Was that a run or a swim??

Tonight's run was quite the adventure.  It was a downpour when we started out and it kept coming down harder and harder.  As we were about a mile and a half in, we were running down hill up to our ankles because the side of the road had become a small creek bed and there was no sidewalk.  Onya was stopping to shake every block or two and I wished I could do the same.  The rain finally started slacking off after another couple of miles and I found my groove.  

Around the time that I was feeling really good, Ty turned to me and said that he wasn't going to be able to do the second lap around the lake.  His toes hurt and his nipples were chaffing from wearing the old, mesh reflector vest.  No problem, I thought, I'm in feeling great mentally and I'm ready to get this done - I'll just finish solo.  When we got back to the house, we'd done 8.4 so I didn't have much left to do.  I decided to do what I call a chicken run, which is when I never get more than a mile or two from home.  

By this time, the rain had let up and I started to regret not changing into something dry when I had the chance.  That didn't last long, though, because the rain inevitably did start up again.  I was getting cold, my feet were getting stiff and everything felt like it was uphill.  Around that time, I started thinking about why I get so determined to follow my plan and finish what I start.  I was thinking about how my Grandpa was the stubbornest man in the world and how I definitely inherited that gene from him - for good or bad.  Because it was a dangerous night to be out, I had a reflector, a flashing light and a flashlight but no music.  So I kept hearing Tim McGraw's The Cowboy In Me (http://www.cmt.com/videos/tim-mcgraw/26532/the-cowboy-in-me.jhtml) as I was running along. If you knew my Grandpa, you'd know how appropriate of a song that was to hear when thinking of him... 

Around this time, I reached my turn around point...  just over three miles until home!!  I picked up my pace a bit and finished it strong.  My lips were still blue when I got out of the shower but I'm fed and warm again now.  I've realized that the things that make runs miserable for other people are the things that invigorate me and make me push harder.  I really don't mind the rain.  I don't love being cold but it isn't the worst thing.  There's something comforting about running past houses with their lights on and their families  tucked in for the night.  Even though it was dicey at times with the dark and the traffic, it was still a great run. 

Here's what my feet looked like when I got done: