Morning Cats

when i'm out pounding the pavement and the sun is an hour from rising, i see a lot of cats. they come in a variety of sizes, colors and personalities! probably the one thing they have in common is hunkering under a car, waiting for "their people" to wake up and feed them. they all notice my approach...some sit aloof, pretending not to care, but i see their eyes blink in tune with my footfalls. some skedaddle...they want nothing to do with this weird person sporting a blinking red light on her ankle. some rush up..."pet me! pet me!" as the morning brightens, i notice some cats crouched intently over a hole in the grass, waiting patiently for the ever elusive gopher. some pass the time patiently grooming themselves. there are cats i've petted and conversed with for years...and then suddenly they are no longer there. i'm always sad...was it a car, old age, a racoon that took them away?

i love my morning cats!

Girly Girl Running

Okay, I've sneered at them in the past, but finally had to ask myself...why? In good conscience I can't condemn something absolutely until I've tried it. And that's why I shelled out $60 and bought a...running skirt.

I've struggled with running shorts for years. I can't stand anything tight around my waist, makes it too hard to breathe right. I can't stand a bunch of fabric flapping around my legs and the feeling of constriction some shorts have. The skirt solved all those issues. It is incredibly lightweight, cut low, has built in briefs, and really "sets free" these legz that run. Nice addition is a small pocket on the side with a velcro closure.

Well, I broke in the skirt on my final 20 mile training run prior to the Twin Cities Marathon in two weeks. It's weird enough to be heading out the door into a still black morning at 5:15 on a Sunday morning to go subject my poor, aging body to 20 miles of one foot in front of the other. To be doing so with an Ace compression wrap on my knee, a blinking red light around my ankle, a tie-dyed bandana on my head, iPod earphones on my head and yes...a skirt. For once, I was grateful for the darkness, not too sure I really wanted to be seen in this get up.

Surprisingly, I found this run enjoyable from the start. My little part of the planet has been shrouded in seemingly endless days of thick fog but this particular morning presented a backdrop of stars and a crescent moon. The skirt was light weight and I felt only the occasional touch of fabric brushing the tops of my quads. As the day brightened, about six miles into the run, I began seeing people. Some cruising by in cars would jerk their heads around in surprise...others appeared not to notice. Some were smiling broadly...most likely laughing at me :-). The skirt was a winner for 20 miles, a absolutely had a wiggle in my gait as I climbed the final hill towards home.

Bottom line? I'm hooked. Next comes the dress!!!