A Sweaty Day

A few weeks ago, Rebecca and I decided to trot to the University District for our run.  We thought this would be a long, exhausting trek, but that the idea of lunch at a favorite restaurant at the end of our exertions would be a lovely reward, a light at the end of a sweaty tunnel. Instead of running in a big circle, it is fun to have a destination.  A circle, however, has the advantage of ending up where it began.  We had no desire to run back from the U District, i.e., straight up a giant hill, so our plan was to jog there, visit the magazine store and a used book shop, have lunch, and then take the bus home. Well, our run took no time at all, and when we arrived, Rebecca’s fancy little watch told us that we had gone two and a half miles.  In other words, waaay less than we expected and not nearly as far as we normally go even on a bad day.  “Let’s do it again”, Rebecca suggested, “but next, time, we’ll go a different route.”  Our route was definitely different.  We went through the Arboretum, circling around on horrible rough trails, gravely service roads with giant gravel, and then across Foster Island, which, while usually a pleasant walk, seemed now to have become an icky swamp.

Horrible rough trail

Icky swamp where someone lost a flip flop!

 Not only was there horrible icky swamp, but in several places, the trail was submerged.  The under age ten set thought that this was wonderful, but I was less enthusiastic.