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Hey Trail Slappers, Dirt Mongers and Forest Joggers! (I think that’s everybody!)

So, here we go again with a wonderful Fall day/night to be out on the trails of MoCo! Where else would you rather be on a Tuesday? Home with crazy family (Kids! Homework! Dishes! Chores! Meltdowns!) Doing extra after-hours s#@t for work for a thankless boss? (I think not!) Watching Netflix re-runs (booorriinng!) What you need is a good romp in the woods with your headlamp and trail friends! Ya just gotta make it happen. And Muddy Shoes will be there to support! Not only will we run but we’ll head over to the Outta the Way Café afterwards for a comfy and delicious post-run chow and mingle! What could be better? (Don’t answer that!) So, we’ll see you there and I’ll save you a spot on the trail!

But first, announcements, then details:

Merch! Merch! Merch! – get it while it lasts! We got Muddy Shoes Baseball Hats ($15), Buffs ($10) and Reusable, collapsible cups ($5). Do your holiday shopping early…or just treat yourself! See Coach Phil or Coach Mike C. BTW, our cups will be featured at the Stone Mill 50 Race which is going semi-cupless. Pick yours up at packet pick up!

Donations! –Thanks to recent donations we were able to purchase a brush cutting attachment for the Muddy Shoes weed-wacker. Keep the donations coming. Muchly appreciated! Paypal – pepstein1@verizon.net

Events – We have a big October/ November planned. In association with The Stone Mill 50 race, Muddy Shoes sponsors the ever-popular Stone Mill Course Preview runs. The 1st two are in the books. Each remaining Saturday in October (21st and 28th) we will hold a run that will preview the remaining parts of the Stone Mill course. Each run is an out-and-back on a section of the course ranging in distance from ~18-22 miles. You don’t have to be signed up for the race to join us. Come on out and just do a few miles. All are welcome. We ask folks to provide a donation to help with costs.

Phall Phat Ass – Continuing the tradition started by Coach Robin we hold the Phall Phat ass Trail Half Marathon and 10k the Saturday before Stone Mill. Great taper run! Sign up here – https://www.signupgenius.com/…/20F0C4DABAB2DA64…

OK, thanks for reading through. Now for this Tuesday’s details:

Location: Redland Middle School

Address: 6505 Muncaster Mill Rd, Derwood, MD 20855

Date: 17 October 2023

Time: Warm Up 6 p.m. Main event 6:15

Course: Clockwise (Upper Trail first) For newbies, the trailhead is to the right of the backstop (Go to back parking lot on right side of school.) Take this connector trail ~.15 miles to intersection with main trail and go left.

Distance: 5 miles with warm up, 4.3 without.

Pace: You pick. We have all paces, including walkers.

Vibe: M-e-l-l-o-w. This is not a race.

C U there cuz THESE TRAILS AIN’T GONNA RUN THEMSELVES!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes

Hey Stone Millers!

Race day is getting closer, as if you didn’t know! Humidity has vamoosed the area, days are getting shorter, and the temps are a lot more reasonable than in late July. Four weeks from Saturday – unless you chicken out (Bawk! Bawk!) – you will be crossing the Stone Mill start line and heading on down the course. A lot of you are getting into the self-doubt portion of your training. ‘Did I do enough miles?’ ‘Will I be strong enough on race day?’ ‘Should I have done more hill repeats?’ ‘Will I have to poop in the woods?’…etcetera, etcetera, etcetera! Well, I guess ya’ll gonna find out! Either way, one thing you can do to prepare yourself is get familiar with the course. Basically, get a first-hand look at what you’ll be facing on race day.

So, let’s talk about the course preview runs. Just to re-hash, we have taken the Stone Mill course, which is basically shaped like an upside-down lollipop, and divided it up into four segments. Each weekend we run a different section. If you run with us all four weekends, your feet will have touched the course in its entirety. Muddy Shoes supplies on-course water, and post-run beverages, snacks and chit-chat back at the parking lot.

Last week we did Run #1. That covered the first and last 10 miles of Stone Mill (the lollipop stick). This week we’ll be convening at Pennyfield Lock to take a stroll on the Muddy Branch section of the course – basically Mile 15 to Mile 24, give or take a few feet.

