I ran 9 miles yesterday. So you know I’ve been taking time off from blogging, not from running. I certainly haven’t run or cross-trained as much as I planned in the last two weeks, but sickness and a tax deadline will do that to you.

Yesterday was an amazing, gorgeous, perfect October day. It was almost 75 degrees in Oakley (hot!), but with a really strong wind that made the run seem cooler.

I tried this new thing (for me). I carried a water bottle with electrolyte drink in it for 1 mile, left it in a little ditch next to a stop sign, then ran the rest of my usual long-run route. When I got back to the water bottle, I took my gulps as it was the appropriate time for that, then ran the other direction, turned around, and got back to the bottle at…just the right time for another couple of gulps! I carried it 1 mile toward home, at which point there’s an advantageous intersection a couple of hundred feet from my house with a railing in which to store said water bottle. Then I took off in the other direction again, turned around, and picked up my water bottle right before starting my short walk toward home. This was MUCH better than carrying a waist pack or trying to carry my bottle the whole way…and I had fun throwing the bottle from hand to hand when I needed to.

I have to say, knowing me, I’d be weary of doing this in a big-city setting. I’d do it in Park City, and obviously have no problem doing it in Oakley. But in a big city, I think I’d be weary of someone messing with my liquid. But around here, putting a big sticker on my bottle that says ‘Please don’t take me, my owner is coming back for me! Thanks!’ gives me plenty of assurance that no one is going to mess with it. And I love that.

By the way, it creeps me out when cows stare at me while I run past their fields. Especially twin cows who turn in unison to watch me. And all their friends. And then they moo at me. And come toward the fence to watch me. Creepy cows.