Stone Mill 50-ish-miler

Stone Mill 50ish-miler fell on my 9th wedding anniversary. Fortunately, Nick didn’t mind me spending the entire day doing one of my favorite things - running in the woods with friends!

The weather was much warmer than expected for November (60°/73°) but we were relieved that the forecast changed and the rain ended on Friday that just left us with very muddy trails!

With 11 aide stations aka parties, we counted down every time we reached a fabulous group of volunteers and their treats (I mean fuel)! Tater tots, ramen, grilled cheese, sweet potato & avocado quesadillas, PB&Js, homemade vegan cookies, Pringles, jellybeans, chicken noodle soup, pierogis, pickle juice, Mtn Dew, and beer were just some of the faves!

The course was hillier than I expected (probably a good thing), with many stream crossings, slippery leaves, hidden roots and rocks. We did the Stone Mill Shuffle along some beautiful scenery - Seneca Creek, Clopper Lake, C&O Canal, Black Rock Mill, and through the “Stone Mill.”

We made friends, Wizard, Christine and Dee, who recharged us with great conversations. The last few miles were grueling as the trail was about 3 miles longer than expected and ended with 2 hills on the road.

Best part of the day was crossing the finish line with such a strong, inspiring, fun friend - Lori! Thank you for saying yes to this only slightly crazy adventure ❤️

Thank you to the RD, amazing volunteers, and awesome cheer squad of the Stone Mill 50-miler!

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