Fifteen miles

Yay fall! I have been able to hit the trails most days this week, and the leaves are really improving, but I'm hoping for even more leaf vibrancy in the next few weeks.

On the Wild Rose/Chukar Loop, I saw an actively moving tarantula, which was fun. It wasn't afraid of me and even came toward me. Over the last eight years of trail running, I have seen tarantulas, rattlesnakes, other snakes, deer, coyote, lizards, squirrels, and horny "toads." 

But I didn't run on Friday night, because I was attending a birthday open house for my old boss from when I worked at the Church History Department before. He got back from serving as mission president in July, so it was fun to see him again (I hadn't talked to him in person since before he left). But it was especially fun because my supervisor from BYU Studies, back in 2012 to 2014, also was there, so it was fun to catch up with her. I was able to share some of the things I have learned about Pioneer Day. She had nice things to say about my work. I also talked to a few other people as well, people I knew and people I just met. I'm not good at forming professional relationships, so it was a good opportunity for me.

My highlight was my Saturday run. I had thought of running the thirteen-mile run that I like to do a few times per year, where I run up North Canyon to Rudy's Flat, down to Elephant Rock, then back to Rudy's and down North Canyon. As I got close to Rudy's, I didn't think I felt up to the full thirteen miles. But I remembered there was a new trail lower in North Canyon, so I thought if I had the energy when I got to the new trail, I would check it out.

Well, when I got to the new trail, I did feel up to it. I hadn't been on it before, and I didn't know if it was even completed yet. But somehow, I had the energy to follow it all the way into Mueller Park! This new trail was relatively easy, and my total run was more than fifteen miles! That is the longest run I have ever done! And the best part is that I wasn't even totally exhausted. Yes, I was tired, but I probably could have run even more. I'm very pleased with the shape I'm in. But also, I'm so glad that now there's a loop between the two canyons. Now I won't always have to choose between the two. This might change my running routine and encourage me to go on longer runs on a regular basis.

So my pace isn't the greatest, but I took some snack and bathroom breaks

What a wonderful time of the year!

***

Time for pumpkinundation roundup!

This Cold Stone Creamery Apple of My Pumpkin Pie Creation was my reward for my fifteen-mile run. The ice cream is pumpkin bread batter, and it has apple pie filling, pie crust, and nuts. It was a nice mélange of fall flavors. I thought there were too many mix-ins, but that's probably because of the way I was feeling at the time. 8/10.

I'm not a huge fan of yogurt, so I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this Oui by Yoplait Pumpkin Caramel Whole Milk French Style Yogurt. I tasted the caramel, but it also had nice pumpkin vibes. 8/10.

I didn't notice much of a pumpkin spice flavor while I was eating the Lenny & Larry's Pumpkin Spice Complete Cookie, but after I ate it, I could keep tasting the spices. 7/10.

I like Veggie Straws, but the Sensible Portions Apple Straws are not as good. They taste just like Taco Bell cinnamon twists but with an apple flavor. 6/10.

I was mildly chilled after the outdoor birthday party, so I was in the mood for a Maverik Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa, which was delightful. 8/10.

And I also really enjoyed the Maverik Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie. Most pumpkin cookies are cakey, but this was more like a regular chocolate chip cookie. 8/10.

I was unsure about the Good & Gather Honey Pumpkin Goat Cheese Ravioli, because I'm picky when it comes to cheese. But I liked it! It has pumpkin and spices, and the cheese is not gross. 7/10.

The Cutler's Iced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie is typical. I enjoyed the frosting on this one. 7/10.

The Goldfish Dunkin' Pumpkin Spice Grahams seem like a random combo. They're less sweet than I expected, which is fine, but they don't really taste much like pumpkin or donuts to me, even though pumpkin is in the ingredients list. But "spice" and "graham" are accurate flavor descriptions. 6/10.

Remember the turkey dinner candy corn? This year there's Brach's Tailgate Candy Corn. The flavors are fruit punch, vanilla ice cream, hot dog, hamburger, and popcorn. This mix is better than the turkey dinner mix. The fruit punch (pink and red) has a generically fruity flavor. The vanilla ice cream (off white) is generically sweet. Hot dog (pink and tan) does taste oddly like hot dog. It's weird but not necessarily gross. Hamburger (red and tan) is the grossest, but it's not horrible. And popcorn (tans) has a vaguely butter flavor; I had a hard time figuring out which was vanilla and which was popcorn. This is an experience, but it's not as good as the Taco Truck jelly beans. 5/10.

I got this Good Housekeeping Apple Cinnamon Cider hand sanitizer two years ago (remember when everything was remote?). It doesn't smell like cider at all. 3/10.