Running for the Gil’s Dream Team
In an effort to rage against the ferocity of shopping lists, retail traffic, and just the typical end-of-year adulting, we've made it a tradition in our little family to go off-grid the weekend before Thanksgiving and spend time staring outside, leisurely chatting about what dreams have come and may come true this year and beyond. We bask in the gratitude because, let's be honest, sometimes it's hard to really feel those vibes standing smack in the middle of the realities of family and failed attempts at perfecting the cranberry sauce. Even in this quarantined space of beauty (specifically an Alpaca farm on Sauvie Island in Portland), it took serious effort to remain in a space of gratitude for all we felt and accomplished and out of the shoulda's and coulda's of what was left undone. Awww the human experience and it's need to look at what needs work over what is already awesome.
It was during a session of this dreaming of what could be even better that we peeked at Instagram and saw pictures from the monthly Woodlands Running for the Gil's group run from this past Saturday. We saw friends, many of who we didn't know and didn't know one another this time last year, on the trails hanging off each other with glowing smiles; a big group of strangers of all professions and ages, genders and abilities who run for all different reasons and have become friends through running with Woodlands. To be with this Woodlands crew is to feel the best of this sport, maybe even the very best of humanity. We've supported one another through the suffering of racing and of living, bonded and spoken deeply about what makes us the same and sought to learn more about what makes us different, hiked in the silent snowfall, yeehaw'ed down dry dusty trails, giggled while digging holes during trail work, dressed like female wrestlers on Halloween, and shared many, MANY burritos. 2019 has brought many ups and downs and, no shocker, 2020 will as well but there are few things I'm more grateful for this Thanksgiving then the Woodlands Running community. No matter the terrain in life, we'll run it together.
We invite you and your friends and family to begin your Thanksgiving holiday with us for the 1st Annual Gravy Gallop at 8:30 AM in Ashland at the Bandersnatch Trail yellow gate. We'll begin with a 5ish mile all paces welcome trail run/hike ending with snacks and drinks provided with thanks from our Woodlands crew. Immediately after the run, we'll have the official start of the Gravy Gulp, a beer mile adjacent event that 'races' a total of 1-mile with a required gulp every quarter mile or so (all gulps are vegan/gluten-free):
The mile begins with taking a gulp of gravy
At the top of a short climb, you'll gulp cranberries
Climb a little more and gulp some holiday nog
Run downhill where you'll eat a mini-slice of pumpkin pie donated from the Ashland Co-op
A straight away to the finish with the winning male and female getting a golden ladle and all finishers earning eternal glory (and a solid base of noms before their big meals)
Thank you all for an incredible year of epic adventures and friendship. Next we look forward to our big Jingle Jolly community running party on December 7th.
Use the #RunWoodlands or #RunWow and share your adventures
