The Birds!

My run today was kind of a joke.  I did my typical 5.57 mile run at the rails but I stopped so many times—not because I was tired but because I kept getting distracted by millions of birds, the fresh scent of the ocean wafting through the trail, insects every where, a pretty lady and her two dogs, prayer flags that I stopped to read.  You name it, I stopped for it.  Still though, for all the stops I made I still finished with a decent pace.  My overall time was :44:00:35 which translates to a 7:54 minute pace.  The watch kept running.  So, that’s not a bad pace for so many stops and slow downs.

In case you haven’t noticed, today I posted a video instead of my traditional picture(s) for my running blog.  The reason for that is because the birds were going crazy at the rails today!  I’ve never seen seagulls congregate at the rails like this.  I hope the video gives you an idea of just how awesome this spectacle was to behold.

There were also millions of fiddler crabs and dragon flies.  I’ve never seen so many dragon flies at one time.  I didn’t bother to count them.  There were also gazillions of gnats out today.  I don’t know if the reason there were so many seagulls was because there were so many dragon flies?  And maybe, there were so many dragon flies because there were so many gnats…who knows?  The seagulls eat the dragon flies, the dragon flies eat the gnats, the fiddler crabs do whatever they do and, I…joined the dragonflies in eating gnats.  Sorry, I couldn’t help it.  There were too many and I tried to keep my mouth tightly closed as I ran but because of my congested nose I had to breathe in from my mouth and there went a hundred or so gnats -down into my stomach.  Yuck!  Actually, I didn’t taste the gnats.  So, they really weren’t “Yuck!”.  Its just the thought that I ate those nasty flying things.  I think you understand, right?  please?

I also saw a giant rat.  No lie!  This sucker was about 6-8 inches long without the tail.  It was on a tree, climbing down a low-lying limb that I was stooped against as I read a couple of prayer flags.  At first, I thought it was a squirrel -so it didn’t spook me.  On second look though, I realized it was a rat and I just about did a backwards flip right out of my skin.  I don’t know what it is about rats but I just cannot deal with them.  Squirrels are ok even, though, they are rodents.  Rats, though,…just give me the hibbie jibbies.

Any way, apparently, my reaction to the rat had a similar effect on it because it just about jumped out of it’s own smelly fir when I jumped.  It scampered away up the tree and I took that opportunity to get moving again.

There you have it…the adventures of a runner on a warm, muggy Tuesday evening at the rails to trails in Savannah, Ga.

Wildlife inventory:

• 1 nasty rat
• dozens of seagulls, if not millions.
• millions of crabs
• millions of dragon flies
• 2 butterflies
• 1 mocking bird
• a trillion gnats
• 1 grasshopper

links:

• my running log

Thanks for taking the time to read this running blog.

Have a great week.  Don’t get sick.  Wash your hands after using some one else’s keyboard.  Don’t kiss strangers.  Get a flu shot.

bye.

dh

10/06/2009

70 year old runs 163 marathons

this guy is awesome.

I ate gnats

I ran a gingerly 8.41 miles on a beautiful breezy evening at the rails to trails.  The temperature was a very comfortable 77 degrees with humidity at 64%.  It was perfect weather.  It could of been warmer but who’s complaining?

I took my time today while I ran because two days ago when I ran I had to walk the last mile on a 5.57 mile run.  On Tuesday, I took off too fast and kept increasing my speed…that was stupid.  Now that the weather is cooling and we’re moving into race season I’m getting a bit antsy.  I keep wanting to do every run in a sub-seven mile pace.  Today, I took an easy pace and enjoyed my run immensely.  It was sweet.  Believe it or not, I didn’t have any music during my run either.  It was just me, my feets, my heavy breathing and the million fiddler crabs that kept pace with me.

Wildlife inventory:

• 4 butterflies
• 2 dragon flies
• 1 mocking bird
• 19 crane-looking/wood stork looking birds - I have to research this bird because I do not know what its called but I saw 19 of them.
• typical million or 2 fiddler crabs
• 1 horse fly

Pictured above is me after my run.  I mucho happy.

Oh, I bet you’re wondering about the title of my running blog today, right?  At one point, my timing was off and I inhaled deeply as I ran through a cloud of gnats.  I must of eaten a couple of dozen.  Very disgusting, yes.  And, it didn’t do anything to curb my hunger.  I’m starving.  I must eat.

Links:

• my mapped run
• my running log

Thanks for reading my running blog.

bye.

dan

10/01/2009

Yesterday I ran 6.08 miles on the rails and a little off the rails.  After the rough week I had at work this run on Friday evening was heavenly, despite the suffocating humidity that wrapped itself tightly around me like a straight jacket.

As I ran, I was privileged again to another amazingly beautiful sunset out there at the rails.  You should all go out to the rails and experience one of these beautiful sunsets -at least once in your life.  Yes, that’s right.  I’m telling you to come to Savannah from where ever on God’s green earth you may be and experience a sunset at the rails to trails.  Add it to your bucket list.  And, if you visit my rails I’ll visit yours.  How’s that for a deal?

