Running and Human Nature

The fact that I enjoy running surprises me to the point that I have become rather philosophical about it. How is it that I have gone all these years without running?  Why did I despise running when I was younger (and more able to do it)?  Is there something in human genetics that predisposes us to being lovers of running?  Are humans supposed to run long distances?  Fast? Why are some people so much better at it than others.

I have done some googling  on human endurance running and most results refer back to the studies done by Dr. Dan Lieberman, a Harvard anthropologist. He states that humans are built for long distance running. Our butts, our necks, even the shape of our heads, are all results of genetic selection for being better at running than walking or climbing trees.

Apparently, toe length is also very important to being a good distance runner. Short toes are better for running than longer toes, and this makes me happy.

All of these physiological adaptations are nice to know, but I've determined I'm more interested in the psychological drive to run. I think this too has something to do with our hominid ancestors.

I think that I run because it's as close to  meditation as I have ever gotten.  I allow thoughts to pass through my mind, but I don't dwell on any one thing. I think I will look into making my runs more meditative. I am sure others have done it and the deep breathing of meditation has to be good for running. I have some investigation to do.

A Good Run

This morning's run was one I won't soon forget. There is really nothing special about the run. Nothing exciting happened. I didn't see any new or unusual animals. No bats attacked me from overhead, and there were no creepy stalker people watching me. 

It was simply a delightful run in so many ways. The temperature was perfect. Just cool enough to require a thin long-sleeved shirt. The air was crisp, but not too sharp.There was little humidity, so I could breathe easily, without thought.  The sunrise wasn't particularly beautiful,
just a simple golden line tracing the treetops and fading into deep cobalt in the cloudless but star-filled sky.

I ran with a quick, short step. My legs felt light. I could barely feel their weight at all.  It was as if I was floating. 

My proprioception was off a bit. I felt that my head was heavier than usual, and my neck and shoulders were stiffening under the weight. I tried to relax and loosen up. My breathing was perfect, unnoticeable. No strain whatsoever, yet I felt I was quick.

I was gliding above the pavement. No bouncing, no heavy thump, thump of my feet hitting the ground.  I was smooth, light, and quick. It's rare to be all of those things on one run.

Grief, the holidays, and travel

It's 4:30 in the morning the day before Thanksgiving and I have been awake for an hour already. I have been trying to figure out for the past week what is wrong with me. I can't seem to smile. It's as if my face is made of stone. It reminds me of a time 4 years ago.

For a couple of months after my husband passed away in 2011 I could not crack a smile. I see pictures of myself from those days afterwards and I see the attempt to move my face and what is commonly known as a smile. But it just couldn't happen. It seemed physically impossible.

It has been several years since my husband died. It has gotten easier to live on a daily basis. I do think of him everyday but I do not cry anymore. Unless it's Thanksgiving.

I learned after the first year that the holidays are extremely difficult. The first year I thoroughly expected to be terribly upset, but I was really just still numb from the loss. The second year was horrible. That is when people have forgotten your loss and you find out that you are truly alone. I was angry. I was angry at everyone who had their husband or wife still with them. It wasn't fair. I sunk into a depression that lasted until January.

I spoke about this with my doctor and she suggested that next year I plan well ahead of time to keep myself busy. Maybe the planning of a vacation would help me not to forget, but just to have something else to focus on. So I did this. It did work to a certain extent but it didn't take away the pain.

It has been 4 years. This is my fourth Thanksgiving without my husband. I have a boyfriend. I have been seeing him for over year. Last year Thanksgiving was much easier because I had someone else to focus on. But our relationship was very new and I could not reveal to him the pain that I felt. But this year I still feel the pain, and I think I'm going to have to talk about it.

I did as my doctor suggested. Months ago I started planning to go to the mountains in Georgia for Thanksgiving weekend. There is a trail race and there will be lots of like-minded people there. My sister is coming along. I have saved up money from every paycheck for this little adventure. I have been focused.

But about a week ago I noticed that my face stopped moving. I can't crack a smile. For the past 3 days I've only been able to get about four hours of sleep per night. Despite keeping myself tremendously busy with grocery shopping, baking, packing, general planning for our camping trip, I still feel the loss tremendously.

I think it is the surprise that I am grieving still, at least around the holidays, that just bowls me over. How could I be feeling this way after so many years? Shouldn't I just be "over it"?

That's really silly of me to think. One does not get "over" a  marriage of 17 years. I guess it's the fact that I was doing so well up to this point and then I feel like I'm hit in the face with my loss.

