4.45 miles
minnehaha falls and back
35 degrees / steady drizzle
The forecast, rain all day, but when I looked out my window it didn’t seem too bad. No ice, above freezing, so I decided to go for a run, which was an excellent decision. I was bundled up and barely felt the rain — well, I guess I felt my soaked socks and cold legs (through my running tights), but I didn’t care. It was wonderful to be outside, mostly alone, only a few other walkers and runners joining me.
Because of the rain, I was wearing an old pair of Saucony’s (3 or more years old?) and didn’t run too fast. That helped me stay relaxed and able to keep going for longer. Maybe I should train some more in these shoes and save my new ones for faster runs, races, and until I’m trained up to run longer?Everything was wet. My favorite wet thing was the slick mirror Godfrey Boulevard made from the rain and new asphalt. Very cool! I saw my running self, trees, and sky and I thought about the upside down world where they all lived.
10 Things
- the creek water falling fast over the limestone ledge on the bridge at the top of the falls
- the deep puddle I stepped in that I thought was only a reflection of light on the trail
- drip drip drip of water off the brim of my cap
- taking off my hood, folding the flaps of my hat, and hearing the steady patter of rain
- in through the nose 2 3 / out through the mouth 2 — 123/12
- a steady, almost invisible rain with the occasional big drop — plain rain or freezing rain?
- the lid of the toilet in the porta potty was wedged behind a bar and couldn’t be closed
- empty benches / mostly empty parking lots
- bright headlights cutting through the trees on the other side of the ravine
- running by the Horace Cleveland Overlook parking lot and seeing an animal care truck (another name for animal control?) — is there a wolf or a coyote or a bear in the gorge — it’s always possible; they’ve all been spotted before
worms after the rain
It’s raining now, but sometime later today or tomorrow or the next day, it will stop and the worms will appear on the sidewalk. Here’s a poem I found about those worms:
Advice/ Dan Gerber
You know how, after it rains,
my father told me one August afternoon
when I struggled with something
hurtful my best friend had said,
how worms come out and
crawl all over the sidewalk
and it stays a big mess
a long time after it’s over
if you step on them?
Leave them alone,
he went on to say,
after clearing his throat,
and when the rain stops,
they crawl back into the ground.