Spaghetti Legs

Good morning and happy weekend!! Okay, that picture just screams Fall, doesn't it?! I've seen this little display a number of times on my runs, but I came at it from a different direction this morning, and it really caught my eye!! I love it!! And, I love Fall!! I was not particularly in love with the weather this morning, though -- 60 degrees by the time I went out!! That's mighty warm for me when it happens all of a sudden especially when I've been enjoying the cold. But, what goes up is about to come right back down (morning runs in the 30s!! Wahoo!!), so I can't complain. Besides, it's perfect get-the-yard-ready-for-Winter temperature, too, so I need not be cranky!

 

The being deserving to be cranky this morning was the pooch. I considered taking her with me because she was all kinds of bright eyed and waggy tailed in her plea, but after having run 5 yesterday, I figured she probably needed a rest since I was aiming for 6 today. She could tell things were about to not go her way, so she made one last plea in the form of rolling on her back to surrender:

My view of the dog who strategically collapsed between my
feet. Do you think she wanted something?

After a good ear rub, I headed on out. While warmer out, it was pleasant with a little breeze. I was hoping to come across that last penny to get to the next dollar mark today, but, instead, I was visually rewarded time and time again:

Since this strip of trees had yet to turn colorful, I thought for
sure the summer wiped out that possibility. It turns out that
they were just waiting for their perfect time!

Look! There's a path in between leading to more! It's like a
journey to Narnia. Only not through a closet.

I couldn't stop looking! But, I knew I needed to start running
or this outing would never end!

One more look behind me!

In the middle of my run is where I had a few moments of running clarity. First, this is where I was so very glad I didn't have Elly with me. I was running up a hill, and my legs were feeling all kinds of spaghetti-like. I know that moving not only my running days around but also adding to the distance has messed with my typical mojo, and I need to keep thinking and fine tuning. That's fine for me, but I don't want to inflict that on Elly who has no say in the matter. She'd push through, but that doesn't seem fair to her.

My second, "Ah-ha!" was the following: Never make a decision about running while running up a hill. It's in that particular place where your conclusion about running is most likely to be that it's too hard or that you can't do it so why bother. Been there? I have. A few hundred times. On today's spaghetti legged effort, it was in the middle of a hill where I caught myself before heading down the path of doom and mentally veered into the world of, "Just get to the top, then see how you feel." At the top of the hill, you might be tired, but you know what you just accomplished. That tends to fuel future effort and success. So, just wait 'til you get to the top and then reevaluate in light of  how awesome your outcome just was. Excellent.

I wish today's me could have talked to four-years-ago me because that advice would have been awesome!

From miles 3.5 to 5, my path was really pretty easy terrain and allowed my mind to wander all over the place. I wasn't really thinking anything in particular when I noticed a garage sale coming up. I was tempted to stop just because I could, but with no money in hand (still not a penny found!), I wanted to keep my feet going. Had I stopped with money, I could have scored these truly Super duds:

No, I didn't pull them out for the picture. That's how they were,
so obviously someone pulled them out for consideration before
I ever got there. I felt better seeing it was a swim suit because,
from a distance, I thought they were boxers.

As I carried on, I wondered: If I had stopped at the sale and made a pitch to the home owner about how I'm a penny short of my current pursuit in my Food Bank Snoopy bank and that I've not yet found any money today, would she have given me a penny? Then I thought about how I wouldn't have really wanted that penny because it wasn't the same as coming across it while running. That would have been like cheating at my own game. But, maybe she would have given me a dollar and it would have been really awesome. Of course, she probably wouldn't have because, really, she doesn't know me or what I'm really going to do with the money. It's probably best I didn't stop. Besides, she wouldn't have come very close to me because I was stinky, and then how would I have gotten that penny or dollar? People don't tend to throw money at other people, so it seems this idea was doomed from the get go.

My line of thinking was broken (which is probably a good thing) when I came across this:

I've been watching this tree for weeks and was convinced it was going to just go brownish (again, compliments of the summer heat). Boy, did it sock me with some beauty today!

Good golly, this is beautiful!

A little color nod to Christmas for you ...

Almost home, nature continued to delight:

I love these -- you don't see blue that much in plants, so I tend
to look a little longer when it's there! Not too long today,
though -- I was almost home and ready to be there!

Love these, too. LOVE this color! It's
fun to see these at this time of year!

I haven't decided how I feel about back-to-backing a 5 and a 6+ miler. Raising the mileage per week was the right call, but I am not sure I have the order of things (running + rest + distances) correct for me. I know there are plenty of people who run double digits 5 times a week. I'm not one of those, so there is no comparison there. I'm just trying to figure out what I want as my new norm. I'm good with how things are right now, but I know a little tweaking will make it really great!

While I figure those things out, here's someone who has nothing to do but give the love:

It looks like I'm choking her. What you
didn't see was her big SLURP across
my salty face. Running's fun for everyone!

She bounced back and forth between me and Aaron for some love which was useful since it was a double-fist-the-water kind of day!

Mmmm ... so yummy ...

Tomorrow's Family Run Day!! I'll see you after we're back!