Me and the Chief

This is just a quick check-in to affirm that I'm still alive and I'm still running. I had a lovely meeting with Chief Pocatello a couple of weeks ago when I spent a few days in the town named after him. I was visiting my sister and her family--a good time was had by all.

I met the chief on one of my morning runs. I managed to run four times in five days. One thing I love about traveling is finding trails and tracks to support my habit. I also love seeing other runners, and during this trip I had a fine time spectating at the finish line of the Pocatello Marathon. It seems like a fine race. My fabulous niece and I talked about coming back to the chief's town next year and participating instead of just looking. Hmmm. Always good to have a running goal--maybe this will be it.
Since I came back from the land of ID, I've kept busy working and running. I hadn't taken any more freelance jobs recently, as part of my attempt to find more "free" time in my life, but did succumb to the siren song of a proofreading project, which I'm currently working at in fits and starts (that is, my starts at doing this give me fits).

This morning and also last Saturday I joined my running club for its weekly fun run. Both runs were--well, FUN. I'd forgotten how much easier a run can feel when done in the company of like-minded endorphin addicts. Last week I did about six hilly miles, this week about seven flat ones.

I allotted myself 20 minutes to do this short update, and my chronograph is on 15. So, just a quick medical report: left knee is still gimpy, but on I go. Left hip: OK. Right calf: sore after the hills, but OK for now. When I run in the company of other runners I'm reminded that I'm not the only one who constantly battles the frailties that go with being an upright and sentient being. Today I heard tales of a pinched nerve from one runner, a mangled finger from another, bad knees from someone else--and on and on. Are we suckers for pain? That question may be another post.

I'll end this blog with a couple of photos from the chief's town. I'm a natural-born desert rat, so desert scenery is what draws my interest.


This is just a bush. That's all, nothing else to see here, so move along to the next photo.



And this is just an I-don't-know-what (but I'm mighty fond of it anyway).

That's it for now--time's up for me. More later, perhaps. Have a great weekend, y'all.

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