Have you ever had one of those mornings? You know the kind.
I woke up later than I'd planned.....my allergies were engaged in some sort of war with my sinuses...and I couldn't, of the life of me, get my stupid iPod to load the stupid podrunner episodes I wanted it to.
After making enough noise by sighing loudly, doing a little whining, and possibly stomping my feet, Mot got up to help me with the iPod. Isn't he a gem! Eventually he was able to persuade it to do what I wanted it to do in the first place. Modern technology, ain't it grand? :-)
I grabbed my hydration belt, a couple towels, jumped in the car, and was off.
As I turned onto the street where the trail begins, I noticed cops blocking traffic. I noticed hundreds of people walking dogs. I noticed yellow signs everywhere.
The trail starts just on the other side of a creek from the Nebraska Humane Society.
Sunday, unbeknownst to me, was it's annual fundraising event. There was an auction, bouncy houses for the kids, displays, and a 5K Walk for the Animals. And...you guessed it...the walk was going to be held on my trail.
OK, so it's not actually mine...but I pay taxes, so it kinda is....right? (hehe)
I found a parking place (by complete luck!), grabbed my hydration belt and bolted for the trail head. Maybe I'd be able to get on the trail before all those dogs.
Actually, it's not the dogs that bother me....it's the people walking the dogs. The ones that don't know how to control a dog on a leash, on a public trail. The ones that don't know they should reel them in before passersbys come along, and get tripped by the leash. And then give you an ugly look like it's your fault you were running in the grass, 4 foot from the trail, and their dog STILL got tangled around your legs. :-)
I'm just sayin'.
I get to the trail head, and there are no canines in sight....sweet!!! I start walking, as I clip my hydration belt on, grab the iPod, and then do the dance.
The "put the wrap-around headphones on, under the bondiband, without sending my sunglasses askew, all the while trying to walk in a straight line without hitting anything, and while I'm at it also turn on the iPod and get it playing" dance.
Actually, it might be more of a jig, then a dance...now that I think about it.
Anyhoo.
It was also then I realized, in my haste, I didn't stretch.
"That's OK, I'll just walk a little longer to warm up, and take it easy the first mile running."
Bad plan.
I spent the first 3 miles in agony. The muscle, or tendon, or whatever it is that allows a person to, while standing, lift the balls of their feet (while leaving their heels on the ground).....yeah, the one on my right foot wasn't working.
At all.
So my run was more of an ungraceful plod. Frankenstein or a newly raised zombie probably has more grace than what I was exhibiting at that point.
I continually had to stop and stretch against sign posts, trees, and benches.
I considered sitting down on the next bench, calling Mot, and having him come and get me.
Oh yeah, I was ready to throw in the towel.
But then the pain went away.
One minute it was there, the next it was gone.
I finished the last half of my run. Even after all the stopping to stretch, I ended up with a pretty decent time.
Sweet!!!!!
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