Day 16

So, turns out I can run again. Like run on terrain, even. Pretty nice discovery, but the way I found this out? SUCKED.

We hiked the base trail this morning, as planned - 3.5 miles, mostly in the shade, very nice. About halfway through, though, I felt something crawling on my ankle. I did a panicky little dance and shook off this big, black bug - it wasn't a wasp or a horsefly, but it was big and loud ... and it liked me a lot. The same damn bug tailed me for almost half a mile, and kept trying to land on my legs - damn thing even stung me! Right on the butt, too ... not dignified! Trying to wave it away only seemed to piss it off, and it started going for my face and chest ... and that's when I just started running. As fast as I could, rocks and incline be damned - I was getting outta there. I'm sure I was quite a spectacle, running and thrashing and swearing like I was, but even with all that Mom said she could see the damn bug following me down the path!

Finally, we broke some small branches off and used them as flails to try and clear the airspace around me. For the rest of the hike, though, I always had at least one of those damn bugs tailing me and trying to land on me, and I got a few more bites. It was on the western side of the mountain, too, where the sun hadn't reached, so it was actually kind of creepy. I felt like there should be a lurking killer somewhere by the path, except bug-oriented somehow. The Stinging Slasher, or something equally cornball. And it was really just a handful of bugs tormenting me! Mom (in a totally un-timely conversation tangent) started wondering aloud how bad it would be to get swarmed by bugs. Definitely didn't help my mindset. ><

Next time, you can be damn sure I'm bringing bug spray. Hell, I'll load up a water gun with bug spray, add on a gunsight, and snipe the bastards outta the air. I'm not afraid of bugs, in general, but when they get in my space and start screwing with me, I HATE them. My panic-sprints did give me a little interval training, I suppose, and cut my 3.5 mile hike from our estimated two hours to just under one and a half. Not too shabby for a non-runner, eh?

After that, my free cardio and yoga class were completely exhausting - I came home and crashed, woke up long enough to eat some turkey roll-ups and a cup of broccoli-cheddar pepper soup, then crashed again. I got up in time to run some errands and work in one more free cardio for the day. We did finally decide that doing strength training everyday was part of what was sapping me - I need a day in between for the muscles to heal and strengthen before I hit it again. Should make my weeks a little less exhausting.

The rest of the week should be pretty great - got another amazing Friday lined up, including all my fave workouts and little more massage time; then, Saturday, we're spending the afternoon with the Sterns at a mutual friend's pool (while said mutual friend is out of town, mind you). It's a hell of a set-up - saltwater pool with fountain, spa-styled backyard, amazing sound system ... I may even indulge and have a beer or two to really do it up right!

Pardon the short posts, guys ... without as much glucose in my system as I'm used to, I'm a tiny bit less skilled with my words as of late. Bread may be responsible for my graduating GPA, I suspect ... ah well. I'll adapt. In the meantime, that's all for today; until tomorrow, all!