The Perfect Afternoon Run

I think the closer Christmas Day gets and the more excited I become about it, the slower time seems to move.  After today I only have 2 more days of work before 11 days of pure freedom and as crazy as it seems, 2 days feels like an eternity.  Still, I press on.  There is plenty to do at work to keep me busy, even if I would rather be wrapping the last of my Christmas presents and baking Christmas cookies with Jason.

As always with holiday or vacation time, I love running in the middle of the day instead of always in the wee morning hours, and never feeling rushed if I want a few more miles.  The extra rest is lovely too and my runs while on vacation always seem stronger because there is plenty of time for rest and recovery between each one.

This past weekend we went up to Kentucky to see Jason's parents and on Saturday I went for a run in the countryside.  I've written and posted pictures about this run before.  I always follow the same route which is 3 miles out and back.  It is extremely hilly but for some reason I always look forward to that.  When I first married Jason I only did the 4 mile route and the hills just about did me in.  Now I can shimmy up each one without much trouble and I take pride and joy in that each time I experience it.

When I ran on Saturday I had not run in two days so my legs were fresh. I felt strong, I felt great, the hills were fun and challenging and the entire run was simply wonderful.  The air was cold but the sun was out, and the countryside looked just as lovely as ever. There were only two dogs on the course this time and they were too comfortable in their sunny spots to pay me much mind as I ran by. 

It was one of those perfect afternoon runs that lift my spirit a little higher, that remind me of how much I love running in general, that make me want to throw my arms in the air and shout "thank you!" to the Creator of it all.  That's what my heart was doing as I completed my run and then walked passed the driveway to the field where the family's horses are kept.  I conclude each run out there with a visit to Lady, Rascal, and Rainbow who always come to the fence and let me pet their noses.  It is my way of dragging it out a little, lingering in the beauty around me, savoring the feelings I feel while out there running.