Again, pardon the interruption to the series I have promised.  I am working on it.  What happened on my run this morning has to be recorded.  I am still trying to convince myself it wasn't a dream and it really happened.  I have come across an array of varmints since the beginning of my running days.  Probably one of the first things I remember seeing was a snake.  It stopped me in my tracks and turned me back for home.  I have had just minimal run ins with dogs.  I have crossed paths with coyotes and deer.  A few weeks ago on a long run our group spotted deer across the road.  They stared at us and watched us go by.  My running buddy said those deer were thinking, "look at that herd". And I added, "yeah they're thinking those two slow ones in the back are going to get eaten."  

So maybe I saw what happened this morning as an opportunity.  I was about 2.5 miles in on a planned 4 mile run. I was feeling good.  I was just a tad bit in front of the other runners when I caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye. I had to do a double take to make out what was there.  It was a rabbit running along side me at the edge of the neighbor's yard!  I really could not believe what I was seeing.  We ran along side one another for maybe 15 to 20 ft. before Bugs (as in Bunny) darted away into the dark of the yard. Right before he darted he juked me, you know, moved one way and then the other just to fake me out.  I thought for sure he was headed for the pavement in front of me.  You cannot imagine the elation I felt when he ran the other way.  I viewed it as his giving up. I felt victorious! I let out a maniacal laugh and kept running. Only in the next moments did I realize what had just happened.  I raced a rabbit!!! I actually picked up my pace to a sprint racing this animal probably in flight due to his fright of me. The lunacy of it all! Reality came back to me and I was aware of my exhaustion due to the extra exertion. My app lady chimed in with "distance 3 miles; time 9 minutes, 58 seconds." All hail to the hare!!!! I haven't seen a mile under ten minutes in quite some time. I stopped running.  I did not need that last mile to feel like a winner (and I was really tired).  One of my fellow morning runners caught up with me and slowed to walk with me.  I did not dare mention my little race. (The last thing you want the ladies willing to get up at dark thirty to run with you thinking is that you are crazy.) Maybe I was still wondering if it had been real.

It was mid morning and I was sitting at my desk at work before I convinced myself the events from my run had actually taken place.  So they had to be recorded as comical as they were.  I briefly surfed the web for an image to illustrate my tale and decided on the above.  I did feel like the tortoise who was triumphant over the hare.  Bring on the rest of the day!!!

I interrupt the blog series introducing my family to share about the awesome feeling run I had on Saturday.  The run was a relaxed effort of nine miles total.  My partner in crime and I walked the first three just to rid ourselves of the junk from the week we had had.  After our "walking it out" it was time to run. We found motivation in running off our familiar trail and finding new ground to cover.  My running buddy knew where the new road led and was quick to agree to get off our beaten path.  Our leaving the trail meant descending about 550 ft. down to the edge of the river. The view was spectacular!!! The water was so choppy from the wind and the sun was just bouncing off the rolling water.  A couple of boats were trolling along the bank of the river as the fishermen casted toward the water's edge.  To have new scenery is such a treat on a run.  We followed the road along the river until it dead ended at the massive dam.  We turned around just short of the small waterfall not wanting to get wet from the spray of the falls.  We talked about how good the mist would have felt on a much hotter day.  We were experiencing our lowest temps of the season. The cooler weather felt wonderful, but it had been an overnight drastic change.  We knew we were now headed toward the climb up the hill back to our usual trek. All talking stopped. Game faces on as we readied ourselves for the ascension. A lot of thoughts come in and out of my head when I run up a hill.  I can always count on "I hate hills" to show up.  Another regular thought is "Oh! the back of my thighs are on fire!"  The burn. I have discussed strategy with other runners concerning how you make it to the top. I've been told, "look down and think one foot in front of the other. Don't look up to how far you still have to climb." I do practice this strategy, but on Saturday I looked up. And at the top was the brilliant sun shining.  This thought filtered through, "standing in the sun". (Thanks Scandal)  Yes!!! I want to be at the top standing in the sun.  So it is one foot in front of the other over and over til I am at the top.   I look to my friend and shout "we are standing in the sun!!!" (I had to explain myself since my friend is a super mom who does not have time for television. ) The next thing I know I am chanting "we are gladiators", and we are flying!  Could it be the infamous runner's high kicking in? The reward for the hard haul up the hill.  It does pay off.  The next mile or so feels unreal.  I am running and smiling.  I raise my fist in the air and pump it to the music.  Nothing else matters.  No, I don't experience this kind of intense rush on every run. And it may not last for long. But it is the best reminder of why I run.  I am not the fictional  Olivia Pope on a far away beach with a hunk of a man.  But on Saturday my standing in the sun moment left it all behind and I ran just to be.