Training in Montana

 Scout Camp is on an island in Flathead Lake, a large lake in North East Montana. We got here Saturday evening and spent Sunday heading to church then doing swim checks, getting registered, etc. I got up this morning and headed out for a run. I wasn't totally sure of the trails or where I'd end up but needed 5 so the first few loops were all over the place, running near other troops camping, etc. The GPS marking is awesome - a true maze of running. I finally found a great trail, 1.25 miles starting at the lodge, heading South to the shore, then around the shore back to my campsite. It included 4-5 ducking low under trees, but was a marked trail. Not very used, but marked with marking tape. Beautiful. I saw two of the three fawns on the island.

AP: 11:09

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204403697 

I needed 10 miles today so set out earlier to run my island loops. Gorgeous. Very warm on the South side of the island with a warm wind blowing. I don't recall anything particularly momentous about today but love the slow pace and the soft trails.

AP: 10:47

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204403680 

5 miles this morning. I don't tire of the island loops as it's so gorgeous and the terrain is so varied. There are groomed trails for part of it, ducking under trees, stepping through and over branches on the ground, running through rocks, and up some hills. Very fun.

AP: 11:15

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204403656 

Rest day, much needed.

20 mile run today as tomorrow is a travel day with no running. A group headed to Wild Horse Island from 9:15-11:15 which was a bummer as I wanted it to be 3+ hours. I decided to get up at 5:25 and run 10 miles then do 10 on Wild Horse. I did a bunch of loops on Melita Island and ended at 9.4 miles before the flag ceremony, showered & changed into fresh running clothes and had breakfast with all the Scouts, then headed to Wild Horse Island with my hydration pack and 1 Liter of Gatorade and some Montana Huckleberry gu. Yum. Wild Horse was great. On my first loop I ran right into a group of wild horses. I was nervous so deferred to a paint horse who came up to me. I started to get some jelly beans to feed him but thought better of it. He showed me his teeth then I turned to run away and decided to just blast through. The horse had followed me, just like a puppy dog, but when I turned and ran he ran away from me. It was cool. A few minutes later I saw a nice herd of bighorn sheep 1/2 mile away on a hillside. I wished I had binoculars. I hit the trail again and ran past the scouts who were doing their 5 mile hike and headed up a steep hill. Why, I don't know. It was a stupid thing to do on a 20 mile day. I got to the top, saw things just a bit higher, then turned back around. Passed the scouts again and headed on a loop back to where the boat dropped us off. I then did another loop around and almost to the start point a thunderstorm started up with lightning nearby. I kept going but upon meeting up with the scouts again learned the boat would be delayed as it must wait 30 minutes after lightning or thunder to travel on the water. Hmph, but helped me get my 20 miles in. I had to run backwards and forwards on the trail to stay close to home but get in my miles. I was happy to be done but I felt good. At mile 14 I felt pretty tired and remembered that the last time I felt like this, at Bighorn 50K, I popped some endurolyte capsules. I took 3 and felt better in 20 minutes. I need to use those more on long runs. 

AP: 11:23

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204403628