I seemed to have lost sight of the reason I planned this little vacation to begin with. I guess I cannot divert my grief and hope that it will go away. I need to accept the fact that it will always be with me, and it will be with me even moreso this time of year. Attempting to forget by keeping myself busy doesn't exactly work. It's not the keeping myself busy part that isn't working. It's the forgetting part. I need to stop trying to forget. In fact maybe I need to start remembering. Maybe I need to make this a time of year that I actually focus on him. His birthday was November 29th, so that makes this time of year even worse.

So maybe next year I will do things a little differently. I will still plan on going somewhere, but I will go with him and not away from him. Maybe I will show him something new.

Running Vacation?

It's November and it's time to start thinking about next year's vacation. I think that I want my vacation to revolve around trail running. But where to go?

I have looked at several websites that offer running vacations. There are a few that really interest me. One is in Iceland and it covers approximately 70 miles in 5 or 6 days. You sleep each night in a hut in a sleeping bag and all the food is covered. Sherpas of some sort carry your luggage from one place to the next so all you have to do is run.

There's  a similar vacation in Italy in the Dolomites. I looked at this one and it scares the living heebie jeebies out of me simply because it's in some seriously mountainous terrain. It looks beautiful, but I don't know if I can handle the heights.

There was another one in Iceland that was actually a staged race that covers about 60 miles in 5 days. You stay at hotels each night and the food is covered, but it's a race. Do I really want to race?

Then I thought about doing a staged race over three days in the Rockies in August of next year. Its called the Trans Rockies and they have a 6 day version and a 3 day version. I would not even attempt the six-day version and to be honest the 3 day version seems pretty intense as well. It covers about 60 miles in 3 days which is 20 miles per day. That's a lot and since I come from Florida, which is totally flat, this would be super-extra-mighty challenging.

And finally I thought about designing my own running vacation going somewhere in the Smoky Mountains, maybe traveling from one trail to another and staying in my camper each night. Maybe I could find a race along the way, but the whole vacation wouldn't be about a race. It would just be about running in pretty places.

So I have a little bit of time to decide, but the staged races tend to fill up very quickly so I would have to say yay or nay to those soon. What to do?

Running and Self-Aggrandizement

I've noticed that everywhere I look, people are out to make themselves feel better, bigger, smarter, healthier, and faster than others. They seem to need a sense of their uniqueness, and they promote their abilities and downplay those of others in order to do this. I see this on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and every other social media outlet.  Images of people running across steep mountain tops state things like "The miracle isn't that I finished, but that I started" or "Always earned, never given" (race medals and bibs) or "people ask why I run. It's something only those select few will understand...".

Come on! Lots of people run. Millions of people run. We are not a select group of heroes doing something selfless. Running is one of the most selfish things we do. It's purely about ourselves. I struggled with this at first, doing something so selfish that seemed to benefit no one else. But I have come to accept the selfish side of me after so many years of being decidedly unselfish.

Today, I feel l deserve the time I spend everyday communing with nature, talking to myself, listening to my body. I used to try to justify this to myself or attempt to  find ways to offset it.  I thought that if I ran for charitable causes it would at least be an activity I did for a higher purpose. I felt terrible doing this solely for me. My life hadn't been about me for such a long time that I just couldn't cope with the idea of being self-centered.

But I guess other people don't have a problem with this. Not only do they do these selfish acts of self-improvement, they then feel the need to point it out to the world and make themselves stand out. They say things like 'I ran 4 miles this morning. How many 50 year olds can do this?"

Well, a lot of 50 year olds can and do run 4 miles. It's not a miraculous thing, but more importantly why is it necessary for you to be unique in this? I know that I am a middle of the pack runner. In large races, I come in dead center of my age group of 40-45 females. I am not particularly fast nor am I particularly slow. Lots of women my age run, and 50% percent of those women run faster than me. There is nothing to brag about here.

Do I want to set myself apart from the pack? Sometimes, but not often.  I don't feel a need to draw attention to myself. I don't need to be the fastest, sexiest, funniest, or any other superlative, in the race. I just need and want to run. I want to finish. I would like to finish faster than I did the last time I ran the distance. If I don't, I won't belittle myself. I will just spend more time tweaking my running plans and trying new exercises or breathing patterns.

I have been running for about 2 years now, not a long time especially for someone my age.  I'm still a beginner at this. Maybe I just don't understand the runner mentality. Or maybe I am just being inundated by media and I need to tune it out. 

