shenanigans

Last Sunday I ran to the park to do my usual 4 mile trail run. The trail goes around the circumference of the grassy fields and comprise most of the park - it's an equestrian complex, in addition to a few other things - and is mostly a mowed grass path, although you have to cross pavement a couple of times. Normally I run so early in the morning that there's really no one else there, although there's a dog park, and also a ton of soccer fields as well. Last Sunday, however, I reached the park and saw that every soccer field was in use by the youth league, and parents jammed the sidelines.

Maybe it's just me, but I like a bit of solitude on my runs. So instead of turning left towards the soccer fields, I decided to turn right and find a route on the other side of the park. This worked out well until I reached the water crossing - I mentioned this is also an equestrian complex - which is usually pretty dry, but that day was full, about ankle high. Not wanting to soak my socks and shoes, I turned left, hoping to find a perimeter trail in that direction. No such luck. I found a gravel road, which I ran up, and then found the two dressage rings, but there was no trail in sight. Even worse, now this guy who was walking his dog was looking at me like I was nuts, I was in full view of the soccer crowd, and I'm too damn stubborn to admit that I had sort of gotten lost (not so much lost as off-track). Ahead of me, I could see where I wanted to go. The only problem was that it involved running downhill, jumping a ditch, then running uphill - all through un-mowed field grass that came up above my knees.

Well, stubborn as I am, I decided to pretend like I did that very thing every single day. I just kept running, into the field. The grass was so high that I had to really pick my feet up, and my dog was bounding through it like a deer. We reached the ditch, which was overgrown with some kind of vine that snared us both as we attempted our leap over. Unfazed, we found our stride again and galloped up the field to return to the path I should have been on all along. I had quite an audience, let me tell you. My dog, of course, was delighted.

It's good to have an out-of-the-ordinary run every once in a while. Audience optional.