Around mile seven I settled into the heat today during a solo ten miler. I noted that it didn't feel that bad because my body and clothing were drenched with cooling sweat. When I returned home, the thermometer read 94 degrees.
I got a late start at 9:30AM after watching my youngest daughter participate in her first mini swim meet with the Seadragons. I was proud of her effort today because she has just learned to swim, and I reflected on her choice of sport during my run. Today would be a good day to be a swimmer, I thought. And, when bikers whizzed by, I thought it would be a good day to be a biker. And, when I saw walkers...
Other than being a proud mother on the ATT, a true gem for area nature lovers, families, and athletes, I thought about my lack of athleticism this past week. I don't usually take time off from running or fitness classes, but this week just happened to work out that way. I rattled off a list of excuses for not exercising over the past week. Here's my top 10:
1. It's been hot.
2. We hosted my sister and her family from out of town on Sunday through Thursday.
3. I usually take it easy the week after a race.
4. My kids were out of school all week, one of the only true weeks of the summer they have because of year-round school and our track assignment.
5. This was the week before I begin training for my next race, and when I am in training, I obsess about mileage; hence enjoy one more relaxing week.
6. I just wasn't motivated.
7. I was too busy to think about running.
8. I need to order new running shoes because my old shoes have enough mileage to be retired.
9. Sometimes I prefer more sleep over a run.
10. It's still hot.
Several excuses easily came to mind, and I had to stretch it a bit to make a top ten list. I snapped out of my list making mode when I saw two horses with riders trotting toward me on the trail. My runner friends and I dodge horse manure regularly because we share the trail with horseback riders. When we see horses coming toward us, we stay out of their way.
I've been running on the trail for nearly six years and cannot remember seeing fast-moving horses. For a minute, I thought the heat had gotten to me, and that I was imagining it. Usually a host of bikers, hikers, bird watchers, unicyclists, walkers with dogs, runners and families, boy scout troops, and university and high school track and cross country teams are in the mix. Attentive, cautious riders guide horses on walks. What I saw today was careless and dangerous.
Later, I came upon the horses again from behind, and they pulled away from me when they began trotting. This time they trotted with a bicyclist passing them and another runner right at their heels and only slowed when faced with a series of barriers at a road.
When I finished the run, I read the bulletin board at the trail entrance to learn what it says about horseback riding. It does not mention that horses should walk when sharing the trail with others. It does state that horses have the right of way in most every instance you can imagine. I learned that when I pass a horse from behind, I must call out to the riders that I am passing on their left so as not to spook the horses. It seems that I was the only one who did not follow the trail rules today.
8. I need to order new running shoes because my old shoes have enough mileage to be retired.
9. Sometimes I prefer more sleep over a run.
10. It's still hot.
Several excuses easily came to mind, and I had to stretch it a bit to make a top ten list. I snapped out of my list making mode when I saw two horses with riders trotting toward me on the trail. My runner friends and I dodge horse manure regularly because we share the trail with horseback riders. When we see horses coming toward us, we stay out of their way.
I've been running on the trail for nearly six years and cannot remember seeing fast-moving horses. For a minute, I thought the heat had gotten to me, and that I was imagining it. Usually a host of bikers, hikers, bird watchers, unicyclists, walkers with dogs, runners and families, boy scout troops, and university and high school track and cross country teams are in the mix. Attentive, cautious riders guide horses on walks. What I saw today was careless and dangerous.
Later, I came upon the horses again from behind, and they pulled away from me when they began trotting. This time they trotted with a bicyclist passing them and another runner right at their heels and only slowed when faced with a series of barriers at a road.
When I finished the run, I read the bulletin board at the trail entrance to learn what it says about horseback riding. It does not mention that horses should walk when sharing the trail with others. It does state that horses have the right of way in most every instance you can imagine. I learned that when I pass a horse from behind, I must call out to the riders that I am passing on their left so as not to spook the horses. It seems that I was the only one who did not follow the trail rules today.
No comments:
Post a Comment