Because it's there

The view if you happen to be heading toward Boulder

I don't normally jump into something just "because it is there." However, I've been watching the bike path between Boulder and Westminster being built for years - and now its entire length is open and ready for action. Definitely geared more toward bikes (wide concrete path running alongside Highway 36), I still really really wanted to give it a try.

Today seemed the perfect day - even though the idea itself was fairly, well, not smart.

Downsides:

• my longest run all year had been 13 miles and this was going to be more in the 17-mile range
• all, and I mean ALL, concrete

Upsides:

• gorgeous blue sky sunshine Colorado day
• I would be running to Westminster and my bro/sis-in-law's house. They had just returned to Colorado after 10 weeks of being gone; a visit was long overdue!
• I was seriously craving a long run (see nothing-more-than-13 note above).

So off I went. And, despite the concrete and road noise, it was grand. I just ignored the concrete. I looked away from the road and toward fields and blue sky and birds and prairie dogs and the occasional passing, waving cyclist. I sweated in the welcome warmth of spring. And I ran and ran and ran. And to top it off bro-in-law, Steve, and his daughter, Amber, rode bikes out to meet me so I even had company for the last 5 miles or so. Still smiling!

About 2 hours into the run; getting a water refill from Kendall