Drama, danger, laughs and magic

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Saturday January 18th

This run had it all
Drama, danger, laughs, and a little magic

It started off innocently enough
With me taking an ungodly amount of time getting geared up to head out

That usually means an epic fail of a run is ahead.
I don't know why I drag my feet
Calculating what time it will be when I'm done if I start now....

Then 15 minutes later....
If I start now

Annnnnnd 
If I start now....

Only to wait 15 more minutes to start ON the hour---- all the while bemoaning that I would have been over half done, if I'd started when I first started calculating finish times--
Sigh
Just get out there already!

Up and out- I sputter and cough
Suck air 
Wheeze 
You'd think I was a chain smoker

I'm actually ticked
And scared
I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack
Anxiety 

What is wrong with me
Where is that girl 
That didn't care
Who just went out with open arms
And let the run happen?

Stop freaking out!

Just stop

Tell my brain to quit messing with me
Tell my legs and my lungs to get it together

And suddenly
I'm back

I know it
Because I see my shadow 
And start giggling
Yeah
Giggling

Because, finally
The run felt effortless
I imagined myself running on a beach
Every thing was perfect

Til I looked at my shadow- and started giggling

I'm not a 'down on myself' kind of girl
But my shadow was funny looking
No Bay Watch Babe here
Nope
Just some slow mo- everything moving at once kind of disaster
I needed that laugh

It's ok not to be perfect
It's ok not to be pretty when you run

It's ok to laugh at yourself

Because deep down I've got confidence 
That it's going to be ok

Good thing too
Cause the next thing I knew 
I have this mangy wolf dog
Running out lunging at me
Teeth bared and snarling

No!
Stop!
I say in my most confident voice
And like magic
It did
Good dog! I say in my nicest
'Sorry for yelling at you' voice

Whew 

My pace quickened
As I turn the corner

I'm running on the wrong side of the 4 lane road 
Wrong for runners that is
I usually run against traffic
But I was feeling rebellious
And I didn't want to lose time 
Having wait at the crosswalk at the top

Yeah
This was not my most educated choice
I kept feeling cars rush past
And all I could imagine
Was one if them texting
Looking up from there phone as they drove off the road
And running into me

I relegated myself to the shoulder

Sand

Tumble weeds 

Goat heads

River rock

Yuck

The only thing keeping me going was 
A beautiful outcropping of sandstone
I knew I'd hit soon
Perfect pic moment

That
And I got a text from a friend
Who'd just drove past and saw me

Eeek! Was I running or walking? 

Sandstone was gorgeous


I realized one side was pure outdoors
The other house upon house

Snap a few pics and head up the long hill of a road toward home

I push the last mile

And feel like it's going to be a good day



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