you're going the wrong way!

it has been really cold here in florida this week. i know that 30's and 40's is not a big deal to my friends in the snowy, colder states, but have some sympathy for me. i really tried to get up early and run like i usually do but the cold  paralyzed me and i just couldn't do it. however, i did negotiate with myself and promised that i would do my run later, once it warmed up a bit. on Tuesday, i got home from work, and didn't dilly dally around like i normally do. i laced up my pretty orange running shoes, put 2 layers of clothes on top, shorts, a knit cap and then compression socks for warmth only. i looked so cute, lol!


this is just a re-enactment photo ...i actually had a little more on

ok, so back to my run; i promise this story gets better. i decided that i was going to do 10-11 miles and normally, i would do this in my subdivision but since i had daylight to work with, i decided to head to my favorite stomping grounds, flatwoods park. the loop is 7 miles around and the part to and from my front door to the loop is another 3.35 miles. this is the same park that i've had some run-ins (literally) with other "oblivious" cyclists and lots of near misses with headphone wearing runners and rollerbladders who don't look back before making a u-turn as you are passing them on their left. there are signs at both entrances to the park that clearly state, all rollerbladers and cyclists go in a counter clockwise direction only. it says nothing about runners and walkers. in the 20 years that i have been running at this park, i have always run in a clockwise direction because frankly, i want to see who is about to hit me. i don't trust a lot of the novice cyclists and families on their bikes coming up behind me. never once has anyone told me i was going the wrong way, until tuesday. the ranger came up in his truck next to me and says, "you know the loop goes in the other direction." i said, "yeah, and if anyone is coming toward me, i'll hop over into the grass like i always do." then he says, "well, it's just easier for us if you go the right way." easier? how? mind you, it was so dang cold, i never saw one person out there and this park is HUGE! i believe that this ranger, must have been a substitute for someone on vacation because i know most of the rangers out there and they always wave at me, never power trip on me so i don't know what this guy's problem was. and you'd be proud of me too because i kept running in the wrong direction for the rest of my run. in fact, he kinda irked me, which in turn, made me run even faster. this video kept going thru my head the entire time after my park ranger encounter, enjoy:

since we are on the running subject, i ran 22 miles today at a very nice clip of 7:58/mi. i waited until it warmed up and i even ran in the wrong direction. this time, nobody had anything to say about it and yes, the ranger went right by me in his truck.

i need to get off this computer and get to King Burger immediately. NO, no, it isn't for me. i don't eat fast food. as my best friend/best race sherpa, Angie would say, "that Joel is so cool." really? and i'm not because i refuse to eat hamburgers? whatevz! one more video and i promise you will pee in your pants:

i hope everyone has a lovely weekend planned out and as Bon-qui-qui would say, don't get too crazy now! much love and peace out.