Day 4,143—Good Luck to all the Shawnee Hills Runners!—

 

       It is so nice today; maybe there will be some record-breaking performances this year. Last weekend it was miserable, but Friday it was surprisingly cool, and today was equally balmy.

        I started this run a little before 7, which means I missed the best parts of sunrise, but it was a lot earlier compared to my run last Saturday, which I didn’t start until 9 a.m.

        I decided to start on the trail in Webster and work my way to the River Trail and finish on Grant’s Trail. I wasn’t sure how long it would be, but I figured I would be close to a marathon. My watch flashed -2 indicating I was worse off than I was yesterday, and I felt sore as I started. I ran the same way where I tripped the other day to see how uneven the sidewalk was. When I found the spot, I was disappointed; it wasn’t that big of a change in elevation, but the spots before that were even, so I can see why it surprised me, especially since I was going uphill in the dark.

        I started without listening to anything, but after a while I bounced between 6 different audiobooks. I probably should stick with one and finish it, but I like the idea of finishing several books within a couple of days. One of them is super long. I am almost 9 hours in, and I still have 20 hours left. Most are from the library and vary from nonfiction to popcorn fiction to some more serious stuff.

        At 12 miles I stopped at CVS and bought some Gatorade. I was sweating a lot, and I didn’t feel hydrated when I left, so I wasn’t taking any chances. I hadn’t brought any water bottles, so it was a little more time-consuming to drink from water fountains and stop and sit on the curb to drink.

I saw a woman making a sign she was planning to use to ask for money. I didn’t see what she was writing, but I considered I had never seen anyone make those signs before. The section on Grant’s Trail was quiet and easy. I have done it so many times, so wherever I am, I feel close to home.

I don’t know if I made the right decision or not to skip Shawnee Hills this year. It is mainly that I am trying new races, and even though I love the Shawnee Hills, logistically it isn’t an easy race to prepare for and run, but what a day to have it this year! I hope everybody is able to finish and have a spectacular adventure racing on the trail. Although, I don’t miss the bugs. I got eaten up last week! I need to stop going out without bug spray.