Well, we survived!
We took the scary-beautiful trail, and I lived to tell you all about it! I realized something: People have to walk their dogs and stuff when they get home from work! So, now I feel comfortable taking the path through the wilderness in the evenings.
I started with a five-minute walk, then jogged for another five. I stretched and then I ran for 30 minutes. I only stopped once to point out the bunny to T Junior. “Money?” he repeated.
And, guess what? Not a single bug landed on me. And I was surrounded by bushy green trees and dry weeds and seriously out-of-control blackberries. Weird.
But there were a lot of people. So many, I lost count. Walking their best friends and their husbands and kids. There were bicyclists, too, and other runners.
In between people (and bunnies) to look at, though, the dreaded thought crossed my mind. My legs were as heavy as two cement blocks. I could barely get my feet off the ground.
Maybe I should quit.
I thought it. Several times. But then I remembered that I always used to feel this way back when I ran cross country in high school. There was always a point in my run where I didn’t think I could go on. But I pushed through it, as I did today, and then I fell into a rhythm.
I controlled my breathing, my stride became automatic and I loved running again.