Dream A Little Dream

Today was my office's "Staff Appreciation Day" and so all the non-lawyer staff gathered in the main conference room for some kickass lunch and an hour-and-a-half long gabfest (a la TMZ).  While in the midst of listening to about 17 different conversations about the exact same thing, I found myself wandering off and day dreaming about going for a run.  Not uncommon at all...

Rounding a nearly-blind corner alongside a mountain ledge, the scree rolling under my feet and I negotiate the iffy terrain...To my left, a steep drop off and a vast expanse that goes as far as the eye can see, a wide river flowing through the canyon below, tree tops reaching for the stars and mountain peaks standing proud and keeping watch over the runners below...Coming upon a wildflower field, it's like the poppy field in Wizard of Oz, I follow the markings and fly over the trail as effortlessly as the wind...pushing, pushing, breathing heavy, pumping arms, moving up the switchbacks...legs tired from an entire day of running, but I can smell the barn and I keep pushing down the other side of the mountain...fried quads, downhill running not my forte...spilling out onto a forest service road, I know I'm almost there and suddenly I'm flying again, it feels so good!...and then, as if by magic, the finishline appears and I am crossing it, arms in the air...absolutely smashing the course record!!!

Okay, now you really know I was dreaming :)

I'm really looking forward to an evening run with Geof after work.  Yesterday morning's run was so awesome that it's got me even more excited to get out there again.  Oh, did I mention I ran over the weekend?  Yep, got in a little over 11 miles up in the Kettle Moraine during the Ice Age Trail training run that the Badgerland Striders were hosting in prep for the Ice Age 50 in a few weeks.  Brian, Geof and Ed K. did a little over 26 miles and I stuck with a loop and some change on the Nordic Trail (start/finish of the Kettle Moraine 100 and Ice Age 50 races), then hung out in the parking lot until the guys were done.  It felt good to get some hills and soft trail under my feet again, and it felt even better to run pain free again.  It was also fun to run a few miles with Ben and Sarah, fellow CHUGs, and talk about Leadville (Ben ran it last year and finished in a blazing fast time; I can't recall the exact time but it was in the 24 or 25 hour time frame). 

This weekend holds another weekend of Kettle Moraine running and some camping.  Hopefully, the weather holds and we don't have to worry with any rain or crappy stuff.  Kinda makes it difficult to make a bonfire, but have no fear, the beer will be safe :)

Crash, out.