Ok, well, I didn’t see much wildlife out there.  There were not many runners or walkers out there either.  Reason for that must of been because it was Friday and the Jazz festival was starting in Forsyth Park.  I missed the Jazz festival unfortunately…dang it!

Some time later today I’m going to run about 8 miles.  Right now, its rainy outside and I just don’t feel like getting all wet and that.

Well, as you can see from the picture above, finally, they have repaved the entrance to the rtt.  Awesome.  Thank you for who ever was responsible for that.

Wildlife inventory:

• 3 dragon flies
• 1 seagull
• 2 mocking birds
• 1 gillion fiddler crabs
• 1 dog with an owner.

Links:

• my mapped course
• my running log

Thanks for taking the time to read my running blog.

Have a great, great weekend.

Dan

9/26/2009

A very muggy, soggy 5.8 mile run

I ran 5.8 miles today in and out of the rails to trails.  The temperature was 83 degrees, no wind, and, it looked & felt like it was going to rain at any moment…but it didn’t.

This 5.8 mile run felt like a 12 mile run in the heat, with no shoes on, up hill -both ways.  The air was so thick it clung to you like a wet, clammy blanket.  I was uncomfortable during the entire run, to say the least.  All in all, it was a good experience.  Now I know how much I dislike running on muggy, muggy days and, I didn’t know that before.  Knowledge is power, right?  oh yeah…

Wildlife inventory:

• 2 dragon flies
• 1 cargo ship
• 2 wasps
• 2 doves
• 1 king fisher
• 1 female grackle
• 1 hundred million fiddler crabs
• 1 moth

Exciting wildlife viewing this evening, wouldn’t you say?

Links:

• mapped course
• my running log

Thanks for taking the time to read my running blog.

Tomorrow I promise to have a more exciting running blog.  I’ve hired acrobatic midgets to run with me.

Should be fun.

later.

Dan

9/22/2009

Nice day to run near tybee island.
Here are few nice shots taken while running.

I started off on the mid-section of the RTT and when I got to the end of the trail I ran on the street to the Lazaretto Creek pier where these pics were taken.  I then turned around and ran on hwy 80 West until I got to the Ft. Pulaski entrance which is also where the RTT trail head is and around for another 3 miles on the RTT and then, got back on hwy 80 and ran to the Bull River Bridge, turned around and, ran back to the mid-section of the RTT where I finished my run.

Wildlife inventory:

• 11 grackles
• 16 seagulls
• 1 pelican
• 1 banana spider
• 1 king fisher
• 1 great egret
• 1 gazillion fiddler crabs
• 3 doves
• 2 twin babies on a two-kid stroller

Links:

• mapped run route
• my running log

thanks for taking the time to read this thing.

9/18/2009
Dan

 Desert RATS (Race Across The Sand)

Things that go bump in the dark

This evening, the dark snuck up on me as I ran at the rails.  I ran my traditional 5.57 miles in :42:14:02.  The temperature was 81 and the humidity was at 79%. 

The reason it got dark on me while running was because I had a doctor’s appointment after work, went home changed clothes and took off for the rails.  When I arrived at the rails I ran into a running buddy who had just finished his run and we ended up talking for about 15 minutes about upcoming races, our training, pace, old man body aches, yada, yada.

Basically, because I started so late (about 7:40), I had the whole rails to myself -which I happen to like.  It was a nice, easy run.  I enjoyed my music, the millions of crabs scurrying away from me as I ran through heavy clusters here and there of these little sea roaches.  Ahh, speaking of the sea, There was this pleasant rich salty ocean smell wafting through the trail.  It was nice.  There were also a lot of gnats.  The gnats were terrible.  They kept sticking to my sweaty body as I ran especially, my face.  I kept having to wipe them off my face as I ran.  That part did suck. 

So, other than the gnats, the run was awesome.

Well, as I stated earlier, the night snuck up on me while I ran but the trail was slightly illuminated by the stars or a moon (if it was out).  There was enough light for me to see the white, pebbly trails as I ran.  Also, more than a few times, some small (cat to raccoon-sized) furry little creatures kept zig zagging and darting across the trail in front of me as I ran.  That was pretty cool and a little spooky, I’ll admit.  A few times these huge shadows flew by and I could vaguely tell that they were some kind of heron or crane.  The birds spooked me more than the furry little mammals at the rails.  Its amazing how lively the rails gets at night.

wildlife inventory:

• 1 grasshopper
• 2 rabbits
• 11 seagulls
• 2 dragon flies
• a whole bunch of furry little creatures at night.
• a few shadowy birds scaring the crap out of me.
• a few million fiddler crabs.

Links:

• my running log

Thanks for taking the time to read my running blog.

dan

9/17/2009