Christmas Wrap

 This will most likely be my last post for 2022

I swear the final two entries of the Scotland Saga will happen eventually!

While this year has not been without its challenges, I'm very grateful to have had some incredible times along the way: from the return of snowshoe racing and the inimitable Pick Your Poison trail race, through some fun summer "time on feet" days at Sunburn Solstice and Foxtail Hundred, to an uncannily smooth and wonderfully dry Three Days in the Park, I certainly couldn't have asked for racing to go any better.

I also have been discovering some new trails here and there, including this beauty just yesterday!

The crown jewel of the year - ok maybe the decade - was definitely finally getting our postponed-by-two-years trip to Scotland, where we spent a couple of weeks dirtbagging around the Highlands trying to navigate narrow little roads in a campervan, learning new skills, nearly falling off mountains, sea kayaking with seals, ripping around on motorbikes, accumulating ridiculous amounts of distance and vertical ascent, and peeing on quite a bit of the landscape. 

There's a distinct lack of portajohns in the Highlands

I also got to help out a little here and there: I volunteered at as many races as I ran this year, and was able to participate in a truly worthy fundraiser. There was also some serious Halloween silliness with some great friends, which was neither volunteering nor race, but simply a joyful day.

Exploring and eating candy and maybe having an adult beverage or two

I'm privileged to have been able to experience all of these things, and to have family and friends with whom to share them. As so many struggle to make ends meet, I'm off playing in the woods and planning to cook up a feast for my loved ones for Christmas. I've got some big plans for 2023 brewing, too, and I hope to be able to give back to both my trailrunning brethren and my community in general in the new year as well.

For now, I wish you a wonderful holiday season: may it be filled with peace and joy for you, in whatever form brings you those - I'll be over here thankful for my own good fortune, and hoping you all have reason and opportunity to offer gratitude as well!