Patience; the new endurance sport.

I have been so busy I never got my run in so I ended up running at midnight.  It was delicious to be the only one out in the relative cool of the evening, alone with the night shadows. But this humidity has kept the evenings rather hot.

Probably not the best idea to do 2 runs within 8 hours of each other.  I woke up and hurried to get in a run before the trip.  It was pretty cool until the sun came up.  I'm looking forward to getting the heck out of here.  I was pretty beat by the end of this run.  My legs were tired.  I just don't know how it's going to be to keep up the running while we are driving and driving.  I'll have to get up around 5:30 or 6:00 and take my girl with me every day.  Her coaches are expecting her to maintain her training while we're gone. 

Jackson Hole, WY.  On our way to the Tetons.  Ran the trail just outside of town with my girl. It's been fun to run with her.  Although she's not like a running "friend" like I'd imagined.  She doesn't talk to me, and there is an element of "parenting" even in the running together. She gets annoyed because I want to make an even 5 miles, or because it's time to sprint.  She rolls her eyes and balks a bit.  Then toward the end, when she knows we are on the home stretch, she leaves me in her dust running fast back to the cabin while I look up at the mountains.   I really need to get back here to ski sometime.  It's beautiful in the summer--breathtaking, and I love Jenny Lake in the Tetons during the summer.  But I have never skied Grand Targee or Jackson Hole, and when I see the slopes carved through the trees in Summer it makes me want to come back. Everyone says the skiing here is the best.  Wyoming has been breathtaking....the wildflowers are out in record number because of the wet, late Spring.  So many varieties and the mountains and valleys are deep green.  It's so nice to get away.  I think I will be running in a different state every day from now until next week except today and tomorrow (I'll be in Wyoming for almost 3 days). 

The air is so thin. We ran a little dirt trail around Yellowstone lake early in the morning. We ran until there was a warning sign that a bear was frequenting the trail we were running down. And since a man was killed by a bear here last week, we turned around. It felt so hard to catch a good deep breath. But the crystalline lake, sparkling blue water, green pine trees and multitude and variety of wildflowers kept me in awe. Yellowstone has been amazing.

Keystone, South Dakota.  The air smells so good here.  Like dirt, pine needles, and clean air.  Were I to do this again, we'd stay in Custer. Regardless the kids thought Mt. Rushmore was pretty cool.