Trail walk

My wonderful boss gave me the day off today to make up for the extra travel time I incurred during what I now refer to as the Virginia episode.  I woke up and felt like doing something different, so I piled Banks into the car and off we went to Lady Bird Lake.  It was just before 6:00 when we got there, and the trail was surprisingly dark (duh….).  But there were enough runners out that we encountered someone every 30-45 seconds or so, and it felt perfectly safe. 

I have always loved the camaraderie I’ve felt with other early morning exercisers.  Any time I join a gym, I’m a 5:00 AM-er, and there is this sort of unspoken bond among us, lifting and stair-stepping and sweating while the rest of the world sleeps.  The trail is different, of course – no conversations beyond a quick “good morning,” but there is still a sense of community amid the diversity.  The solitary dog walkers, the running buddies, the dad with infant twins in a jogging stroller, for crying out loud, and, because this is Austin, the guy sitting on a bench playing a harmonica.  About 30 minutes in, the sun started to rise, the birds woke up and started singing, and the trail became a little more populated.  It was a gradual and beautiful transition, and I wished I'd brought my camera.

As we prepared to cross over the 1^st St. bridge at the 4+ mile mark, I had a sudden urge to keep going.  I believe there is a 7-mile loop and a 10-mile loop, but I’m going to have to research that.  What if I went 10 miles one day, and took off two days during the week, just to keep from getting complacent?  In any event, I am looking forward to these early morning workday trail walks.  Next time I'll remember to bring a towel for the passenger seat.