Running for the fun of it

I set out on a 13 mile run yesterday in my neighborhood. I wasn't looking forward to it because I've run this route, or variations of it, so many times before. I took the dog with me as a pleasant distraction. I took off from my house and met up with a women's running group at 7:30am along the beach. I was happy to do a few miles with them but soon they turned around to head back to their cars, and I kept running onward.

I picked up aluminum cans along the way. My daughter turns the aluminum in for money. It will be seed money for a new venture that she would like to start, perhaps a chicken and egg business.

Bag full of crushed aluminum cans. It was the dog's poop bag and I was glad he didn't need me to use it to clean up after him.

Anyway, it was a beautiful spring day in the northwest. It was sunny but cool, and a perfect morning for a run. After about 8 miles, I entered Lincoln Park to run on some of the trails. I was heading downhill, back to the beach, when I came upon some pretty flowers. I had to stop and really take a look at them, sort of a double-take. Someone had placed them on the side of the trail along with a  letter and a Bible open to the book of John. The letter was to the author's mom. It seemed so private and yet it was left there, on display, or anyone who wandered by to see. The letter was heart-breaking--the author's mother had passed away suddenly and she was horribly missed. It brought me to tears.

 

Will I feel a big empty hole in my life when my mom is gone? Probably not. My mom has Alzheimer's and does not know me anymore. The sadness I feel is the mourning over not ever having a close relationship with my mom. But I have a second chance. I can be in a close relationship with my daughter as her mother. So far, I think I'm doing good.

 

I eventually made it back home after 15 miles--a couple more miles than I had planned. What started out as a grueling training run, ended as a thoroughly enjoyable, thought-provoking journey.

 

I wore my running vest and had taken with me 1) water, 2) one Gu pack, and 3) a few pretzels. I need to start taking more fuel and electrolytes with me on these long runs. I'll be experimenting with different products, and I'll let you know how they work for me.