BTW, Pennyfield Lock, the halfway point of Stone Mill, is the site of the Muddy Shoes Aid Station during the race. We’ll take care of your sorry-ass when you need it most with Hot Soup, Quesadillas, Tater Tots, Pickle Juice, Port-a-Pottys and some motivational commentary on how we think you are doing!

Whoops, I digress. Back to Run #2. This run will be an out-and-back totaling approximately 18-ish miles entirely on single-track excepting a small stretch of pavement along Esworthy Road and another very short stretch on Query Mill Road. The actual race direction will be duplicated when you head back from the turnaround point up at Rt. 28. That location will also be the site of the 3^rd Aid station on the course. It’s a beautiful trail that consists of wooded single track the entire way with many rolling hills but nothing too severe.

So, coupla things:

• Entry fee – We (Muddy Shoes) depend on your hard-earned moolah to bring you these events as well as all our other running activities throughout the year. This year we are asking for a $5 donation per runner per preview run. That’s cheap! We accept cash and paypal (pepstein1@verizon.net). No crypto, small trinkets or monopoly money, please. The more generous you are, the less likely it is that we will make nasty comments about you. At least not to your face!

• Caltopo – if you have any doubts about staying on course then download caltopo to your phone. I included the caltopo link to this weekend’s run in the details below. You can bring it up in the Caltopo app and it will show your current location as well as the day’s course. It works really well.

• These runs are open to all. You don’t have to be running Stone Mill to join us. You can be training for a different event or just want to do a few miles. C’mon out!

• We provide water on the course and beverages and snacks back at the trailhead to enjoy while you mingle after the run. This week the post-run treats will feature some baked goods from Momma Q’s Farm Market Bakery https://www.facebook.com/mommaqs/  Ya don’t wanna miss that!

Alright! Here are the details –

Location: Pennyfield Lock, C & O Canal

Address: 12100-12226 Pennyfield Lock Rd, Potomac, MD 20854 (When you get to the canal go left and all the way down to where we will park)

Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/G5N5

Date: Saturday 14 October

Time: 0730

Donation: Yes, please!

Pets: Dogs or hamsters on a leash OK. No ferrets!

Vibe: Usually pretty chill.

Blah, blah, blah. I’ve talked enough. Hope to C U there cuz THESE TRAILS AIN’T GONNA RUN THEMSELVES!!!

Cheers,

Coach Phil

Hey Forest Joggers,

I know it’s only Monday but another Tuesday is coming our way. Time to hit the single track in the Forests of Derwood! For the second week in a row, I will be out of town (At the beach!) so you will have to blow your own imaginary gym teacher whistle and draw straws to see who gets to yell out “THESE TRAILS AIN’T GONNA RUN THEMSELVES!” You just gotta figure out who among you is the biggest loudmouth! No shortage of contenders there!

Also, please look out for each other and make sure everyone gets back safely.

OK, announcements, then details:

Merch! Merch! Merch! – get it while it lasts! We got Muddy Shoes Baseball Hats ($15), Buffs ($10) and Reusable, collapsible cups ($5). Do your holiday shopping early…or just treat yourself! See Coach Phil or Coach Mike C.

Donations! –Thanks to recent donations we were able to purchase a brush cutting attachment for the Muddy Shoes weed-wacker. Keep the donations coming. Much appreciated! Paypal – pepstein1@verizon.net

Events – We have a big October/ November planned. In association with The Stone Mill 50 race, Muddy Shoes sponsors the ever-popular Stone Mill Course Preview runs. The 1^st one was held last Saturday and previewed the top part of the course. Each remaining Saturday in October (14th, 21st28th) we will hold a run that will preview the remaining parts of the Stone Mill course. Each run is an out-and-back on a section of the course ranging in distance from ~18-22 miles. You don’t have to be signed up for the race to join us. Come on out and just do a few miles. All are welcome. We ask folks to provide a donation to help with costs.

