On the Road Again

Last week, I taught a four-day class at Village Creek State Park in eastern AR. I love being a trainer and this is one of my favorite workshops to teach. We had a neat bunch of people. Unfortunately, the schedule is rigorous enough to sap me from feeling like running much. I went once in the span between Monday and Friday--a 5-ish-miler after work on Tuesday.

A big cold front had moved in, leaving the air around 26 degrees--meaning short tights, long tights, two layers of long sleeves, hat, and gloves. Also, it's DARK at this park after sundown (A good thing, really, in this age of light pollution. It made me miss, sort of, the dark parks where J and I have worked and lived). Since I didn't know the road surface well, and planned a route around an open field where a deer herd plays, I wore a headlamp. And, for no particular reason, I decided to try carrying water in a Camelbak rather than my trusty ol' Fuelbelt. So lots of things were out of the ordinary for this run. Excited to be out of my usual routine, I set out from cabin #2, headed down to the campground, around the big meadow, past the visitor center, up to the flag complex, and back. Good route.

It was surreal. Cold enough to see my breath, which fogged up around my face, filling the headlamp's light. Quiet. Cold, but not so much once I got moving. Just enough hills to challenge body and mind.

This is the kind of run in which you don't really care about keeping time. (But I did anyway, :48).