My late mother was a runner. She was healthy, fit, super conscious of her diet, her weight, and her appearance. Her vanity killed her in the end, at the age of 51. So from her I have learned that this cannot be about maintaining my appearance. In fact, running doesn't seem to be making me more attractive. I now have mild varicose veins thanks to running. I have lost weight, yes, but my distance running has caused my butt to go flat, like a pancake. I don't focus as much time on upper body work, so my arms are not as toned as they used to be. I spend my spare time running, not chiseling my features. Maybe that is wrong, but I have only so much time to spend on exercise and I have to be choosy. Would I rather have chiseled shoulders or would I rather spend time stretching to avoid injury? Stretching, thank you.

But I have learned some kind and good things from my mother the runner. Whenever she saw someone, anyone, running down the road, she felt an unrestrainable need to hoot and holler her congratulations to them.  She would honk her horn, smile and wave as she drove by them, probably scaring the poor person. She felt glee seeing someone else plodding away down the road. She knew something and was communing with them in some way that I did not understand back then. I wasn't a runner then. I just thought my mom was a nut case and I pleaded for her to stop making such a fuss while scaring the neighborhood runners. She waved me off.  I didn't understand and she knew I did't understand. She didn't judge me for that though. She just knew that she was a part of an unformed, diaphanous club that had a universal understanding. 

Running is hard. Running is fun. Running is meditative. Running makes you feel fantastic. Running makes you feel spent. Running is something in our human genetic composition that we do not understand. We no longer need to run to catch our food. But we cannot stop running. We're not heroes because we run. We're just running to get in touch with some nameless, ageless need to put one foot in front of the other, over and over again.     

Pre race Jitters

So this race is a little different from others that I have run for a couple of reasons. First, this is the longest race I've ever run. 13.1 miles. That's about 4.0 miles longer than the Gate River Run. Second, this race has a little more meaning to me than others. It's the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Jacksonville Florida.

My husband was a Marine.  He was a young machine gunner in 1992 when his career was drastically cut short due to injury. From 1992 until his death in 2011 he was a c4 quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down.

As you can tell, this race is a little different. And that is probably why I am awake at 3:30 in the morning when I should be snoozing. I just couldn't stay asleep. I almost never have dreams of my husband, but tonight I did. Were they wonderful romantic dreams recalling times of joy and fun? No, it was a dream in which my husband was being silly and trying to cross a huge, muddy ditch in his wheelchair. In my mind I knew he was going to get stuck in the mud, and I was going to have to pull him out. So I got mad.

I woke up angry. Angry because my husband was getting himself into trouble and expecting me to literally pull him out, and angry because I had wanted to have a dream that was sweet and reminiscent of our fun times. I'm wide awake now.

First Half Marathon

Yesterday morning at 7 a.m. I ran in the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Jacksonville, Florida. It was my first half marathon ever, and I had been training for about 16 weeks via a solid training plan I found on the internet. I feel like this plan really prepared me well because yesterday went as smooth as I ever could've expected. I was faster than I thought I would be, I had no nausea, and I even had an appetite after the run.

The weather was lovely at about 68 degrees with a light wind and just a few sprinkles here and there. I was dressed appropriately for the race but I quickly got cold after I stopped.  I had to get to my car to warm up. Thankfully, I always bring an extra outfit for my long runs because I know that I'll get soaking wet and disgusting. I didn't feel like I sweat all that much since it wasn't very hot outside. That probably helped my recovery.

I didn't really want to eat beforehand, but I knew I would need some calories so about an hour and a half before the run I had a Honey Stinger caffeine gel. It's about 100 calories, and it has 32 milligrams of caffeine. I had also had a cup of coffee about two and a half hours before the race started, but I did that so that things would get moving in the morning before I start running. There's nothing worse than having to stop at a portolet to take care of business. So I  deliberately got up early with the hopes that I could take care of things long before I ever arrived at the race. And it worked. Just something to keep in mind.

I didn't sleep very well the night before. Fortunately, I went to bed quite early for me at about 9 p.m. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and could not get back to sleep. I had had a dream about Chris, and it was not a pleasant one. He was making me angry in my dream and I was getting mad and my anger eventually woke me up. There was no getting back to bed after that. I lounged around in the bed for about 30 minutes and then I decided it was just best to get up and get started.