Phall Phat Ass – Continuing the tradition started by Coach Robin we hold the Phall Phat ass Trail Half Marathon and 10k the Saturday before Stone Mill. Great taper run! Sign up here – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4DABAB2DA64-44900132-phantastic?fbclid=IwAR2nuYgrk2Wsg-WIoktMZzf8iGKK3baixjMWBF4WRsFKrSbJV_7fhlSFuwg#/

OK, thanks for reading through. Now for this Tuesday’s details:

Location: Redland Middle School

Address: 6505 Muncaster Mill Rd, Derwood, MD 20855

Date: 10 October 2023

Time: Warm Up 6 p.m. Main event 6:15

Course: Counter-Clockwise (Lower Trail first) For newbies, the trailhead is to the right of the backstop (Go to back parking lot on right side of school.) Take this connector trail ~.15 miles to intersection with main trail and go right.

Distance: 5 miles with warm up, 4.3 without.

Pace: You pick. We have all paces, including walkers.

Vibe: M-e-l-l-o-w. This is not a race.

Hope to C U there cuz these trails ain’t gonna run themselves!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes

Hosted by MY MUDDY SHOES – We ARE trail running in MOCO!

Well, Hey there, Stone Millers,

Time to strap on yer trail shoes, pull those big boy/big girl/big person running shorts up and join the Muddy Shoes gang out on the Stone Mill course for a look-see at what awaits you on race day! Yee-ha! Betcha’can’t wait!

For starters, think of the course in its entirety as an upside-down lollipop. You have ‘the stick’ (out-n-back portion) and ‘the candy’ part (a biiiiiig loop). We’ve divided that lollipop into four segments and will preview one section each week through the month of October. If you do all four preview runs you will have slapped your toes on every inch of the course.

This week – we’ll preview ‘The Stick’! We’ll begin at the official Stone Mill race start-finish line and do the entire out and back of the stick which are the first and last sections of the race itself. This will include running around Clopper Lake on the outbound leg. On the way back the course skips the lake and heads right on back to the finish line at the school. The total mileage is in the 20-ish range, but I might be off by a mile or too…so be it. That’s trail running.

So, let’s review the logistical details:

Location: Stedwick Elementary School

Address: 10631 Stedwick Rd, Montgomery Village, MD 20886

Coords: 39.174232, -77.212356

Date: Saturday 7 October

Time: 0730 (pre-run brief at 0720 or so)

Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/UG1V9

Course: First and last sections of the Stone Mill Course

Distance: 20 or 21-ish miles. See what your Garmin says!

Course Aid: Yes, water at Riffle Ford Rd. turn around point. Refreshments back at the start too.

Cost: Donations accepted (coupla bucks, maybe something with a picture of Alexander Hamilton on it or at least some spare change and Dorito crumbs from your car console). Help support Muddy Shoes Trail Runners!!!

OK, some other stuff:

– Just for the record, all are welcome to join us on these runs. You don’t have to be signed up for Stone Mill. If you want to come out and just do a couple of miles, go for it! We just love to see people out in the woods, hittin’ the single track!

– I highly recommend you download Caltopo on your phone and use the map link above. It helps with navigation if you get in a pickle out in the woods. Shows your location live and where the trail is.

– Our lawyer wanted me to let you know the following – *Please note, the course may not be marked beyond the normal trail markings (tree blazes), and neither Stone Mill nor MyMuddyShoes are responsible or liable for any incidents or injuries that may occur during these runs. Each runner undertakes these events on their own volition. This includes fronting bail money!

Well, I think I’ve talked enough for now.

C U there cuz THESE TRAILS AIN’T GONNA RUN THEMSELVES!!!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes

Hey Tuesday Trail Hounds!

Ready for round two in the dark? I thought so. We had a great crowd in the Forests of Redland last week and with the weather expected to be scrumptious there should be a good turnout tonight. Since I’m out of town you’ll need to get yourselves moving on time (no gym teacher whistle!) for the warmup and the run. Someone take charge! No dilly-dallying or lolly-gagging (lollipoping?) is allowed! Of course, we all love to chit-chat and mingle but save that for after the run!

Bring your headlamp! It will be dark by the time you finish!

