Feelin' It

At different times during last weekend's Half Marathon, I recalled the following funny I've seen on the I Love To Run Facebook page:

Given I've taken great care in avoiding running in the rain, last weekend was my first opportunity to evaluate such a statement. However, now having done so, I say this: I see your 'running in the rain' and raise you a 'running the morning after playing one-on-one pool basketball with your young son'.

I realize I was dramatic with yesterday's reports of foot and leg injuries, but I am probably understating this morning's reality when I say I felt every, single muscle in my body when I started out running. And, it was all due to that pool game! I was thankful having Elly with me on this run because that gave me all kinds of reasonable excuses to keep my pace wayyyyyy dowwwwwn ... just the way I was feeling it!

And, I'm not going to lie -- this morning's 5 miles felt so much worse than any run I've had in quite some time. They were reminiscent of my very first holy-crap-not-sure-I'm-going-to-hold-up-the-whole-way 5K of 2009. By Mile 4 today, yeah, I was feelin' it, and it wasn't feelin' good! But, those runs happen, and I just didn't care. I reminded myself that the goal between now and the end of July is to just cover the distance I've dedicated on the calendar, and enjoy. Now's the best window of time to turn things down a notch, so I'm working on doing so!

Speaking overall, though, our outing was fabulous! It was only 60 degrees when we headed out, so that totally worked for both of us! On one of our stretches, Elly set off a fire storm of dogs barking!! Two on our left and two on our right all going nutty while Elly trotted on her merry little way! You know dogs on leashes out and about just have to annoy the crap out of those behind their fences!! That's the smug look leashed dogs seem to have at least ... Elly included!

Just after the dogs, we saw this:

I love how cats just sit there. Watching. While it could be the
sweetest cat ever, I still can't help but think it's sending out the
"don't come closer, or I'll scratch your eyes out" vibe ...

It was an outing full of the animal kingdom from more dogs daring us to enter their yards to bunnies who aren't scared of leashed dogs at all to other leashed dogs who would rather sniff than bark to a crow just daring us to cross its path:

I love when animals act all tough until you get just close
enough ... like this crow who decided he must fly up to the
wire and continue to act tough ...why not ...

He followed us to the next street lamp to continue his attitude,
but, evidently, we finally got out of his boundaries, and he
found something else to do.

We wrapped up our run with ease and unscathed from the persistent crow bickering! While not a superior physical performance, it was still a finish, and I feel very good about that!

It's another running day tomorrow!! We'll see you after no matter how it goes!