At about two miles out I stopped to take a picture because there was a stunning butterfly lying in the middle of the trail. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it was about three inches across. I don't know if it was alive, most likely not, but I didn't want to disturb it so I took a picture and moved on.
About a mile later I passed a cyclist. There are bicyclists all over the park and today I think I saw more than I'd ever seen before, but this lady was an unusual sight because she was riding a unicycle. I shouted out that she was missing a wheel, we laughed as we passed.
Shortly after that I passed a man running the opposite way who was holding an EpiPen in his hand as he ran. I thought he must be very dedicated to both nature and running to be willing to risk getting stung and having to inject himself out in the middle of the woods.
Shortly after that I understood why he had his pen on him, the humid weather had brought out many stinging and biting large insects. I got bitten or stung at least twice and they seemed to be landing on me for the next several miles until I got out of the low parts of the park.
I made it to eight miles and turned around. At about eleven miles, I saw the unicyclist again and she remembered me. I don't know how long she had been cycling for, but it had to be close to two hours up and down hills on gravel. My level of impressed went up by three notches, no wait, four. What a fun (and I would guess difficult) hobby/exercise/both?
As I got to the last water station (my sixth), a lady asked me about the faucet and how it worked. She was filling up her water bottle because there were two men she had passed ahead that were having a very difficult time and she gave them all her water. Fortunately, they were close to where we were, an area not only with water, but a park exit too.
I didn't tell her that I, too, had been having a difficult time. Today wasn't my longest run, but it was definitely the most challenging. I was prepared, I stopped and drank frequently and a lot. I had gu-packets and ate them all. And yet I was fatigued, got cramps in my calves at one point and near the end ran slower and slower. When I got home I was more tired than I am after long runs and I needed to sit for a bit before I could manage to eat anything.
It was the heat and the humidity. I lost four pounds during the run. I normally lose two pounds, and those runs I don't drink nearly as much. Even so, it was a great day and a nice, as well as interesting, run.
The Big Boy Update: All those things are mine. He seriously thinks all things should be his. He's wearing me out with the work we have to do to correct the situation and adjust his attitude. Today, his sitter, who is also his teacher, told me that it will take about six months to work through this phase of defiance, but it will subside eventually if we keep with it.
The Tiny Girl Chronicles: "I need a second one." When I put her to bed and gave her her pacifier, she asked for a second one. At not even twenty months, those words convey several concepts, not to mention it was a five word sentence. She got her second pacifier. As I'm writing this, I hope she's asleep and not bothering her brother and daddy.
Fitness Update: Sixteen miles, roughest run yet, and I've run farther before. The heat and humidity make me look forward to to running a marathon in cool weather in November after today. I ran alone because my neighbor broke her toe on vacation this past week. She is on a six to eight week hiatus from running. She was upset, but fortunately we have time to train for the marathon even with her injury.
Someone Once Said: No matter where or what, there are makers, takers, and fakers.
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