I think summer may be officially here. I'm so glad. I was able to run this morning wearing shorts and a tank top. The morning sun was just up above Mount Ogden. It felt so good! As I ran I envisioned my mountain run I'm going to do. I thought about the rugged rocks and the cool mountain air. I tried to calculate what my average miles per hour will be. I thought about dripping sweat and sucking down water and Gatorade. I thought about what kind of music I want to listen to while I run the mountains. Maybe I don't want any music. Maybe listening to what the mountain has to say will be music enough. The first part of the run will parallel a small creek. Watching sun light glisten off the water and the gurgle of baby rapids will be pleasant. The road will leave the creek and I will have to climb the steepest part of the road through an aspen grove and then summit near a pine forest. Then it will be about 10 miles down through thick stands of trees interspersed with open meadows and sage and juniper hillsides. Eventually, I will see Bear Lake through the V-shaped canyon. After leaving the mountain, I will run about two miles through a small town, population about 200 people and end up at my dad's summer home.
The only thing I haven't thought through is the actual date. Maybe sometime in late July around Pioneer day. I could dedicate the run to my pioneer forefathers who walked and rode horseback or wagons through this area. Maybe I'll wait until it's cooler. Maybe September when all the campers are gone and the kids are in school. Decisions!
I have been able to clear my mind and release emotional "baggage" on lone fly fishing trips. Mentally, I can project worries, stress, and frustrations into the water and watch then float away downstream. I'm hoping to release some emotions on this run. At the summit, I will send these emotions skyward. I hope they will be caught up in billowing clouds. The billowing clouds can carry them away and drop them as rain in another place. Heaven knows I've rained my share of tears.
Amazingly, through all the years of hardcore basketball, my knees have never given me problems. Last year I had an IT band down my left leg that was painful, but other than that my legs and knees have held up. I'm no speed demon. You could probably stay with me since I've got you by a few years. Grab a gatorade and tag along!
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