OK announcements, then details:

Merch! Merch! Merch! – get it while it lasts! We got Muddy Shoes Baseball Hats ($15), Buffs ($10) and Reusable, collapsible cups ($5). Do your holiday shopping early…or just treat yourself! See Coach Phil or Coach Mike C.

Donations! –Thanks to recent donations we were able to purchase a brush cutting attachment for the Muddy Shoes weed-wacker. Keep the donations coming. Much appreciated! Paypal –  pepstein1@verizon.net

Events – We have a big October/ November planned. In association with The Stone Mill 50 race, Muddy Shoes sponsors the ever-popular Stone Mill Course Preview runs. Each Saturday in October (7th, 14th, 21st28th) we will hold a run that will preview a part of the Stone Mill course. Each run is an out-and-back on a section of the course ranging in distance from ~18-22 miles. You don’t have to be signed up for the race to join us. Come on out and just do a few miles. All are welcome. We ask folks to provide a donation to help with costs.

Phall Phat Ass – Continuing the tradition started by Coach Robin we hold the Phall Phat ass Trail Half Marathon and 10k the Saturday before Stone Mill. Great taper run! More details to come!

OK, thanks for reading through. Now for this Tuesday’s details:

Location: Redland Middle School

Address: 6505 Muncaster Mill Rd, Derwood, MD 20855

Date: 03 October 2023

Time: Warm Up 6 p.m. Main event 6:15

Course: Clockwise (Upper Trail first) For newbies, the trailhead is to the right of the backstop (Go to back parking lot on right side of school.)  Take this connector trail ~.15 miles to intersection with main trail and go left.

Distance: 5 miles with warm up, 4.3 without.

Pace: You pick. We have all paces, including walkers.

Vibe: M-e-l-l-o-w. This is not a race.

Hope to C U there cuz these trails ain’t gonna run themselves!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes

Hey There, Trail Nerds!

Get ready for our Saturday long run! We’ll be heading over to Meadowside Nature Center for some single-trackin’ by Lake Frank and out on the Kengla and North Branch Trails this Saturday. Awesome trails! Weather should be picture-perfect. Nice temps, no precip and low humidity! Wow! Mother Nature has come through this weekend (as opposed to last Saturday with Hurricane Opehlia!)

OK. Announcements then details:

Merch! Merch! Merch! – get it while it lasts! We got Muddy Shoes Baseball Hats ($15), Buffs ($10) and Reusable, collapsible cups ($5). Do your holiday shopping early…or just treat yourself! See Coach Phil or Coach Mike C.

Donations! –Thanks to recent donations we were able to purchase a brush cutting attachment for the Muddy Shoes weed-wacker. Keep the donations coming. Any amount appreciated! I humbly thank you for all we receive!

Events – Aside from our three regularly scheduled weekly runs (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays) we have a big October/ November planned. In association with The Stone Mill 50 race, Muddy Shoes sponsors the ever-popular Stone Mill Course Preview runs. Each Saturday in October (7th, 14th, 21st28th) we will hold a run that will preview a part of the Stone Mill course. Each run is an out-and-back on a section of the course ranging in distance from ~18-22 miles. You don’t have to be signed up for the race to join us. Come on out and just do a few miles. All are welcome. We ask folks to provide a donation to help with costs. All are welcome!

Phall Phat Ass – Continuing the tradition started by Coach Robin we hold the Phall Phat ass Trail Half Marathon and 10k the Saturday before Stone Mill. Great taper run! More details to come!

OK, thanks for reading through. Now for this Saturday’s details:

Location: Meadowside Nature Center

Address: 5100 Meadowside Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20855

Caltopo: Unavailable. We’ll do it the old-fashioned way!

Date: 30 September 2023

Time: 0730

Course:

• Head out towards the Smith Environmental Center. Pick up Pioneer Trail around pond and up through the Pioneer Village.
• From Village take Spring Trail to Big Pines which will intersect with Lakeside Trail.
• Go right on Lakeside and take it until you hit asphalt near Lake Frank Dam.
• Turn around and head back on Lakeside until you hit Muncaster Mill Trail.
• Go right on Muncaster Mill Trail and take it to Muncaster Mill Road (notice ruins of Muncaster Mill on your left by road).
• Continue under Muncaster Mill Road and pick up the Kengla Trail.
• Go under ICC and cross creek.
• In ~ 1/10 mile stay right on Kengla Trail.
• Kengla Trail will continue for another mile or so (past the famous race car in the woods – photo op!) before becoming North Branch Trail.
• Continue out to Bowie Mill Road.
• Turn around and come all the way back under Muncaster Mill Road.
• Take second staircase on right ~ 1 mile or so) and head back up to cars.

