midweek drivel

Not every blog post needs to be a long drawn out chronology of a race, although that's what my blog has evolved to. I used to post about trivial little runs and such. I should get back to that on occasion.Last weekend between the July 4 stuff and a sultry Sunday afternoon, Dana, Jake, and I twice hit the trailz on Turkey Mountain.

Despite being is a drought for the third year (over 8 inches behind on our annual rainfall), things are still really green. Lush green wild grass likes to grow over trailz, and this gives the neighborhood ticks excellent departure platforms to grab onto hairy passing legs (usually mine.) I picked up a lone tick, who got the ride of his life ending with a super-water-slide ride right down the garbage disposal in my kitchen sink.


Anyone who runs at Turkey Mountain knows where this picture was taken. We have said for years this would be a good place to watch the July 4 fireworks display. I think so--but I know from experience that getting a full cooler of sodas and beers to this location is a monumental endeavor. Been there done that.

This time of year, the heat and humidity really dictates the pace and overall distance of our runs. Dana and I carry water bottles, and I have a newly (actually accidentally) acquired California Innovations 32 oz bottle with an insulated neoprene sleeve. We carry a collapsible dog bowl for Jake, and he humors us with a token slurp but usually ignores our offers. His preference is pond water. We approve of the pond on the blue trail, one pond on the west side just off the Snake Trail--and Mooser Creek. The other ponds are either off our usual Jake routes, or are just way to swampy. We made one exception a few weeks back, and Jake waded in and quickly decided it wasn't good enough. As he was wading back out of the murky slop of a pond, a water moccasin slithered across the pond not far from where he was.


Jake wades, sits, lounges--he basically swims like I do (except he doesn't need floaties.)

Getting these runs in does a lot for us. Trail running makes Dana happy. I am not as grumpy a customer, I can log the miles as a mild bit of training, and I have lost a couple of lbs (that are sometimes gained right back after a couple of beers.)

Jake says running trailz just completes him--plus he has got his schoolgirl figure back.