What running is about

So one reader described yesterday's blog as "kinky opening". If you haven't read it, here it is, complete with explanatory lust inducing photo.

I hope I didn't overdo it today. The plan was to join Michelle and Jenn at Glenmore Landing. They were going to do two loops, and I was going to do an out and back for maybe 10 K or so. Well, life is complicated sometimes.

Michelle was a bit flustered what with one thing and another, and it was so cute listening her explain the story. From my point of view, we started running. About the 4 K mark we found it was going to still be a little while till Jenn could join us. We could have turned around. I was feeling pretty good, though, and decided that I could carry on all around, and if we sent Jenn the other way we would meet up. And so it was.

Pardon me for burbling a little bit here. It's early October, and it was a perfect day for running in shorts and a tech shirt. Sunglasses were de rigueur, as was a hat. As you can see in the pace graph below, running with Michelle keeps me honest at a steady pace.

Even better than the perfect weather was to chat and get caught up. The distance melted away and I didn't even think about it. We had a few little pauses. One for her to take off her jacket as I hummed the Gypsy Rose Lee song. One for a flurry of texting about 4 K and decide to go or come back.  A quick bio-break just before 7 K. We power walked up the hills out of the Weaselhead. More texting then we met up at the 11 K point. There was a short walk break about 12 K, which I didn't mind in the least.

This is what running is about for me. I still haven't had this mythical runners high that some people talk about, but this was close. I could feel my legs working, and I've got a bit of a quad ache at the end of the day, but it was wonderful. For some reason I hadn't remembered meeting Jenn at the VIP event at the Calgary Tower, and in any case, it's tough to translate from all gussied up to dressed for running.

Other than that, today was nothing extraordinary. BBQ some bison burgers for lunch. BBQ a huge rack of lamb for supper. Lamb in a commercial dry rub called Herbs de Provence, all sorts of herbs, and it was wonderful. Cat cuddling. Wine drinking. Working on novel to expand a new scene I wrote on vacation. Thinking about NaNoWrimo, and getting some ideas of where to take the sequel.

So here's all the photos and screen shots that the number's geeks are dying to see. Photos of people first. Michelle getting her hydration pack on again. Not the most graceful pose, but such a nice smile.

Jenn and Michelle caught by surprise at the end of the run. Supposedly there is a photo of all of us taken by a bystander. That may show up on Michelle's blog.

So here's the route, counter-clockwise, and cheating along 66th to cut a bit of distance off.

I am totally loving this pace line. Nice and steady.