crossings on rocks which though clearly laid out for the purpose were nonetheless under an inch or more of water. We started off talking about each other's family Christmas traditions, and then turned to deeper topics about why we get bored less than we did a kids, whether people are really capable of changing their character, and how consulting firms can lead would-be changemakers to get hooked on an expensive lifestyle and never get around to following their dreams, we found ourselves losing the trail and struggling up some significant hills with hardly a pause in the banter. There was a beautiful sunset in the background on our way back and it was so delightful getting to explore a new trail in the DC area I'd never run before. Looking forward to more Jernstathons in the coming year.