Just gorgeous

So I just got back from the most gorgeous 16 k run - I picked the right pace and ran faster than targeted most of the time (between 7:30 & 7:45/km) 10 of the 16 were in this range. the other six included warm up, cool down and dressing/undressing for the weather. I started with my new cool wind-proof running hat I got at the marathon expo. I had been wanting one for a year, but they are so expensive for just a stupid hat. Well, the expo had a special. so I got one. I saw a friend on the beach who complimented the great hat. You know, that's the death knell for a precious possession. Well, I got too hot. So I took it off. And tucked it into my coat, between me and the coat. I ignored the angel who whispered in my ear to put it into one of the zippered pockets in my coat.

At some point, I pulled my arms out of the coat, again too hot and tied the coat around my waist, still zipped. I think I probably looked silly trying to Houdini out of the coat while still trying to run at pace. waddle waddle waddle.

Well, at 8 km these gorgeous leaden clouds opened up and pelted me with the juiciest rain drops ever. I scrambled to try to get back into my coat before getting soaked. It didn't work, and I'm quite sure at this point I dropped the hat without realising it. I had looped back to avoid one cloud burst and tried this trick again. And then realised my hat was gone. And I figured in my burst of get-out-of-this-cold-rain-quick energy that the hat must have fallen out when I had wiggled my arms out of the coat. Looking for the hat on the remainder of the run turned every piece of garbage into a potential find. I never found it. I imagine now it's far away at the turning point where I momentarily lost my mind in the excitement of the rain storm.

I hope someone finds the hat and that whoever finds it is a runner who appreciates this little number. (It is wind-proof and has a bright neon yellow stripe to tell other people not to run you over at night.) Losing it gave me the chance to live in joy - some things we have want new homes, so they find them. We only borrow them for a short while.

I just love running without those six pounds. It is so much easier. Plus I discovered if I lengthen my stride just a tiny little bit, my pace increases quite a bit without any perceptible increase in effort. I have a pretty quick stride, but i guess not a very long one!