Days Tweny-one and Twenty-two - Running In the Rain

Yesterday was Friday. I ate pizza and drank beer. My body thanked me.

This morning I was up early and running around the lake in the rain. It wasn't a heavy rain, more like a drizzle. The woods around the lake seemed to almost shimmer with deep green. Even the bark on the trees seemed more real, amplified.

There were a few people walking around the lake. They all seemed quiet, reflective. The woods around the lake have that effect on people. I've been running for most of my life. I've run in cities, in the country, in foreign countries, in small towns, on groomed high school and univerity tracks, and even on a running machine.

My favorite of all is Killarney Lake. I can't think of any place to run that is so intensely beautiful. The woods aren't groomed. They're just about as much in their natural state as they can be. The ridge that rises above the far end of the lake presents a breathtaking view. The lake is small, but the view from the ridge makes it larger. Sometimes I get into races with chipmonks. They always win. Sometimes I hear woodpeckers in the trees above me. Sometimes fog floats over the lake water and makes the whole place seem like it's floating in the sky.

When it's not raining, I do my stretching on the beach along with a little Tai Chi. Perfect way to end a run.