The night before I had gotten just about everything I possibly could ready to go. I tried on different outfits, shoes hats, socks, compression socks, skorts, bandanas, etc. Eventually I narrowed it down and got to the most comfortable outfit I could find. I got my toe socks, my appropriate color coordinated bandana, my capris, my Nike tank top, and most importantly Chris' dog tags. I really did not want to run the race without those. Chris always said those were his good luck charm, although I've always wondered why he was in so many accidents while he was wearing those dog tags. But that's a story for another day. I take his dog tags with me when I travel to places like Alaska or Nova Scotia or whenever I feel like I need a boost of confidence and fortune. They kind of feel like worry beads to me. I hold on to them and just keep them in my hand, feeling the metal warmup. It's just a safety net I guess. In reality I don't really think that he is with me when I have those tags, but during yesterday's run I think I may have believed it. During those last few moments while I was at the end of the race I held the tags in my right hand up to the sky, and I felt like he was on my right hand side. It was like it was when we were in the van and he was pulled up in his wheelchair next to me. I would put my right hand on his left knee even though I knew he could not feel it. It gave me comfort. And so holding those dog tags in my right hand felt very similar to that. He was right there beside me. My pictures from the race are going to look a little funny with me holding metal dog tags and practically talking to them.

From mile one to mile 10 I felt great. It seemed like all of my body parts were working together in unison without pain. Actually, at mile 6 I noticed my knees were a little tired. Then I didn't really notice any pain until mile 10. By the time I hit mile 11 I really wasn't feeling much of anything anymore. So I just started to speed up. For most of the race, my speed was 10 minutes 45 seconds. But on mile 12 it was 10 minutes 15 seconds and on mile 13 it was 9 minutes 40 seconds! That was crazy! I guess I just wanted to finish strong.

I went quite a bit faster than I ever expected. Honestly, I thought I was going to average a 12 minute mile and yet I never went over an 11 minute mile. It's strange how whenever you run in a race you almost can't help but run faster than you want to. I had put myself at the back of the pack where all the 12-minute milers were supposed to be. I was hoping that that would keep me from running too fast. I think it did work. It kept me from hurting myself. If I had run a 9 minute 40 second mile in the beginning I really would've been hurting around mile five or six and that would have been awful.

The Runaway Camper Series: Let's Buy a Camper

I knew that I wanted to buy a little camper for overnight trips in Florida and south Georgia. I would like to be a tent camper, but I have some reasons for not pursuing this beyond my silly forays into my backyard. First, I am a single woman, small and an easy target.  A tent doesn't offer much protection for me from the evils of man.  I am not worried about bears or Florida panthers. I seriously doubt that I'll have run-ins with them. But scary humans are another story. I want a locked door between me and any unsavory characters that are trying to hurt me. Tents offer little in the safety arena, so I will keep tent camping in my own yard only.

Second, I can't stand bug bites. And I'm constantly covered in bites via my trail running. Chiggers, ticks, mosquitoes...ahhhh! They drive me mad. Being off the ground when I sleep gives me just a little barrier between me and the itchy monsters.

Third, I love the idea of having my own tiny fortress. I used to attempt to build forts and tree houses in Maine, but my walls always fell down or were crooked. I was never a master craftsmen. But now I have my own tiny girl fort. It's magnificent!

St. Mary's, Georgia: Chocolate -filled Eclairs and a Walking Photo Tour

I was invited on a walking photo tour in St. Mary's, Georgia, so I packed every lens  I own and headed north. I arrived well ahead of schedule, so I figured the proper course of action was to find some food. That's one of the things I relish about travelling: finding locally owned, non fast food restaurants. Last night I tried Riverside Cafe, a Greek restaurant located, well, by the river of course. I had the lemon rice soup, a quiche and a chocolate  creme filled eclair. It was all excellent, but I think the soup was the star of the meal. 

After languishing over my meal, it was time to wash up and gather my camera equipment before heading to Howard Gilman Park. My lens choice was the Nikon 70-200 2.8, but after a discussion  with the photo tour leader I decided to switch to the 17-25. I'm  glad I did.  My left hand is still bugging me from a recent sprain, and the 70-200 is heavy.

After some riotous group photos were taken (Brad Pitt somehow showed up at the tour ), we each went our merry way and started snapping.

Mistake Numero Uno: Wearing a cotton shirt in August. I was soaked, hot, and gross within 10 minutes.

Mistake 2: Forgetting to apply bug spray. Never forget bug spray, no matter where you go in Northeast Florida, South Georgia. Even if you're attending the symphony.  Put on the DEET!

