This past weekend, we headed up to Shelby, Montana to visit our close friend Scott. Saturday morning, I found myself awake but alone. I sat around pondering if I would have time to go on a short run before the guys awoke. I did not want them to wake up and I not be around when they had something they wanted to go do. After about a half hour of sitting around I decided that I no longer cared. I wanted to get a run in. They could wait around for me. Afterall, it was already pushing 8:40. I quickly gave Brent a kiss on the cheek to wake him up. I let him know I was going out for a run so he would know I just had not completely disappeared that morning. He willingly laid his head back down on the pillow and let me run off to enjoy a solo run. Which is definetely needed every once in a while.
I got all of my gear on that I had with me but as Montana had given us an extended fall, I was not prepared for the chilly run on the Montana plains. It was about 21 degrees out which really does not seem too bad. The problem is that up until that morning I was still use to running in 40 degrees. The 20 degrees was a bit of a drastic change with the added moisture in the air. I took off with as many layers as I had brought with. I even forgot a coat! What kind of Montana girl am I to travel in the winter with out a coat?
It was a beatiful morning with the sun trying to rise off in the distance above the clouds. I headed north on the gravel road with he Sweet Grass Hills off in the distance. As I ran, I looked at the hazyness of the thin layer of clouds that covered the mountains. I could not help but completely enjoy the moment. After I had just left the farm, I was joined on my run by the not so smart golden retreiver, Sam. If you have ever seen the movie “Up”, he is just like that dog. If Sam could speak, he would be running around constantly distracted yelling out “squirrel”. I was excited to be joined by such a willing an enthusiastic running buddy. Plus I was still able to enjoy a peaceful run by myself. I probably looked silly running with a smile on my face. Sam was usually off in front but it was just us, the beauty of the morning and the gravel road. I could not have asked for a better rave run that morning except a little less of a chill in the air.
As I crept closer to the 20 minute mark, I found myself chilled. I thought about continuing to the corner which was about another quarter of a mile lurking in front of me. If I had not already been cold, I would have continued. It was an almost perfect morning. I could see the farm off in the distance and there it was taunting me with the heat it provided inside it’s walls. Before the turn around, I was staring at those Sweet Grass Hills miles away with an almost endless path in front of me. Now there it was, the end of my run. All I could think about was being chilled. I had several layers on but only 3/4 tights so my legs were the ones regreting the desicion of not thinking about the fact that winter had arrived. The upper half of my body was toasty. I ran down the road with the fields passing by and Sam enjoying every minute of the run. He found an ice patch in the ditch and decided to give ice skating a try. As he slide around still going in the direction of the farm, I was once again smiling and not thinking about my chilled legs. We made it back to he house an went our seperate ways. I went inside he house to find Brent awake but Scott had not found his way out of his room yet. He soon poked his headed out minutes after my return. I was so glad I went out on that run. Especially since the guys were just waking up as I arrived back at the house. Running in new locations is oh so refreshing.