Running. With Rain.

56° F.  Rain spitting on the windshield.
The convoy rolls out to Mianus River for a trail run.
Zeke sighs as he curls in the backseat.  Anya settles in the trunk.
The Wolfpack is draggin’.
Their leader rides the slow lane on I-95 thinking about the benefits of a long walk on his joints.
99 days. 3 months + since your last trail run. What a lazy a**.

Rain stops.  Clouds hang low.
We pass through the gate.
The Park is empty but for a fisherman making his way upstream.
Both dogs pull on the leashes. A sharp tug gets them to heal.
Wait! I’m not ready for this yet.

I look up.
A gold leaf canopy.
I look down.
A solid gold leaf carpet.
Someone is laying tracks.

Mile Marker 2.
Drizzle finds gaps in the canopy.  Zeke shudders to shake it off.
Rain? No. Voice whispers No.
We run up the hill and out into a clearing.
The rain stops.
Rain? No. Voice whispers No.

We run back into the woods under the cover of the canopy.
Intermittent rain falls again.
Rain? No. Voice whispers No.
Ah, yes. Thank you. Got it.

Toe bone connected to the foot bone
Foot bone connected to the heel bone

Heel bone connected to the Earth bone.
And my footfalls land on 1,000 trillion metric tons of Earth.
And shiver the rain from the giant deciduous trees.
Rain? No. Voice whispers No.

Mile Marker 4.
The clouds clear.
A deep blue outlines the golden canopy.
And here it comes, an el natural jolt of Red Bull.
I pick up the pace. The dogs race ahead.
The music player spins my 70’s playlist.
The random plays no longer random.
An invisible hand spinning the disks.
Three Dog Night lyrics are now shouting.:

Can you feel it?
Must be near it
Feels so good
Oh, it feels so good
Well, I’ve never been to heaven

I lift the dogs into the car.
The wind gusts shower giant golden maple leaves on the windshield.
I start the car and flip on the radio.
And there’s the hand again.
Counting Crows play Rain King.
Rain? No. Voice whispers No. Rain King.

Miles: 4.9 miles
Time Check: Nap Time.

Notes:

• Photo: Mihir M with Fall splendor (via The Sensual Starfish)
• Related Posts: Running Series