The weather for the first portion of my trip wasn’t bad, it was warm but not unbearably hot. The sun was out, but not scorching. I got to help my brother pick out flowers for his flower beds, and give him some guidance of proper depth for planing some of the things he had already purchased. Then came the rain. I can only assume or I like to think, this was the rain that had followed from Minnesota. Bringing me comfort of home. However it was now Sunday and I had a date with Lonely Cottage and my sneakers.
The rain pattered against the air conditioner as I tossed through the clothes in my suitcase, I don’t unpack, I live out of a suitcase and toss into a hamper then repack at the end of a trip, it works for me. Anyway I found my Future PriorFatGirl T-shirt, and my new running skirt, good socks and finessed myself into the contraption that is the “double bagged” bra’s to keep me secure for a run. I headed downstairs and no one was to be found. Mom was still asleep, Dad had gone off to do some work related things I think and the dog was passed out asleep. I scribbled a note letting them know where I was going filled my water bottle and away I went.
The rain wasn’t terribly hard, but there were puddles everywhere. The night before we had some really nasty thunderstorms. A few of the strikes sounded like they were right outside, you would see the flash of lightning and hear the rumble at the same time, you could see the strikes in the television.
I headed down the road, and knew a run was out of the question my allergies had been in overdrive since before I left Minnesota, but I had puffed my inhaler and powered thru a few interval sprints getting my heart rate up to where it should be. I didn’t pay much attention to the scenery as I rushed past it. I was more intently watching the road below for things like potholes and uneven road surface. I also was on the lookout for branches and puddles. The rain continued to fall, the leaves slowed the drizzled feeling and made it feel like the world was melting, dripping down on me.
One of the things that people like about the country is the solitude. As I did my walk/run through the back country wooded roads a few cars whipped past me at much past the posted speed limit. This was not much of a surprise, it is much of the reason we were not allowed to ride our bikes on the road as kids. I continued down the road keeping a good pace, keeping my heart rate steadily in the fitness zone. The musty smell of the rain-soaked air began to change… the smell became an almost forgotten all too familiar smell.
The scent of death filled my nose from probably a quarter-mile away from where I would eventually find the body. I tried to breathe as shallow as I possibly could from the time I started smelling the dead deer. To my surprise when I happened upon the body there were actually no birds feasting on it. There are usually at least one or two hanging around a body but I think the rain scared them off. I continued my walk down past the local gun range. I kept walking, enjoying the solitude of a walk alone letting my mind wander as I listened to my iPod and felt my feet splash along the street. I passed houses I had driven past so many times. Houses I had seen built, houses where I knew the residents and didn’t know them, houses full of sleeping people and others who were having their morning coffee. Dogs barked at me as I passed many of the houses. As I reached the end point of y predetermined walk I took inventory of my mind for a moment, paused and took a drink of water. I had never walked this far when I lived here before, I smiled inside and out and started jogging back.
This means I would have to smell the dead deer again, I didn’t feel comfortable doing a loop out there, the main drag that I would have taken back is not a road you walk on if you plan on living. People (including trucks) fly up and down that road and I don’t recall ever seeing anyone walk on that road when I lived there. So I headed back home. I was in my own little world minding my own business. Why is it that the return trips always seem to go so much faster? This seems to be the case when I drive too! Getting there takes SO LONG but the trip back is so quick!
I was winding down my walk/run and most of the way home minding my business when I heard a truck approaching… and slowing down. This made my heart want to jump out of my chest. After being harassed my so many people for so many years I could only imagine who this clown was coming up to bother me. I turned my head to catch a glimpse of the vehicle and happily recognized the truck. It was my cousin! He wanted to know what I was doing. Uhhh what does it look like? Silly boy, a little rain wont stop any member of the #PriorFatPack from getting out there and hitting the trail!
I am sure he thought I was a sight to be seen looking like a drowned rat after an hour on the road in the rain, but I was doing what I needed to! I made my way home and into the house. I threw away my note, chugged some more water. I got myself a shower and started the rest of my day! I felt really good about having stuck to my plan for being active during my trip. It wasn’t as difficult as it could have been, although it could have been easier.
Post Walk/Run. Tired and in want of a shower!
