This morning I woke up completely bleary-eyed and still tired, it was almost like being hungover. But, last night I only had 2 glasses of wine. So now I'm convinced that I was suffering from a turkey hangover; way too much of a good thing. I have to admit that a full Thanksgiving dinner somewhat deters me from recovering my old running skill. Thus, it's double workout day. At least Thanksgiving dinner is nutritous and as I have said before, I can still use it as a starting block for a run.
I set out for a 5 mile hike after a meager breakfast of warm pita bread, cucumber salad, yogurt sauce, and coffee. There is a wildlife preserve nearby that I was itching to explore. And as an added bonus, today was perfect autumn hiking weather. But, as I started hiking I realized that I forgot to charge my trusty iPod, which forced me to hike the old-fashioned way (sans music).
So what did I notice? I felt the cold, crisp, blustery fall wind. I heard my labored breathing, random forest noises, and other people's conversations about their crazy cousins stealing their best Thanksgiving dinner recipes. I smelled the rich, earthy, bruised vegetation that got even stronger when I crushed leaves with each step (Raquel likes to refer to that scent as the natural Pottery Barn). It literally felt like I was a living, breathing Nature Valley commercial.
And while that felt amazing, I somehow managed to freak myself out around mile 3, because I was hiking alone in the wilderness. "What if I get lost?" "Have I watched enough survival shows to survive on my own if I get hurt?" "What do I do if a mountain lion attacks me?" "It feels like I might stumble upon the 'Pit of Despair' (7:18) from Princess Bride". Therefore, the next time I decide to go hiking, I think I'll take a buddy.
Thankfully, I made it home safely with just enough time to eat a hearty, yet sensible supper of leftover turkey soup, before I headed back out to the gym. My guilt meter has definitely been lowered after today's hike, treadmill run, and strength training. But, I'm sure that my body will still hate me tomorrow morning.
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3 comments:
I MISS YOU. I want to go hiking with you. And so does Nahe! I hate all the states between us.
I MISS YOU TOO! I know a bunch of great hikes that you and Nahe would love here. We'll check them out when you trek back out here.
I loved: "the rich, earthy, bruised vegetation." It was such a great description--I felt like I was right there hiking with you! (Wish I were!)
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