Trail treasures, chewing gum and mule nannies

Hi all,

"A critical quality to develop in life is the willingness to try. You simply must find enough confidence to give it a go. The human mind is fabulous at learning. You will get better at whatever you practice. But before you can develop the skill to succeed, you must find the courage to attempt." -James Clear, author, Atomic Habits

A quick reminder that you can LOVE running but not really like it right now. 
You can run for "just" 10 minutes and that is still called a run. 
You don't need to sign up for races to be a runner. 

You also don't have to do strength training but more durability, increased bone health and having a 30-minute break from the world aren't bad. Join me on Wednesdays for Strength Training for Runners live to your screen.  

TRAIL TREASURES
In case you need to help persuading a friend or your kids to join you out on the trails, check in on November 15th with the Willamette Valley ornament hunt. Between November 15 and Dec. 25, 2024, two hundred locally-crafted wooden ornaments will be hidden along two-dozen trails in the Willamette National Forest and the Umpqua National Forest. 

And if you prefer running along the beach, you can also look for treasure on the coast at Lincoln City all winter with their Finders Keepers program. Each winter over 3,000 glass floats are hidden along seven miles of beach, made by local artisans. If you find a float, it’s all yours. This year there are extra drops on the following dates, so you have a better chance at a find. November 28- December 1 and December 7-8.  I have looked twice and never found a float but it sure was beautiful and I saw seals, totally worth it. 

CHEW SOME CAFFEINE
Caffeine gum. Might be worth a try at your next ultra distance event. "Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, increasing focus and alertness in endurance athletes. There are several benefits of caffeine gum for endurance athletes including:

• A quicker energy boost without the wait time
• Convenience and portability
• Less liquid intake and more flexibility"

MULE NANNIES!
I thought this picture was fake, then I picked my jaw up off the floor, then I tried to fact check it. Seems like there are mules that carry baby goats and if you need to smile, baby goats in mule bags here.  If it isn't real, never tell me.