Of Course :)

When you ask Bucky, "Do you have time to do a dangerous mission with me tomorrow around 10:30 or 11?", and you get the reply you expect, "What's the mission?  I believe I have time."  💖😎

So, yesterday, Rick and I had walked out to the Ledges Trail in Riverlands to leaf blow the trail.  When Jedi and I had been out there two weeks ago, the oak leaves and acorns made for a very treacherous down.  This would make any fall runs much safer and give us a head start on the trail maintenance for the race.  

I don't know why I wore my glasses.  Leaf blowing on a steeper up section, the debris was more than I wanted to breathe in, so I pulled up my mask.  My glasses promptly fogged up so I stashed them in a pocket of my vest.  Rick and I switched on and off with the blowing and hauling duties.  At one point, he took the blower and told me to put my pack on straight.  When I'd taken off my hoodie, I hadn't secured the straps; it was sort of dangling off of one arm.

Fast forward to our trudging back the ATV trail.  I felt for my glasses in the pack.  Shit.  Shit.  Shit!  We were probably a mile and a half from where they were.  As it was we were going to be racing the dark, no time to search for them.  They are expensive progressives and I don't have a spare.  I told Rick I'd go back the next day to look.

 I don't really ever run where there's deer hunting during rifle season.  I decided if I went around 11, the early morning hunters would be leaving and the afternoon hunters wouldn't have started yet.  It made me feel better.  Still, I wanted some company.  Two people wearing orange and talking are much less likely to me mistaken for a deer.  Of course I thought of Bucky.  I don't know if he knew what the weather was supposed to be.  I didn't realize the night's rain was going to continue most of Monday.  Or that it was going to be hard rain.

As the rain pounded on the roof while I was trying to figure out what I was going to wear, I heard the rumble of thunder.  I feel like I could have sounded like Boromir when they were in Moria, "They have a cave troll."  And we have lightning.  Now, there are more pleasant runs than 35 degrees and heavy rain, but that adds to the adventure.  Lightning?  I could do without, but I didn't even think once that Bucky would back out.

I pulled into the empty Riverlands parking lot (I always think Start/Finish area) followed right behind by Bucky's truck.  I dug into my bag looking for the orange rain jacket I had decided on.  Throw every thing out of the bag, no jacket.  That left me with a short sleeved shirt.  At least it was a crazy pink (probably as good as hunter's orange).  The thermometer said 35.  The rain said it would feel colder.  I decided I would wear my hoodie till I warmed up or it got to soggy, which ever came first.

I got out to tell Bucky about not having a jacket.  He just had a light windbreaker, also not orange. And he was wearing shorts and didn't bring gloves.  Oh, yeah, experienced runners, but not showing it. 😂 At least, the no other cars in the parking backed up our theory there were no hunters out in this weather.

The rain stayed at medium to hard throughout.  And we did have the rumbles of thunder, but it didn't feel close.  At least we weren't exposed up above timberline.  As we ran along, I was compelled (compulsed?) to work on draining the large puddles.  Bucky joined in.  It really is fun and rewarding when you successfully get the puddle to drain.  Trail running is for big kids!

About a mile before Middle Earth, we started to pay attention, looking for my glasses, which, of course, are a very pale, sage green, but I was pretty sure it was on the Ledges where I'd let the pack dangle off me.  When we reached the stairs,  I started up first because Bucky needed to pee.  As I was scouring the ground, I decided on the way down, we should each take a side to focus on.  I turned back to tell Bucky.  He was going slowly looking intently for my glasses.  It made me smile.  

Finally we were on the last up, the steep stairs to Ridge.  Almost to the top, I shrieked in delight!  My glasses!!!  I was glad that Bucky was then in the lead on the way down so he was able to enjoy a quicker pace.  It was good we were able to pick up the pace.  The walking while searching allowed us to get cold.  I was surprised by how cold my wrists could be.  

I told Bucky about a Norwegian saying that goes something like, "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing."  And we had bad clothing, for the weather any way.  Oh well, we were having fun, still playing in the puddles on the way back.  

At some point, I did say my toes were finally cold.  Bucky, rightly, told me to harden the fuck up.  Yep.  Although, there is a difference between complaining and stating a fact ;)  I also had to stop to empty my shoe.  All the puddle maintenance had allowed a lot of shit to get in there.  

Bucky commented that he did wish he'd have been the one to find the glasses to feel like he was needed.  I assured him he was.  I would have braved the weather, but probably not hunting season by myself, so, in essence, he's the reason I have my glasses back!

In the parking lot, my Coros said 6.9 miles.  Bucky said as much as he enjoyed my company he was getting into his truck and changing into dry clothes.  I was not offended.  In fact, I needed to do the same, well, in my car.  Unfortunately, the hoodie I was going to put on after was soaked.  That's ok, the dry shirt and pants with the heater on high warmed me up mostly.  Although, somehow that chill set in about 15 minutes from home.  I think it was my profoundly wet hair.  I went immediately into a hot shower.  That did the trick.

Great run.  Thank you, Bucky!!!

Puddle work

The beginning of Ledges

Eureka!