Mistake Drei: A walking tour is not the time to test out your new shoes. Even if they are walking shoes, you should  really do a test walk before putting them into the fray.

So that's it for mistakes.  Everything else went quite smoothly. I wanted to do this walk because I'm trying to expand my photographic subjects. I have  photographed lots of bugs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fungi and other natural subjects, and I wanted to try my hand at something  different.

There weren't many birds or bugs tempting  me back to my familiar realm, so looking for other subjects wasn't difficult. There was a flock or two of White Ibis that I dearly wanted to capture, but my lens was not right for the occasion.

I found that St. Mary's is a colorful place, full of quaint homes and shops all painted bright happy colors. So that's what I photographed. Happy colors.

At the end of the night, everyone converged upon Sharkbite restaurant to look at the photos produced. I didn't submit mine for public scrutiny as I'm too unnerved by the idea. So I drank a couple of beers and saw the work of other participants. It's amazing how different the photos were. Some people focused on architecture, while others were focused on beautiful sunsets and boats. They were all impressive and it was great to see so many different perspectives.

I'm a bit surprised by what ended up on my SD card. These photos don't look like anything Earline Gilley, bird photographer to the stars, would snap.

Things I Royally Suck At

Admitting my faults helps me to remember that I am not perfect and I am not expected to be. I have no idea why I am ever under the impression that I need to be perfect, flawless, intelligent, witty, doggedly persistent in all of my efforts, and all-around a winning success at absolutely everything I try. When I fail at anything (and that is often) I get this overwhelming sense of embarrassment, my self-confidence plummets, and I spend days interrogating myself on why I made such foolish mistakes. I spend a lot of time in that state of self-questioning and it is a rotten place to be.

So here are some of my faults.

I am horrible at playing games that involve deception and an ability to evaluate other people's motives. I cannot read people at all. Even when I have half the story, I still question and doubt. I then get confused. It will take me a lifetime to come to understand other humans with even the slightest bit of competency.

I am terrible at anything that involves maintaining balance (physical balance). Mountain climbing, hiking on extremely steep trails, walking tightropes, etc.  I get dizzy and wobbly. I really wish I had better equilibirium.

Running fast.
I am a turtle. I will never win any races. I may be able to run for a long period of time, but I won't be fast. It's OK. At leat I can endure the time,

Color coordinating my outfits.
Why bother? I just wear black and  brown and some purple her and there. It's hard to screw that up.

Cooking anything with more than 4 ingredients.
It's just too difficult to coordinate. I also get impatient  while cooking. I just want to eat, dammit!! Give me carrots, frozen veggies, rice from a rice cooker, yogurt, and whole wheat tortillas. I could live forever on just those foods.

Standing up for myself.
I can stand up for those who are weaker than me, but not for myself. I don't feel my needs are so important that I should make a big hullabaloo about them. I prefer peace over contention. I hate arguing. I avoid confrontation at all costs.

So there you have it. Some of my biggest faults, both physical and mental. I guess I'm pretty ordinary are after all.

Why run?

I used to despise running.  When I was an 18 year old weight lifter, I wanted to keep my body fat down. Running was the only way that I knew to do this.  It burned fat quickly.  I could get it done and overwith, then move on to the "real" workout, that of lifting weights.

I am not that 18 year old girl anymore.  I don't want the massive muscle weight that I had back then.  It was starting to make me look like a boy, and that's just not the look I am going for now.  Not that I am going for a particular look.  I just know what I don't want.

So, back then, I ran 4 miles 3 or 4 days a week.  That in conjunction with daily walks kept me slim enough. Today, over 24 years later, I find that running is serving some other purpose. I am not sure how it morphed into an activity that I actually enjoy. And I am not sure why I keep doing it.  I just know that I want to keep running for as long as I am possible.

I have lost 117 pounds in the past 5 years.  100 pounds of that weight loss came from walking only.  It was fast walking. Then I noticed a complete halt in my weight loss, and I knew I had to step it up a notch. On one of my walks I decided to run the length of about 4 houses.  Maybe 250 feet at most.  I did it, and I was proud and surprised.  The next day I tried to run twice as far.  And then further.  Eventually I got to a mile.  At that point I felt that 2 miles was probably going to be my max distance.  I would be happy with myself forever, I told myself.

