Instead of blogging, I spent yesterday on the trails. My training plan for the San Antonio Half Marathon called for an 11-mile long run.
While Kelly headed downtown for an interval speed run with his trainer, I mapped an 11-mile course that would take me on a tour of Plano’s bike/walk trails, starting and ending at the Hayley House.
Until we buy an iPhone and download the iMaypMyRun app, we use Map My Run to lay out our outdoor running courses. It’s a great way to plot your path (walking, running or biking!) and have a good handle on your overall distance.
Though this seems absolutely crazy to say – my run was actually pleasant. I jogged through our neighborhood and hopped on the Bluebonnet Trail, then connected with the Chisholm Trail.
The latter trail tracks along a large greenbelt, running north-south through the center of our city. It’s heavily shaded, anchored by a creek and full of wildlife.
The trails were full, even early Saturday morning, with a bike race, two running races, several training groups (runners, bikers and Komen 3-Day walkers), plus neighbors out for their morning constitutionals.
I discovered that, if we were so inclined, we could ride our bikes to several of our favorite restaurants (nearly 6 miles from home) without ever crossing a roadway. I dodged ducks and dog droppings and ogled the creekview backyards of pricey homes. And I even spotted the Doorstep Green where The Boy and I took our engagement photos, nearly 11 years ago.
And yes – I did run all 11 miles. Amazing, even to me.
When I shared this, via my Facebook status update, a friend noted:
Amen and amen.
The answer is, by the way, yes – I have thought about how long 11 miles is. My office, a 25-minute commute, is 10.24 miles from my house.
Wowza!