Duck face. Fish face. Cow-slowly-dying-in-extreme-agony face. I've rocked all these looks during a race, if my race photos are to be believed. Slouchy shoulders, wide open and gasping mouth, and brick-like feet slogging along the pavement: these aren't exactly the looks you want to pay money for and hang next to shiny medals or put on your office desk.
I am terrible at the starting line. Months of training for a half marathon and this was the second time I was late to the starting line. I woke up late, changed clothes, grabbed my gear, got out the door as fast as possible, hoped I wouldn't get stuck at a red light, and drove as fast as was reasonable. Of course being late meant all the parking lots near the starting line were full, so I parked in a garage halfway across town and ran 0.67 miles (I mapped it) to the starting line. I literally had 30 seconds between arriving at the start line and the start...
There's a reason why hikers get wide-eyed and eager when they hear "Grayson Highlands." There's a reason why those who have been before return time and again, and why those who haven't been are encouraged to go as soon as they can. Ponies! Balds! Easy hiking! PONIES!
I was glad I wasn't relying on my hammock. I wanted to try out a campground at Jordan Lake to scout out locations for sunrise and sunset photography, but it was overcast and there was nowhere to hang a hammock. Instead I lounged at the water's edge of Jordan Lake with McCrae and Ryder, bright orange tent staked in the gravel pad against the lake breeze.
On Friday morning when a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to help clean up a state park on Saturday morning, I of course said "yes!" It's so easy to take for granted green areas and watersheds, whether they are tucked away from most of civilization in a wilderness area or just down the street from cities and homes.
I did not want to run this weekend. I'd spent time and energy doing other things - cleaning up a state park and camping - and I just was not feeling the whole run 13 miles thing.
I am terribly neglectful of my garden, but every year when it starts turning green I get all ambitious in my backyard. "Pumpkins over here and lettuce over there and potatoes in this bed and herbs in these containers!" It gets a little out of hand.
On Saturday I dragged McCrae to downtown Raleigh for one of the few places showing National Parks Adventure, an IMAX showcase of some of "America's Best Idea" as part of the National Parks Service centennial celebration. While a St. Patrick's Day parade surprised us and kept us from the early showing because we couldn't cross the street to the theater, we did eventually get to there to see the film. Included in today's post is a review of the movie.
