Prep for 50K

Today I took the day off work and drove south to Rosaryville State Park, letting the Reverend Al Green sing me some tunes such as Pretty Woman and Unchained Melody.  I started trying to work out alternative lyrics to Pretty Woman that went along the lines of "Running Woman."  It was fun, and I certainly had time to work on it while doing the 9 mile and some Perimeter Trail.

For the 50K coming up next weekend, it is 3 laps around the Perimeter Trail.  A friend who I talked into signing up for it with me, tried out the Perimeter Trail a few weeks ago and thought it was an ass kicker.  He is in better shape than me, by a long shot, so this got my attention.


Still, this morning I was not intimidated and arrived while it was still very dark.  I sat in the car for a while, but it was a warm morning, feeling a bit like pre-Sandy Hurricane.  It was windy. I got out of the car and just enjoyed the breaking morning and found I had company...a little frog hopping around the parking lot.  I'd seen a deer coming in, and I could hear the chip notes of birds, but other than cardinals, I wasn't sure what else I was hearing.

Around 7:15 I hit the trail with my little camera, phone in a pocket, and car keys in another pocket.  I stopped a lot to take pics, but due to the darkness, they mostly didn't want to come out clear, and I couldn't see well enough, and OK, so I'm not up enough on the little red Nikon's settings, to get it to take better pics in the low light.  And basically, I know low light is difficult without a good tripod.

I was having a great time running, and truly enjoyed having the park ALL BY MYSELF, except for the critters that live there and pass through.

However, after a couple of hours I began to wonder if I was still on the Perimeter Trail since I hadn't seen signs for it in a while, and saw LOTS of other unmarked trail signs and lots of trail intersections.  I was trying to gauge my time, thinking that the almost 10 miles should be done by me in about 2 hours or so, since I'd been stopping to smell the roses, via camera, so to speak.  But even after seeing a sign from a different parking lot that point to (but not saying it was) the Fred Eskew Trail, which led into the woods to connect to the Perimeter, I went a mile on that, maybe (hard to judge because I was tired and getting worried by this time...2 hours and 15 minutes later), and kept having that feeling that around the next bend I would see the signs for the Perimeter Trail, so I turned around on the trail and went back to that sign, and that parking lot, and just walked along the park road.  At least that, I knew, led back to my car.

It had misted on me a bit during the run and I wondered if it would let go because it was overcast, windy, and, like I said, had that feeling of pre-hurricane.  Not that it was that dramatic, but just had that feeling it was going to rain, and chastising myself for not checking the weather.  Yes, I know, my cup is half full of spontaneity and half full of common sense.

So yes, it started pouring on me, in a steady slanted rain as the trees swayed to the right.  I started running, also chastising myself for not having the zip lock baggies for my phone and camera.  I didn't know how soaked I'd get in the half mile or so until I reached my car.

Well, I reached my car and was happy to get inside where it was dry and warm (the temp had dropped with the rain) and to get to my water bottle.  After drinking three quarters of it, I started the engine and went off to peruse Merkle Wildlife Refuge, and Patuxent River Park on my way back to the house.

Then a LONG HOT SHOWER.  Nice.

Tonight I go dancing at the Chesapeake Wine Company in Baltimore.  Good exercise.  Good times.

OK, so this was a little weird, but I guess since yesterday was Halloween...