The Ozarks...not my running friend

So I went back to Fayetteville, Arkansas (go hogs!) last weekend. I was in town to host a baby shower (yes, it did go well thank you!). While I was there I thought, "I shouldn't spend the whole weekend just eating and hanging out I should workout at least twice." Which was a great in theory, I mean I had all the right motives. Did Fayetteville reward me for making the effort to include physical fitness into my trip - no, no it did not.

I got up Friday morning and went to Ricks bakery for a sausage roll, yeah i know that wasn't the best idea before a run but I needed one ok, and then headed to Wilson park for a run. Wilson park has this beautiful trail all around the park that is flanked with old trees and there's a little creek. Now, Wilson Park might be down right pretty but it definitely is not flat. I mean Fayetteville is in the Ozarks for crying out loud. You know what we don't have in Dallas - The Ozarks. So I have not been running up any hills to speak of unless they have been associated with the incline number on my treadmill - not. the. same. So here comes the first hill (feel free to close your eyes and imagine this with me) and I am not worried at all, until I get about a third of the way up the hill and realize that I am no longer breathing and it feels like the mob just made me some cement shoes to wear before they threw me into the lake.

But that wasn't even all Fayetteville had to throw at me! There was a storm blowing in - and blowing is an understatement. The wind tunnel I was running through was literally pushing me off of the sidewalk, seriously off of the trail. Bad. News. I might have been a little frustrated at this point but I was listening to a sermon Jennifer gave at one of the Tuesday night bible studies and that was keeping me in line. Good thing because the combo of the wind and the hills brought trial number three to my run....I lost my keys. I will say I did not wisely place my keys in a safe spot - I tied the rinky dink keychain to my shoelaces. I was about to finish my first lap of the six, I was planning on making, and looked down at my shoe to find nothing but the keychain. This does not make me feel good but I took a deep breath and turned around to retrace my steps. The "re-tracing my steps" move is the one where you walk real slow and look every which direction, stopping randomly to check something that glittered in the grass that turns out to be a coke can tab, you know the one where everyone who passes you gives you the "that sucks" face. Real fun. So, I walk a good third of the way back around the park and this sweet little lady stops me and asks if I am looking for something - I smile, nod and swallow my sarcastic thoughts of "Nothing in particular, I am real big into treasure hunts". Well this sweet lady says "Is it this key?" to which I reply " Yes! Yes, thank you so so much I really appreciate it!" and she replies with empathy of how she knows what it feels like to misplace something. Thanks, yup I'm old.

So in conclusion, Hills + Wind + Loosing Keys = dominated