Sundays = The Long Run

What a relief to be back in la forêt de fontainebleau where it is normal for it to be cold, windy and raining! Actually, it was warmer here today than it was in the southwest, so go figure…

I love my Sunday run. I especially love it when I can run the trails through the woods. I just sort of trance-out, a running meditation, and I think about everything and nothing at the same time.

I don’t know how to explain it, but the forest felt alive today. Maybe it was the dark and drizzly weather that kept many of the runners, mountain bikers and hikers at home today, but the animals were in full-force. After the first 1.5miles or so I follow the first trail into the woods, I looked up and saw the most beautiful pheasant ever. I didn’t bother to bring my camera due to the rain, but here’s a great pic from Wikipedia

I wouldn’t have been able to snap a pic, because once he got a look at me he was off running. I was surprised at how big he was, well over my knees- so maybe I’m surprised at how small I am? Anyway, there were way more squirrels, random birds, strange noises, wild boar tracks (luckily didn’t see any of them), and at the end of my 18k run, with about 1.5k left just at the edge of the woods, I crossed paths with a huge deer! It’s not the first time I’ve had one bolt out in front of me, but he was gigantic! I didn’t get a chance to count his points, I was too busy looking into his eyes! We both sort of stopped and looked at one another rather awkwardly with a bizarre, embarrassed feeling. Freaky.

I really felt the last mile; my feet felt sore and a little tired, but I think it’s just feeling tired from being the car for seven hours yesterday and the near-week of minimal stretching and yoga. Once I got home and in some warm clothes I was a-ok.