Of course, after two miles, then a 5k was the next logical step.  Eventually I was doing a 5k every other day day while walking every other day.  This worked nicely and the majority of my remaining weight came off during this period.

Then I got the ridiculous idea that I would climb Mt. Rainier.  Running 5 miles a day 4 days a week was in order.  I hiked with a 20-pound backpack.  I ran up bridges.  I did the elliptical machine every evening along with my runs in the morning.

I didn't make it to the top of Mt.Rainier, but it had nothing to do with my cardiovascular health or my leg strength.  It had everything to do with a lack of  balance and a frightening fall.  But I did get more mountain climbing done in that one trip than ever before or since.  I have no desire to tempt fate again.

After the mountain climbing fiasco, I had a surgery that kept me from running for 8 weeks.  Ahhh!! It seemed like forever.   But I did the right thing.  Soon after my "sabbatical", I entered my first race, the 15k Gate River Run in 2015.  I wasn't sure I could run that far, so before I officially signed up, I decided to run 9 miles in my neighborhood.  Once I had that obstacle out of the way, then doing the race didn't seem implausible.  That was 7 months ago, and I have run at least one race per month since.  And my courses now are on the trails. I run paved roads on weekdays, but weekends are where I really want  to be: on a trail.

Trails I've run:

UNF
Bayard Conservation Area
Black Creek Ravines
Little Talbot Island
Tillie Fowler Regional Park
LC Ringhaver Park
Nocatee Greenway
Julington Durbin Preserve
Guana Tolomato Preserve
Gold Head Branch State Park

Trails I want to run:
Anything in Amelia Island
Cary State Park
San Felasco Hammock Preserve
Wekiva Trail
Anywhere in Suwanee State Park
Ocala National Forest

Goals: Is a 50K in my future?

Now that's just silly, isn't it?   A 50k?!  I haven't even completed a half-marathon yet.  What makes me think I  can skip right over the standard marathon and dive into a 50k?

I plan on doing a half-marathon before this year is up.  That means I have 4 months.  I will do it, but it's a matter of choosing the right one.  I think I am going to do only long trail races from hereon out and some short road races. To me a short road race is a 10 - 15k or less. Half marathons, marathons, 25ks etc will be on trails only.  I do this for a couple of reasons.

1. I will always run on roads.Probably more than half my mileage will be on roads.  I can work on speed on the roads.
2. Trail races, typically being longer races in general, are normally easier on the joints for me.  I may as well do my long races on easier surfaces.

Bugs : Sometimes it's hard to love all living creatures

This is no great revelation, but  biting bugs are evil, nefarious creatures who put a big a major damper on my outdoor fun. It's a quandary for me though.  I try to love all animals.  The ugly ones, the slimy ones, especially the ugly and slimey ones.  When it comes to the mean ones, though, I have a heck of a time loving them.  My theory is this: if an animal threatens me, then I am within my rights to repel, smack, or squish  it in an effort to avoid pain and infection.  I don't think anyone would argue with this, except for some religious orders that refrain from killing anything at all.  I'm not a member of one of those orders.

It's August in Florida.  Yellow flies abound.  Mosquitoes are easily repelled with large does of DEET, but it doesn't quite have the same deterrent effect on yellow flies.  Yellow flies are resilient, silent attackers who like shady areas.  Get into an open, sunny pasture and the yellow flies will dissipoate.  If you find yourself along a shaded trail, then you might be in for some trouble.  It's been over a 6 days since my last run-iin with yellow flies, and I still have a almond-sized welt on my left ankle.  I cannot stop scratching it!

Long Run: Fort Caroline National Park and the Creepy Stalker Dude

Two hours of running. One hundred twenty minutes. I didn't think I was going to complete this. I had some decent excuses. Yellow flies plagued me while on the red trail near Spanish pond. If you were anywhere in the area I'm certain you would've heard me yelling explicatives in the most unladylike manner, all the while soundly smacking myself to deter those biting beasts. Oooh, I do not like yellow flies, or any creature that bites me without provocation.

Another excuse was rain. It wasn't  just some drizzle. It was a full-on downpour complete with crackling lightning hitting the huge oaks overhead. The Fort Caroline area is hilly (yes, I found some hills!) so rushing water and 6 inch deep puddles got in my way too. But I splashed and stomped through those with childish glee. After my mud run 2 weeks ago, I've come to like puddles and small river crossings. They're fun and they instantly take you back to being a goofy kid. My new trail running shoes are now baptized.

