Story
I just returned from a (very hot and humid) week on Cape Cod last night and was so excited to find Ithaca much milder! This morning it was in the 60s and barely humid— what a gift at the end of July! I have three of the longest courses left (Blueberry Patch, Ludlowville, and Dryden Lake), with only 3 weekends to complete them, so I knew I had to tackle one today (before I head to NYC for a work trip tomorrow). Given yesterday’s rain, I decided to put off Blueberry Patch. I was feeling too beat from running in the heat all week to take the half, so Ludlowville it was!
I LOVE a scenic road course, so I was looking forward to exploring new-to-me roads. The blue skies and puffy white clouds were so inviting, I think I passed three other challengers on the course!
I decided to run it in reverse (counter clockwise) to get the hills out of the way and have a more gradual descent at the end. I’m not sure if that was the best strategy, but it meant I was able to run negative splits, which always feels better than dragging at the end!
Running past the goat farm along the ridge, I saw the cutest batch of baby goats clustered under a tree. (Hard to tell in the photo— they are in the background).
The farm dog suddenly ran out the driveway barking at me and into the road, where I was thankfully prepared after reading everyone else’s posts, to shout “no, go home!” It worked! Probably helped that it looked more like a muppet than a menace, but it sure was grumpy!
Just as I turned down off the ridge I saw @ks_eggs coming the other direction. I wasn’t sure if he was running the course because he didn’t have any water or snacks I could see, and I’m such a baby I need ALL the fuel for this distance, it was hard to imagine setting out empty-handed!
The beautiful scenery continued (only dampened by the smell of the manure from the dairy farm), and I captured a few bucolic moments.
After the very steep descent on Brown Hill Rd, I was grateful for taking the course in reverse! Just a few slight downhill miles to go on Salmon Creek Road, and I finished strong at the falls, where I had snacks waiting for me 
Keith and I connected at the finish and I shared some pretzels because I just couldn’t bear the thought of his empty stomach! Then I climbed down to get a better look at the falls and the cave behind them. (Thanks @heathercobb3 for the tip about how to find the path!)
For those contemplating which direction to take the course, here’s an elevation snapshot from counterclockwise. You can see how brutal it was at the start, but I think my knees and IT band appreciate that I didn’t run DOWN it.
And finally, although I didn’t run the Blueberry Patch course today, I did head out to a real live blueberry patch with my kids in the afternoon! Can’t recommend the kind farmers, delicious organic berries, or sweet rescue farm animals more highly! Hillberry Blueberries is the BEST.
but worth it!
