Adventure

Another weekend another adventure…

This past weekend our adventure was to run the length of the Guana River Wildlife Management area

A meandering dirt road trek of 10.5ish miles…. Then run back…  21 miles total

Ya know a good thing about winter is that we her in the south do not have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn to train like we do in the summer…

We can sleep in a bit…  and then enjoy almost perfect training weather

Saturday was no different.

The Northern entrance of the park was closed due to hunting season

We did not give up, however, and drove to the south entrance to the park.

We parked…  took a quick photo…   okay we took three pictures and this was the *least* goofy looking one

We were not at the height of photogenicity at 0900

We started shuffling up the road into the preserve anyway.  About a mile later we came upon the ranger to whom all hunters were to report…  and although we were unarmed… un trucked and un camouflaged… we still checked in.

Now at this point in the story I should explain…  I wanted to take pictures of the hunters and of this ranger…  only I have a rule…  never shoot at anyone who is armed…  even with a camera…. Lest I get shot at too

This ranger who looked for all the world like Slim Pickens and sounded a little like him too gave us passage but warned us sternly to stay on the road and out of the woods…  He said it like 3 times…  and while I enjoyed his drawl…  once and a shotgun in a zipper case behind him were all the warning I needed.

A couple of bends in the road later we heard a smattering of gunfire…  a mile or so further along we saw a few shells.

Not too much further along we saw some of the brave and hearty hunters…  a pickup going 5 MPH with two fellas sitting in folding chairs in the back…  and steely gazes…  ready to gun down any rabbits or squirrels who got out of line…  or better put who got in the line of fire.

I sure did want to take their picture but rules is rules

Being a long day out there…  Judi fielded a few calls

In a bit over four hours we trekked 21 miles…  mostly slow running…  at times at a fast walk…  at other times just walking.

We did see a dozen or so hunters…  all of whom looked a bit displeased with us for invading their kill zone.

An absolutely fabulous day to be outside

And what do you buy your favorite little runner after a really long run?

That's right…  a really big beer.

Oh yeah!  I got one too…  complete with wino bag

We followed up Saturday with a nice negative split 9 miler on Sunday.

I'm feeling like we are on track.