A Taste For Adventure

This past Saturday, I left my apartment building at 6:30am, pumped and ready for my 5.25 mile long run to the Welwyn Preserve Seashore and back. It was the first time running this particular route, so I was very excited. I had driven a slightly different variation of the route in the past, but I had mapped it out on www.mapmyrun.com. So I thought I was all set.

I run into the Preserve and down the hill to the shoreline. It was an absolutely beautiful, hot, sunny July morning. I'd eaten my Powerbar earlier, and had a packet of Gu and some Powerade Zero for the trip. But then, I made a wrong turn on Landing Road, and wound up in an industrial area of town I never even knew existed. I got completely lost. I couldn't figure out which way was up for about 45 minutes. And I loved every second of it. Instead of getting flustered, I just kept jogging and taking in the views. The different neighborhoods, the landscaping, etc. Ultimately, I did find a bus driver who was parked on the street and I asked him for directions. But I had not felt so full of adventure for a very long time. And I didn't know I was able to go so far. I wound up jogging almost 7 miles, in 80+ degree heat, and I felt awesome afterward. It gives me hope that once I get my speed up, I'll actually be good at this endurance running thing. For the time being, I'm just having fun figuring it out. :-)