Patience; the new endurance sport.

Due to 4 Weddings and a Funeral we moved the long run to today.  I met Marion, Maurine, and AnaLisa at the trail head, we were dropped off at Wills so we could run up the canyon and down, and then back to my house.  AnaLisa and I went a little ahead and ran an extra mile because I have compulsive obsessive disorder and could not bring myself to turn around anywhere but Vivian Park. It was tough going today, I'm tired, and I plan on really taking the miles down a notch to see if that will help me get myself in order for UVM.  My goal is to just have a solid run.  Not even at race pace.  I'm not trying to beat prior times or anything.  I just want to finish and in good health.  When we finished we dipped for a few minutes in the river to ice our aching everything, and then walked to my house for grapes, bananas and watermelon.  When we approached the house every kid in the neighborhood was on our front lawn with water guns and playing basketball on the carport (per usual).  But what's funny is that Maurine asked if they were all mine.  So I looked over the 12 or so beautiful kids (who I'm proud to say represent every ethnicity on our planet) and said; "Yeah, but they all have different fathers"....Hey, they are all my kids and I love them. Anyway, the icy river bath did wonders and less than an hour after I thought I would die, I'm happy as a clown (because, really, are clams very happy?).11:12/10:31/10:20/10:16/10:29/10:37/10:23/10:14/11:09/9:59/10:30/9:47/10:17/10:02/10:30/10:21/11:20/11:26/10:38/10:32/10:59 AVE: 10:33

My lower back gets really fatigued after these long runs and my hip aches (yes, the one hip).  So I've been icing, stretching, and rollingpin-in it twice a day.  Surprizingly, today's run was fresh.  I was surprized how good I felt during and after.  Is it just me, or is my blog fatter than it was last week?

8:40/8:47/8:36/8:50  I ran a quick little jaunt and couldn't get around to doing my situps/pushups/stretching -- I had to get in early today.  The rivertrail has breathtaking these past mornings.  I'll be sad when they start damming up the river so it doesn't flow as high.  I've been enjoying the sound of it.  I can't wait for this week to end (last week of school).  Once everyone is out of school, I can reclaim the 6:30-8:00 a.m. spot as my own.    Ahhh, peaceful summer mornings, where my children's piano, athletic, and scholastic skills diminish by the day and are replaced by the endless reading of science fiction and fantasy novels and the eating of melons and berries.

I love my runs with Josse, even though I was having a hard time this morning.  Running 21 miles on Monday must have thrown me off a little.  But yesterday I felt great. The miles came fast and easy (well, there were only 4 of them, so that may have been part of the success).  Today the lake was beautiful. I love it when it's silver-blue in the morning.  But we no longer have the quiet stillness to ourselves.  There are more and more people are coming to the trail that early in the morning.  I hate sharing, better said, I resent it.  I feel that it is my private domain, which is certainly untrue, but nonetheless....Fair weather users!  Ran into Sasha and Jeff  from which a brief discussion ensued regarding mosquitoes and bared bottoms.  Tis' the season.  Other topics of discussion this morning included bras and things dogs do with poo.  Keepin' it Klassy!

9:00/9:02/9:04/9:16/9:02/9:12/9:37/9:41/9:05/9:53/10:19/10:04-- It was tough week for me.  This is a busy time of year.  Luckily Catherine came down and ran with me.  It was so great to see her.  I'll see her more when we're getting ready for Saint George. Today,  I didn't take my dogs this hoping to appease the thousands of old and grumpy people on the trail on this lovely Saturday morning (it's usually pretty crowded on weekends).  Ironically, we never saw anyone the whole first 8 miles (except running past Sasha and Jeff). Then just as people were getting out around 7:00, this stray dog started running with us.  She had a collar, but never left us for 4 miles-so everyone thought she was mine.  I got all the same glares and she wasn't even my dog!  If they were going to glare at me anyway, I should have just brought my own dogs.  I can't believe I sacrificed my dog's morning run, only to be glared at for someone else's dog!  At the very last, the meanest, scariest lady of all ran past that dog (who was standing in  the middle of the trail  watching people go by) while I was "icing" in the river.  The lady turned and glared down the river bank at me and said "A leash would be nice!". I thought about yelling up at her  "It's not my Dog!"--but then started thinking.  Just get over it lady--that dog is not barking, or even in your way.  In fact, maybe people like you shouldn't venture outside if you are inconvenienced by small children, strollers, dogs, or anyone who doesn't wear a straightjacket.  I understand traffic rules where there are bike lanes and cars. I would never bring my dogs to the other end of the trail without a leash.  But are we all so inconvenienced by each other, the only place to feel  a little freedom is in the wilderness or out in the country? I guess I'll be the first one to be arrested when the leash police show up next week. Personally I think being conscientious about letting people pass, training your dogs to heal and sit, is 100% better than a leash--especially those retractable ones.  I choose to live here so I could use this trail to run and walk my dogs.  If you don't like it, there's plenty of trail on the other end of the canyon you should use. Besides which, I feel personally responsible for making the trail a safer place for others by bringing my dogs, can of mace, and a general bravado towards the perverts and drug dealers.  I've run off so many undesireables in the past 10 years, the police know me name and have my phone number.  I feel my vigilantism has paid off.  Creepy stuff has become less frequent in recent years.  I refuse to give up that outdoor space to hobos and high teenagers.  I did that so that me and that up-tight lady could also enjoy the bike trail with less public nuisence.  Man, two long runs in 6 days, and 2 nights of not sleeping more than 4 hours has really wrecked me.  Maybe after a nap I'll feel more civil.