7 - sunday

this morning after church, I drove to Jamestown for my last long run of marathon training (oops, I realize I already claimed this.  apparently I can't read a calendar.  today was it for real, yo.) - a 20 miler, the same course as the one I ran last Memorial Day.  it's a beautiful spring day.  warm sunshine, blooming flowers, the works.  it's not exactly a flat course, and I had a tough run yesterday, but I was feeling good from church and the nice weather.  I was excited to get out and run.

I changed from church clothes to running gear in the bathroom of the Jamestown recreation offices, because I am a classy lady. then I took this cheeseball picture. 

the run up the east shore of the island was straight into twenty-mile-an-hour winds, easily gusting over 30.  but I was rewarded for my persistence when I reached the north tip, and had this amazing view: 

 I don't actually know these people, or else I would have traipsed into their yard to show you that you could see clear from Jamestown to Providence and that the bay was the bluest and clearest I have ever seen in my life.

after rounding the tip of the island, I turned back along North Road (funny, because I was running south).  this is a pretty lonely stretch of the run.  miles 6-10 are along the interior of the island (no pretty bay views) and pass by such charming attractions as the town dump and the highway interchange.  it's also SUPER hilly.  there was no wind here, which made the warm sunshine feel uncomfortably hot, and I began drinking more water than I had planned.  my hip flexors were getting tight from the hills, I was feeling pretty bored, and it took a lot of effort to maintain my pace.  

then I saw this:

boys and girls, these pictures are NOT zoomed in.  three fluffy-tailed fawns came bounding across the road, entering the woods just ahead of me.  they let me get this close to them!

this amazing sight was all the inspiration I needed to propel me through the tough miles.  


further down the road, the Jamestown windmill, dating to 1787:

in town, daffodils abloom:

and finally, Beavertail light at the south tip of the island.  it was FREEZING at Beavertail, so I just snapped this quick shot and hurried on my way.  I ran out of water shortly beforehand (probably because I drank so much so early out of dehydration from the heat-wind combo).  I was worried about making it back to town, but in the end I was fine. 

I did today's run a whopping 18 minutes faster than when I ran the same course last spring! not a bad little Sunday at all.