But the most worrisome excuse I had today was that a creepy man in a red hatchback was following me, observing me. He drove his car slowly up to an intersection he knew I would cross and then watch me as I went by. He did this 6 or 7 times. After 15 minutes of this I became truly nervous and pulled out my phone to text my sister and hopefully snap a pic of his license plate. That seemed to deter him, and he immediately drove away. I reported the incident to a national park ranger who called a law enforcement officer. You never know what people are capable of, and I certainly don't want him doing that or worse to someone else.

But, the creepy guy kept my mind focused on something other than my aching hips. By that time I was already 90 minutes into the run. No excuse for not finishing.

And two days later, I decided it's time to start carrying some form of self-defense on my runs. Although I have a concealed weapon license, carrying a handgun while running just isn't feasible. A gun in my pocket would just cause my shorts to fall down, and then I would attract all sorts of unwanted attention! Mace will do the trick. It should ward off misbehaving, biting dogs too, yet another of my recent trail  interludes. Heavens, this running thing is getting ridiculous. Dogs snapping at my behind, creepy men following me, what's  next? I'm a little afraid to find out.

Trip Report: Nova Scotia

I'v returned from my Nova Scotia  adventure. My wallet is a bit lighter ( I never should've walked into that camera shop in Truro), but my heart is definitely lighter as well.

I always assume that on my little trips I'm  going to learn something about myself, something I just wasn't aware of or that was slightly hidden from my conscious mind. This time I didn't necessarily learn something about myself as much as I learned a lesson. While in Advocate Harbour at the Cape d'Or lighthouse I met some native Nova Scotians. I mentioned to them that I was in their lovely province to take photos and to do some running. And I also mentioned my issues with Florida, namely that subjects for landscape photography are meager and boring in my flat, mountainless state. And my trail running suffers as well since we have no hills.

We spoke of other things. Canadian healthcare, their liberal ideals, economy, etc. But when all was said, I came to realize how proud they were of their region of Canada and the natural beauty of their country in general. They listed off places I should visit, creatures I might see, trails I could traverse.

They left after some engaging conversation around a bonfire, coupled with Merlot and lots of bug spray. Their pride and spirit impressed me deeply. I found myself hoping that if I were host to out-of-town travelers that I could represent Florida with as much pride as they had shown. Florida may not have mountains,  raging rivers, glorious waterfalls, or prairies strewn with glacial boulders, but we have other things that can capture the senses. Creatures abound at all times of the year and we have water everywhere you turn. Anywhere you are in Florida you will find a kayak launch probably within five miles.

I may not find jaw-dropping views of mountain tops or canyons, but I just need to look at my surroundings with a slightly different perspective. I think that a true visionary can find beauty in the most ordinary environment. It's just something I need to work on.

Impending Trip to Nova Scotia

This week I'll  head to Nova Scotia, a province not far from my native home of Maine. Despite the proximity, I just never made it across the Bay of Fundy (odd name for a bay. I keep thinking of fondue when I say it aloud).

I'm a bit nervous about this trip, and I find that unusual. I wasn't nearly this nervous when heading to Alaska or Costa Rica. I think my mountain climbing escapade into the wilderness of the Mt. Rainier National Park last year has me feeling a bit edgy. I'm  not planning on doing any crazy stunts or goofy adventures this time around.  Just some trail running, a trip offshore to Isle Haute, and lots of landscape photography.

Oh, and a quick 10k race through the muddy Bay before the super moon pulls the tide back in on Sunday morning. That's my birthday present to myself.

Savannah Bed & Breakfast

The significant other and I made a brief foray into Georgia, the land of peach fudge and Leopold's ice cream, earlier this week. The weather was somewhat merciful but the gnats were not. Georgia gnats. They should be the state bird.

But the weather was predictable, just like north Florida. Sunny and humid in the morning and some respite via a perfectly timed late afternoon thundershower. You can set your watch by our afternoon thunderstorms. 

We arrived in Savannah around 10 am and walked the city until about 3:00 pm. The old homes, perfectly blocked city streets and predictably laid out parks were lovely. I especially loved the shade you could count on in each park.  The temperature in the little parks was at least 5 degrees cooler than the surrounding city block thanks to looming old oak trees that spanned the block like a huge parasol. But if you stood still too long, the gnats would pick you up and drag you to one of the old cemeteries nearby.

