'Twas all of 11 degrees when I set out this morning - but I was oh so glad I was out there. It was a magical foggy frosty feast for the eyes. The beauty of it all warmed me right up from the inside out.
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| Frost and fog to start the run |
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| Snow peaks through the fog |
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| And the fog clears... |
A stellar start to the day...
Having run my repertoire of routes many hundreds of times from home - and with very few opportunities to explore new and exciting running venues over the past 10 months - conjuring up enthusiasm to run Route ABC hundreds-and-one more times has become a bit of a challenge. But today I had a radical idea! Why not take my multi-path big loop and turn it on its head and run it clockwise rather than counter clockwise?! It would be a first!
So off I went and, instead of running South Boulder Creek - Bobolink - Centennial - Bear Creek, I ran Bear Creek - Centennial - Bobolink - South Boulder Creek. Amazing! Along the way I was treated to river cows lapping up ice water, brightly colored tree balls, elusive barn cats, and exploding creek crystals.
Most importantly, I gained a fresh perspective in familiar environs. Highly recommended!
Nine years ago today, Mister Five-Month-Old Taz went on his first "real" run with me - a whole 23 minutes' worth!
And we have had many running escapades since!
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| Soon showing who's boss on the run: Faster pj! Faster! |
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| Attempts at snow boot runs (failed) |
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| Mountain runs |
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| Snow runs - weeeehawwww! |
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| Lake Michigan runs: the all-time fave! |
And he was my intrepid running buddy along many of the trails of my 50-state trail quest:
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| Iowa: Pioneer Trail Covered wagons and cattle dogs! |
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| Indiana: Erie Lackawanna Trail & a really nifty water fountain |
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| Illinois: Rock Island Trail |
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| Pennsylvania: Allegheny River Trail |
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| Ohio: Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail |
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| South Dakota: Mickelson Trail |
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| North Dakota: White Cloud Trail |
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| Rhode Island: Blackstone River Valley Trail |
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| New Jersey: Paulinskill Valley Trail |
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| Maine: Acadia National Park trails |
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| New Hampshire: Ammonoosuc Rail Trail |
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| Arizona: Tawa Trail |
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| New York: Red Sandstone Trail |
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| Colorado: Fraser River Trail (& state #50!) |
But today, nothing too exotic - just one of Taz's favorite running venues: lots of trails, smells, off-leash time - and a Very Fine Cattle Dog.
I typically try to convey a very positive attitude in my blog posts. In fact, one of my guiding lights when I set out on my Big Run (the impetus for starting this blog) was the never wavering belief that I was, indeed, going to run from Boulder to Petoskey...there was no doubt. But today, positivity is in short supply.
Within one 24-hour period this past week, two friends passed away - both from cancer or complications from cancer. Then today I learned that, after yesterday's assessment interview (and months of preparations and working through various forms of bureaucracy), my brother's request to move into assisted living at the senior apartment complex where he has been living the last several years was turned down. I firmly believe that the interview was much more a reflection of the effects of 10 months of pandemic-mandated isolation than of his capabilities. But, somehow we will need to keep moving forward.
When I finish writing this post I will go out for a run. I am so lucky to have that option and I know it and count my blessings with every footfall as my mind begins to clear and my troubles lift a bit.
In the meantime, a few photos to perhaps lighten the mood...
First, a memory from my run to Michigan. I started the run from our house then swung by my old office where, to my great delight, the gang had gathered out front cheering and waving signs and playing the CU Fight Song on kazoos. One of the friends who passed away last week (Mikey as I affectionately called him) is front and center blasting away on his kazoo. He never failed to make me smile.
More recently, as I ran more for soul-healing this past week than for any hard-core training purposes, the environs cooperated with both calming and delightful sights.
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| I say his patch looks like a maple leaf. What do y'all think? (add your ideas to comments below) |
My running goal for 2021, as noted in an earlier post, is to improve my speed while continuing my joyful pursuit of tourist running out and about. The last few days have leaned very much toward the joy of running out and about.
Friday: I woke up with an undeniable urge to take an early morning run through campus while it is still so very quiet in the final days of winter break. Taz also thoroughly enjoys quiet campus runs - so many exciting smells and critters. This morning we found no raccoons or geese wandering around but Taz did find a critter worth investigating.
Saturday: I treated myself to a long run with many delights. Starting at sunrise, the first 6 miles were through quiet countryside accompanied only by hawks, white-tailed deer, and coyotes. The critters were too quick to capture with my camera, but I did manage to snap a photo of the rural scene.
At 6 miles, running buddy Connie appeared over a hilltop offering very welcome company. A few miles later, the SatBoys - guys that I've been running and breakfasting with on Saturdays for about 25 years but haven't seen since October due to the virus - came trotting toward me on the trail. When we met up, Connie continued on to her car and I turned to run with the guys for another few miles as they finished their run. What a treat even with the distancing and masking! After saying farewell to the fellas, I ran on to a nearby mesa where Kendall and Taz were out for their morning walk. Up up up I ran to meet them then we strolled around the mesa together enjoying the bright brisk morning.
Sunday (today): Fresh snow! What's a northern Michigander to do but run? And of course Taz was all for it. And what's a mom to do but check in with kid and dog for a Sunday morning walk? So 'twas a morning of run, walk/chatter, run. A chilly but lovely start to the day.
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| Paul, Barley and Taz |
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| The Barley-Taz Duo |
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| Mister I-love-to-stick-my-nose-in-the-snow Taz |
Running sure can be entertaining, ja?!
Today was a horrific day for the United States of America and for the principles upon which this country was founded. When the images of what I saw broadcast from our nation's capital this afternoon and evening resurface in my brain, every fiber in my being cries out in both pain and frustration.
Prior to the events in D.C., I had a glorious morning which I tell myself I should remember.
A run that reminded me of the beauty surrounding us.
A pup who reminds me to laugh (and who thinks I need a post-run bath)
And after the events in D.C. began to unfold, I remembered something I saw along the Oregon Coast trail a few years ago.
May peace be with you...
Yesterday's run combined Taz's favorites with my favorites: a run in two different off-leash venues and, in the larger of the two, an exploration of every trail that I had not yet run on. Bonus!
Today I resume the speed quest: 1 minute pickups. Maybe I'll find a trail for that ;-)
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| 2021 offers up another lovely day for a run |
Even though I have fully embraced my "running tourist" approach to running, I do still yearn for quality runs. 2019, for a variety of reasons, was my lowest mileage year since my last pregnancy - and my youngest child is a full 32 years old now. So, 2020 was to be my comeback year. I did successfully bring my mileage back up (2150 miles for the year) but my speed is nowhere to be found. The lack of races and, more importantly in my mind, the inability to do speed workouts with my running buddies played a huge role in the disappearance of any semblance of speed in my body. Thus one running hope for 2021 is to resurrect at least a wee bit of speed in these old legs.
To that end, I am running about once per week with running buddy, Connie, with weekly hill repeat sessions (which I need to take much more seriously rather than oohing and ahhing over the pretty gardens and Christmas lights) and with plans for perhaps 5k time trials once per month or so. We are very strict about social distancing as well as wearing masks when we are at all close to each other. However, as this photo (taken during today's run) shows, keeping 6 feet apart these days is pretty darned easy since Connie is in fantastic shape and I am well entrenched in tortoise territory. The downside to this extreme form of social distancing is that we really need to carry megaphones if we hope to keep up our usual running chatter. (Women's college basketball is in full swing - we have lots to talk about!) Ah well, just more incentive to jump start that elusive speed gear!
