Reunited and it feels so good!

After weeks of races, recovery and rest, the gang reunited!!

I was the first to arrive at Holly Rec.
Five minutes past 9am, Ken's Silverado pulled in. I reached into my gym bag, resting on the passengers seat to start the final process. Looking for my gloves and hat, Matt slipped by me. He tucked his Subaru in-between Ken and I honking his horn like a crazy man. Laughing at his entrance, I chuckled even harder as Matt looked like he was in a full blown grand mal seizure shaking with excitement.
It felt like that final stretch when you can see the roller coasters at Cedar point. You start smiling, your heart skips a beat, and you remember how much fun it used to be. We were all super stoked.
Like a bunch of 5 year old girls, we all collided in one big group hug. These 2 knuckleheads brought me through a lot of training. Taught me things that I should have been given a bill for. I didn't realize how much I missed them.

One thing I really missed, 90' degrees.
It was 38'degrees and I looked like I was running in the Artic compared to Matt and Ken. They were both in shorts. I really felt like a wuss with my 3 layers on; hat, Buff, gloves, Pepto-Bismol colored tights and smart wool socks.

We had a welcome committee in the park, a soft layer of fresh winter snow. Our first snow fall.
Although it might seem romantic and lovely, it was quite the opposite.

Matt lead, with Ken in the center and me in my favorite place, the tail end. The snow had started melting on the trails, leaving them a sloshy wreck.
Our feet were sliding with the slightest cantor in the trail. The leaves were thick and wet beneath us adding more mayhem. Ken was slipping all over in front of me. I got tickled and like any good friend kept laughing at him. He responded more goofy then eloquent making me have to grab myself I was laughing so hard. It was at that moment I knew I was pretty comfortable around the boys.

Running with the boys breaks' EVERY rule I have ever made. I never ran with guys. You just can't trust anyone. And I don't trust anyone. Anyone. A character defect, one of many.

1Thess. 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

Gods word even warns you against how THINGS LOOK from the outside looking in. And trust me, I have had some eye brows raised from my female tribe.
But these guys brag about their rock star wives. We all chat about how great our spouses are. This is different from running with the girls. Girls sometimes get together and share spousal irritations. We all do it, me included. Honestly speaking.
I have met both Matt and Kens wives and they are both runners. All of us run and so do our spouses, these are very rare dynamics. Another added bonus.

Back to our run.
RUN...Ba ha. I would hardly call it a run. Ken is finally on the mends but still a tad bit weak. Matt was very kind stopping more than his bare legs wanted but laughing and cutting up with us. They shared their running adventures like old times. Much more comfortable with them I found myself chiming in and possibly even interrupting them. That's comfortable.

The trails were vacant of any wildlife. I think our laughter scared anything breathing miles away from us.
The temperatures had warmed up by our second loop. My shoes were soaked in mud. I could actually feel grit in by toes.

We finished the last loop a little after 11. It was our slowest trail run to date. But it might have been one of the most fun group runs yet.

RUNDOWN:
Distance: 10.2
Pace: 12:08

Novembers RUNDOWN

Today was a good day, I had very few thoughts about what it to come. I was very busy today. I had little time to ponder. It is quickly approaching. Only time will tell.

Anita