Mad dogs and Englishmen............

...... go out in the afternoon drizzle.

OK so it's not quite the line from the song about Brits going out in the midday sun but we have had precious little of that in the past couple of days. It's been the coolest July for ages. We have had so much rain it's looking more like Seattle here than Colorado. 12 months ago we were in drought conditions and we looked like the high plains desert we should. In fact Seattle was 20 degrees warmer than we were today. Weired.
Speaking of weired I have the bug good and proper. The running bug. Going out on the bike and hauling Sam yesterday was ok. It is good for stamina building and it lets my knees rest. It isn't running though. Alone. Feet on the trails and just the world passing by to the sounds on the MP3 player.
It had poured most of the afternoon. Really poured. It's feeling like England here at the moment only the temperature is too high. :) I had waited and waited for a break in the rain because I really wanted to get out there.
After 6pm the break finally came. I changed into the running clothes. Alison looked at me like I was quite, quite mad. I put on my Asics and thanked my foresight in getting a pair of trail shoes that have Gore-tex in them. I am not a fan of cold, wet feet.
After some stretching while the Garmin found it's bearings, I started the Sony MP3 and off I went. Then something happened. I ran
I ran from the house and out onto the open space. I ran out onto the dam and crossed the open space to the other side. I then glanced down at the Roadrunner and stopped. I had been running for three and a half minutes. What the F%*k? What just happened? I stopped and stared. I HAD been running. I had loped along for 3.5 minutes solid.
Now Ok I realize this is no WR or anything but we are talking about me here. The Hippo. Who doesn't run. Wow. The running too is, well, odd. The stiff-leg gait is gone. The knees have come up, the shoulders have dropped and the stride has lengthened. Whats up with that? It's like I came out of third and found fourth.
As the shock cleared I punched the MP3, dialed up some high BPM music and off I went, walk running around the valley.
It felt AMAZING. The feeling of freedom was back. The tension left me. I have read people who describe running as if it's a drug and I think I know what they mean. It's all you. Your muscles. No wheels or bearings helping you along. The machine that is US moving you along. There is effort. There is reward. I think it's the hypoxia talking but hey, this is damn fantastic.

The stats: Ok here we go. 3.02 miles (yes its the short-course) in 40:37. The average speed was 4.5 mph. This is a new PR. (Now there is something I NEVER thought I would write).
OMG Wow. The BGL afterwards was 97. I am SO happy tonight. I am so encouraged.