I had watched the movie  Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil only about a month ago, so it was intriguing to see the same homes and parks that I saw on film.  
My favorite shop was probably the peanut shop on the waterfront. I tried all sorts of peanuts, my favorite being chili lime.  Leopolds Ice Cream was rich, super intense. Two scoops of that served as my lunch.

Trail Run: Little Talbot Island

Over the years that I've lived in Florida, I've been to Little Talbot Island State Park a few times.  I've gotten some interesting photos there, my most intriguing being the Snowy Owl that showed up in January 2014.

Somehow, though, I had managed to never run, walk, hike, or meander the Dune Ridge Trail.  It's about four miles and has some noticeable hills.  Up and down, soft sand, hard sand. Too much soft sand for me since I'm not accustomed to running in sand at all, but I'm sure it's good exercise. The hills definitely made my glutes start yelling at me. It really made me realize that I'd have a difficult time trail running in any state other than Florida.

It was a hard run for me. I enjoyed it  but it was a challenge.  Sunday's  are supposed to be my long run days.  Typically I run 90 minutes to 2 hours on Sundays. Thankfully, my training plan had me scheduled for only 60 minutes today, and even that was a little rough for me.  

I decided to reward myself by doing some bug and flower photography after my run.  There were plenty of critters to look at, mostly spiders.  There were Argiope, Spiny Orb weavers, and bunches of Golden Silk Orb Weavers (banana spiders).  It was a regular sea of spiders out there. 

Argiope, E. Gilley

There were also a few insects like grasshoppers, moths and butterflies.  I got a nice shot of a Gulf Fritillary. She seemed rather spastic, so it wasn't easy to catch her sitting still. 

I think I would like to camp at Little Talbot Island State Park so that I can take advantage of the early morning hours for bird photography, head out on a run, and then go swimming in the sea. It's a relaxing spot, and it wasn't overly busy either.

 Lookout for Gopher Tortoises.  They are everywhere.  I even saw a female traipsing down the shoreline as if she had a hot date.  They walk with such purpose and intensity.  I wish I was half as intense at any activity as a Gopher Tortoise is at getting from point A to point B.

Gulf Fritillary, E. Gilley

Trail Run: Black Creek Ravines Conservation Area

It's hot in Florida right now. What a surprise considering it's almost July. Running trails, or roads for that matter, has to be done in the morning. Unless you're a masochist. If so, then run any time you want.

On the weekends I attempt to get my runs done before 10 a.m.

Completed. Not started,  because if you have to run for an hour and a half and you start at 9:30 in the morning you're going to be running at 11 a.m, the witching hour when dehydrated, skinny running zombies attack, in search of electrolytes. Not a fun time. That's just asking for a heart attack or heat exhaustion at best.

 Today I ran at Black Creek Ravines Conservation area in Middleburg, Florida. It's one of the few places in Northeast Florida that has some hills. It's a ravine, so of course there's going to be a hill or two. Don't be mistaken though. These are not the kind of hills you're going to find in the Smoky Mountains or in Colorado. Anything above a 2 degree incline is a hill in Florida. Anything above a 4 degree incline and exceeds 15 feet above sea level is a mountain.

Normally in order to do hills I have to use the treadmill. I don't like running on treadmills because I feel like I'm cheating. They are too soft and squishy, too easy on my knees, and too boring.  When I can find real hills, I run them.

The nice thing about Black Creek Ravines Conservation area is that there is a variety of terrain, there are plenty of shaded areas, and the scenery is somewhat interesting, not including the massive power lines that run right through the middle of the park.  For the most part, you'll run on well packed sand trails that are wide enough for cars. There aren't many roots or rocks so you can occasionally look up at the birds, without fear of a face plant (ouch!).  There are some gravelly areas near the power lines. But they aren't too slippery or loose.

Animals you may see include White-tailed deer (I saw 3 today), wild turkeys, fox, gopher tortoise, armadillos, opossums, all sorts of birds like White-eyed vireo, Eastern Towhees, Brown Thrashers, Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, and a Black bear is not impossible. I have seen their tracks, but never the real thing. I think there are some wild boar running around in there too.

Things to be aware of: equestrians, horse manure, and yellow flies. Bring your bug spray and keep your eyes peeled for horse doodie. And when you encounter a horse, slow down. You never know which horses may be skittish so its best to tread slowly and quietly.

Take a map with you as well. They're available in the parking area and very useful when you get lost. I inevitably get lost, and I no longer fool myself into thinking I have an innate sense of direction like a homing pigeon. One wrong turn and I'll be running until I hit Albuquerque.