Distance: 12.5-ish miles give or take

Pace: You pick. We have all paces including walkers.

Vibe: Chill

Hope to C U there cuz these trails ain’t gonna run themselves!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes

Wassup, Trailies!!!

Sorry, I know all caps means I’m yelling but I want to make sure we all know we move to our Winter quarters this week. That being said, shall we do a betting pool to see who will not read closely or zone out on their way here and sit at Needwood wondering ‘Where the F*#& is everybody?’ Happens every year.

Anyway, I have to yell one more thing – BRING A HEADLAMP! As Yogi Berra once said, ‘It gets late early around here!’ Well, it will get dark early around here this evening. Sun sets at 6:59 and with the cloud cover, we will be finishing in the dark.

If you haven’t run the Redland Trails before you are in for a treat and if you’ve never run trails in the dark, you’re in for an even bigger treat! Double the fun!

Just to explain about night running, folks have the impression that its difficult and dangerous. Not so. In fact, I would argue (even though I’m not very argumentative) that it’s safer and easier than daylight running. There are two reasons – 1) It’s dark so inherently you will run slower and 2) the only thing to look at is the trail in front of you in your cone of light. No distractions that might take your eyes off the trail and cause you to fall. Makes sense.

One other trail coaching tip for folks training for an upcoming ultra. So, let’s say you are running Stone Mill, just to pick one, chances are if you are a mere mortal like myself, you will be running in the dark at either the beginning or the end of the race or both. Coming out and hitting the trails with us in the dark will acclimatize you to those crucial portions of the event. Particularly the finish when you are exhausted, achy, whiny, and less likely to think or see straight. Having that night experience will be critical.

Anyway, welcome back to Redland!

OK enough blah, blah from me. Announcements then details:

Merch! Merch! Merch! – get it while it lasts! We got Muddy Shoes Baseball Hats ($15), Buffs ($10) and Reusable, collapsible cups ($5). Do your holiday shopping early…or just treat yourself! See Coach Phil or Coach Mike C.

Donations! –Thanks to recent donations we were able to purchase a brush cutting attachment for the Muddy Shoes weed-wacker. Keep the donations coming. Any amount appreciated! I humbly thank you for all we receive!

Events – Aside from our three regularly scheduled weekly runs (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays) we have a big October/ November planned. In association with The Stone Mill 50 race, Muddy Shoes sponsors the ever-popular Stone Mill Course Preview runs. Each Saturday in October (7th, 14th, 21st28th) we will hold a run that will preview a part of the Stone Mill course. Each run is an out-and-back on a section of the course ranging in distance from ~18-22 miles. You don’t have to be signed up for the race to join us. Come on out and just do a few miles. All are welcome. We ask folks to provide a donation to help with costs. All are welcome!

Phall Phat Ass – Continuing the tradition started by Coach Robin we hold the Phall Phat ass Trail Half Marathon and 10k the Saturday before Stone Mill. Great taper run! More details to come!

OK, thanks for reading through. Now for this Tuesday’s details:

Location: Redland Middle School

Address: 6505 Muncaster Mill Rd, Derwood, MD 20855 (Go to back parking lot on right side of school.)

Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/ABPQC

Date: 26 September 2023

Time: Warm Up 6 p.m. Main event 6:15

Course: Counter-Clockwise (Lower Trail first) For newbies, the trailhead is to the right of the back stop. Take this connector trail ~.15 miles to intersection with main trail)

Distance: 5 miles with warm up, 4.3 without.

Pace: You pick. We have all paces including walkers.

