Well, as you can see, my NaBloPoMo intentions have fallen by the wayside somewhat. In fact, I didn’t even make it to Day 2! Oh, well. It’s Day 5 now, so I’m going to congratulate myself for not giving up completely.
I failed miserably to post on Day 2 because I got up really early that morning to go trail running in a nearby greenbelt, and I was so tired later that night that I fell asleep before blogging. As you can see from the pictures below, the trails, and the view, were quite beautiful, so it was almost worth it to see them and fuck up NaBloPoMo.
Unfortunately my iPhone camera couldn't really capture the beauty of the view.
If you look at the very top of all the trees in the picture above, you might just be able to make out some sort of building. I think it’s somebody’s house! It must be so wonderful to live up there, surrounded by trees and sky.
A rare overcast day.
There is something just so wonderful about trail running and, for all of my bitching about the town I live in now, I would probably never have tried it if I hadn’t moved here. In fact, I probably wouldn’t even have got into road running. There are many, many things lacking in this town, but one very good point is that the great climate makes it possible to do outdoorsy activities year round. And, then, of course, there are some fantastic greenbelt areas close by. I wasn’t able to get to them before I owned a car but now that I do, I can go all the time! Friday was the first day that I really felt a sense of freedom from owing a car because it was the first time (why?!) I’d used it to get out into nature. I want to take my dogs to a different park or trail every week. My only regret is that my pit bull mix can be dog aggressive so I don’t feel comfortable letting her off the leash. It worries me that I’m ruining her quality of life by not allowing her to roam freely.
A couple of weeks ago I entered a 30K trail race, and I was the 3rd woman, which was quite an achievement given that I’m somewhat bored of running these days, and hadn’t really trained properly for the race. I’d have thought twice about entering a 30K road race, but I seem to be able to run, and run, and run forever on the trails without feeling much discomfort. I think it’s because I’m so busy trying to avoid tripping over rocks and tree roots that I don’t have time to focus on how shitty I’m feeling.
Despite how good running (whether on roads or trails) is for me, I have a hard time forcing myself to get off my lazy arse in the morning and out the door. Ideally, I’d get up incredibly early and run, but I’ll always find some excuse to stay in bed, and convince myself that I’ll run “later”. Very often I’m too tired to run “later” or I’ll do it but right in the middle of the afternoon, so my day is split annoyingly in half.
I wonder if I’ll ever be able to get into a routine, and develop some self-discipline? Sigh.
I’ve just come back from a run, and as I came in the gate of my house, a little dog with a limp ran past on the street. This is the third time I’ve seen this dog in the last ten days or so, which, given that it’s running about by itself at all hours without a collar, or an owner, would make you think that it’s a stray. I don’t think it is, though. It’s pretty fat and looks well-cared-for but, most importantly, it’s a dog with a fucking mission. You never see him idling away his time with sad, puppy-dog eyes, hoping some kind-hearted stranger will take him in. Oh no! He’s always running down the street, looking like he’s got somewhere very important to go. I’ve tried talking to him to see if he needs any help, but he always turns around, without even breaking stride, and gives me a “Whatever!” look. Hmmm.
