calling Patsy Cline*

i was clearing my desk (i.e., the lovely antique dining table i've partially co-opted because one person really doesn't need all that space for food, even me, although someone suggested it could be less messy) yesterday of miscellaneous stuff, including the most recent weekly free paper. i think it's the gazette. i don't know. it usually ends up sitting wherever it lands, in the driveway and/or yard, until i mow the yard or put the recycling out, whichever comes first. i probably miss a lot of local culture this way. nonetheless, i brought this edition inside and discovered there was a 5k run at my usual neighborhood "running" location. of course, it was mid-Saturday afternoon, and i had missed the morning run. no worries, there was another one today, just up the road a piece. i hemmed and hawed and hemmed some more. (sadly, no pants were shortened during this period of hemming.)

they had me at "whooping crane." i overheard many remarks today about how cute it was that the cranes were wearing running shoes. clearly, these cranes had never had to run the almost entirely uphill course. but in all seriousness, the history of the Patuxent Research Refuge and, in particular, its role in the attempt to rescue the Whooping Crane from extinction is very interesting. i know that there is ongoing debate as to the role of humans in saving and/or causing extinction of other species. i'd welcome your thoughts on any aspect of this debate. what's that PSA? the more you know ...

in any event (ha), i decided if i woke up this morning and Diana Nyad was still swimming from Cuba to Florida again (and i had time to feed the dog and cats and make it to the Refuge on time), i'd do the run. she was stung by Portuguese Man O'War twice. she encountered a pelagic white tip shark. she was still swimming. by the way, pelagic is one of my both favorite and simultaneously frightening words ever (thank you, HSUS internship). i fed the dog and cats, stopped by mickeyD's for an egg mcmuffin and coffee (they gave me a sausage egg muffin - NOT the same. sad jenn.) and arrived at the Refuge.

UNEXPLODED MUNITIONS. LYME DISEASE. UNEXPLODED MUNITIONS. (and don't forget the overabundance of mosquitoes breeding in our unexpectedly damp August-September: WEST NILE VIRUS.) fortunately, i am an unlicensed lawyer (disclaimer: this means NOTHING. it is only meant to be FUNNY. if you did not smile, GO AWAY.), so i ignored the waiver of liability and persevered. naturally, i stayed EXACTLY on the course. i spoke to at least four other people, three of whom responded. i jogged very slowly UPHILL with a larger than i would have liked amount of walking. and i FINISHED (38:29, also a PW: personal worst). this is the third 5k i've run in my entire life, and the first i've run without knowing any other runners and/or spectators. i really would just like to say THANK YOU to the people who clap and cheer at the finish line for every single person who is completing the race. i would also like to say something else to the people who run the course twice while others are still finishing just because they can and it's there. RUDE. (but not all of them. some are actually quite cognizant of, and kind to, the other racers.) For the interwebs record, i was still beaten by a <10 yo kid.

yes, at this point, i am not only wearing a blue bandage on my finger (unrelated, ripped nail injury), but trying not to drop the orange slice and just generally being glad i did not need the ambulance. that sub-30 5k goal before 11/13 may be a bit harder than anticipated. if i could only figure out this concept of intervals training. 

* clearly, i'm a little crazy, based on this morning's activities. if you see another application of these particular lyrics, feel free to comment.