Vibe: M-e-l-l-o-w

Hope to C U there cuz these trails ain’t gonna run themselves!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes

Hey Trail Dogs,

*** We will be monitoring the weather. If situation warrants – we will cancel for safety – we won’t cancel for comfort! Keep checking back***

Ya ready for Fall? No, not a ‘trip-on-a-root-face-plant-skin-your-knee-boo-hoo’ kind of fall. I’m talkin’ about Fall, the season..with a capital F! That kinda Fall, aka Autumn. Well, Saturday is the official first day of Autumn. No better way to celebrate the demise of Summer (Buh-bye!) and the beginning of my favorite season of the year then to head out onto some sweet MoCo trails for a little single-trackin’. This Saturday we’ll be heading down to the Southern parts of the realm to enjoy a jaunt from Riley’s Lock out on the Seneca Bluffs trail.

OK, now, to be frank, the weather is going to be wonderful…that is for a duck! Right now, they (who are ‘they’ anyway?) are calling for a really wet and breezy day with start time temps in the upper 50s. OK, so, here I go into my coaching lecture voice (can ya hear me?). If you are training for any upcoming trail ultra or marathon, even a half, you should always – always – come out and train in inclement weather. Yes, it might suck while you’re out there. You’ll be soaked, you’ll be muddy, and you’ll be cold, but it will be a beneficial training experience. For one thing, it will raise your level of endurance. Tough out these conditions and when you face them again, very possibly on race day, you will be able to shrug it off with a ‘been there, done that’ mind set. I have always said ‘The more shit you run through the less shit will affect you”. You never know what conditions you’ll be facing on race day. Might be nice but if it’s not, you’ll be set. Plus, bad weather runs are usually epic. In the least, it will make that beer, wine or martini taste all the better on Saturday evening. Mark my words. Me, and many of your other trail compadres have ‘been there AND done that’!

OK, coaching lecture over. Announcements then details (thanks for listening):

Merch! Merch! Merch! – get it while it lasts! We got Muddy Shoes Baseball Hats ($15), Buffs ($10) and Reusable, collapsible cups ($5). Do your holiday shopping early…or just treat yourself! See Coach Phil or Coach Mike C.

Donations! –Thanks to recent donations we were able to purchase a brush cutting attachment for the Muddy Shoes weed-wacker. Keep the donations coming. Any amount appreciated! I humbly thank you for all we receive!

Events – Aside from our three regularly scheduled weekly runs (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays) we have a big October/ November planned. In association with The Stone Mill 50 race, Muddy Shoes sponsors the ever-popular Stone Mill Course Preview runs. Each Saturday in October (7th, 14th, 21st28th) we will hold a run that will preview a part of the Stone Mill course. Each run is an out-and-back on a section of the course ranging in distance from ~18-22 miles. You don’t have to be signed up for the race to join us. Come on out and just do a few miles. All are welcome. We ask folks to provide a donation to help with costs. All are welcome!

Phall Phat Ass – Continuing the tradition started by Coach Robin we hold the Phall Phat ass Trail Half Marathon and 10k the Saturday before Stone Mill. Great taper run! More details to come!

OK, thanks for reading through. Now for this Saturday’s details:

Location: Riley’s Lock

Address: 13015 Rileys Lock Rd, Poolesville, MD 20837

Coords: 39.069183, -77.339993

Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/FBB1P

Date: 23 September 2023

Time: 0730

Course: Start on C&O Canal and cross over creek. Take immediate right on gravel road. This is the beginning of the Greenway (also known as Tschiffley Road) You will pass the ruins of a large red granite building on your left. This is THE Stone Mill. Continue up road for 1 mile until you get to River Road. Carefully cross over and bear left onto Old River Road. Poole’s Store will be on your right. Continue up road for about 100 yards. Seneca Bluffs Trailhead will be on your right. Head onto trail and continue for ~6 miles until you hit Rt. 28. Turn around and come back. Options for extra mileage will be discussed at pre-run brief.

Distance: ~12 miles give or take

Pace: You pick. We have all paces including walkers.

Vibe: Chill

Hope to C U there cuz these trails ain’t gonna run themselves!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes

Hey Trailies,

Get your headlamps ready! Time to finish up Summertime at Lake Needwood. Tonight is our final run at Needwood before we move to our Winter quarters at Redland M.S. Come join us for one last jaunt around the big pond as cooler weather and earlier darkness sets in!

Working with Mother Nature I have arranged a perfect weather night. Mild temps, no precip, and low, low humidity! You’re welcome! Actually, I have nothing to do with it but its fun to pretend I do!

Before I get to the details you must read through the exciting and captivating announcements!

Merch! Merch! Merch! – get it while it lasts! We got Muddy Shoes Baseball Hats ($15), Buffs ($10) and Reusable, collapsible cups ($5). Do your holiday shopping early…or just treat yourself! See Coach Phil or Coach Mike C.

Donations! –Thanks to recent donations we were able to purchase a brush cutting attachment for the Muddy Shoes weed-wacker. Keep the donations coming. Any amount appreciated! I humbly thank you for all we receive!

Events – Aside from our three regularly scheduled weekly runs (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays) we have a big October/ November planned. In association with The Stone Mill 50 race, Muddy Shoes sponsors the ever-popular Stone Mill Course Preview runs. Each Saturday in October (7th, 14th, 21st28th) we will hold a run that will preview a part of the Stone Mill course. Each run is an out-and-back on a section of the course ranging in distance from ~18-22 miles. You don’t have to be signed up for the race to join us. Come on out and just do a few miles. All are welcome. We ask folks to provide a donation to help with costs. All are welcome!

Phall Phat Ass – Continuing the tradition started by Coach Robin we hold the Phall Phat ass Trail Half Marathon and 10k the Saturday before Stone Mill. Great taper run! More details to come!

OK, thanks for reading through. Now for this evening’s details:

Location: Lake Needwood

Address: 15700 Needwood Lake Circle (parking lot by the Hiker-Biker Trail head)

Coords: 39.114925, -77.127917

Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/LF2HG

Date: 19 September 2023

Time: Warm Up 6 p.m. Main event 6:15

Course: Counter-Clockwise Go up east side of lake. Go out on Blue Jay Loop and back up to mudcat trail to Needwood Road. Cross Lake on causeway. At the other end cross the road and do out-and-back on Troll Trail. Continue down Westside Trail , cross dam and head back to lot. Repeats on Adie’s Hill if desired. Easy Peezy

Distance: ~6.5 miles give or take

Pace: You pick. We have all paces including walkers.

Vibe: Chill

Hope to C U there cuz these trails ain’t gonna run themselves!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes

For the good of our trail running community, I did some important reconnaissance work at Wheaton Regional Park yesterday morning and have a report for you. The entire trail system has been overhauled; existing trails are re-graded, new trails built and some old ones closed, and all the trails have been renamed. There are trail markers and maps at every trail intersection. It was a really pleasant run and I didn’t get lost once! Here’s a link to the new map of Wheaton Regional if you want to check it out.  https://montgomeryparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WheatonRegionalPark-Updated_Trails_Letter-Aug31-2023.pdf

Soooooooo… we are going to start tomorrow at Wheaton Regional to tour the brand new trails there and continue on to the Northwest Branch/Rachel Carson loop. Most of you know the route but you’ll find turn-by-turn directions including the new trail names below. Depending on how much you want to explore in the park, the run is about 12-13 miles long. Here are the details:

When: Saturday, 9/16/23 @ 7:30am
Where: Wheaton Regional Park (carousel area) 2000 Shorefield Rd., Silver Spring 20902
Route map (with old trail names): https://caltopo.com/m/FT0H
Turn-by-turn with new trail names (in the park only)

• Take the usual route down the paved/gravel path around the lake
• Take the first left into the woods at Raven’s Run trail
• Turn left at Timberdoodle trail (hey, I didn’t pick the name!)
• Quick right onto Wheaton Way trail
• Right turn out of the park to cross Kemp Mill Rd and pick up the Northwest Branch trail

When you come back into the park

• Right turn on Wheaton Way trail
• Follow signs to stay on Wheaton Way
• Straight onto Timberdoodle
• Quick right onto Raven’s Run

Once you hit the lake , you know your way back. Feel free to take a spin on the inner loop trail called Little Bit Loop or any of the other trails you see on the many maps you will find in the park.

See you Saturday!
Audrey