Strange sightings

So I think I'm training for a marathon.  That's right, think.  I'm back to my active self, but still don't have a race season nailed down and haven't been terribly motivated to do so.  Don't know if that's because we've been really busy lately with kids and life and Altra, or because maybe we'll have another kid and I'm not letting myself get too used to the idea of racing.  Who knows.

 Anyway, because I think I'm training for a marathon I've been running a lot lately.  My bike was out for an entire 5 weeks and I rode the other bike on the trainer maybe 5 times, and it showed at Icebreaker this year.  Boo!!  That's what I get for not cycling I guess.  It was hard to not feel fast, to feel like I didn't have any power, to feel like I didn't uphold people's thoughts that were so confident in me and sweet, saying things before the race to the effect of I was going to win.  But anyway, I've been enjoying running, so that's what I've been doing.  Started building my long runs up from about 8 miles back in January and have run a 14, 16, 18, and today 20 since then.

I won't lie, the 20 hurt.  I felt ok the first 8 or so on a new canal road route I found - I love canal roads by the way, dirt which is better for the joints, quiet, no cars, very nice.  Then while thinking about how great this new canal road was I found and how I'd gone a whole 8 miles without a gate or fence or anything, this comes along:

That's right, bulls

 Kind of funny eh?  Must have been low on calories or hot or something (it was SO warm today (I ran Thursday), I was literally too warm the entire run in my shorts and tank top) because I just kind of stopped and stared at the sign and pondered what to do for like 2 minutes.  Decided not to chance it as I could see a gate on the other side and I was definitely going to have to climb over it, so went onto the street and ran a chunk of road till I could turn around. 
I ran with a tailwind to start which I never like doing, but I figured "I'm running, not on a bike, how bad could it be?"  Answer:  not horrible, but not so much fun.  My legs did fine, I've been battling some piriformus irritation and some weird stiff sore knees, but they didn't bug me during the run, the lactic acid didn't really build up (till I was done and walking home anyway, then Jer told me I looked like an old woman, it was true, and my muscles have been so sore and tender/DOMS since), but ironically the top of my foot hurt the whole time, like my shoe was laced too tight or had a rock in it or something, but no, nothing wrong.  I've been running in my Kinvara's for a while, waiting for my new pair of Intuitions to come in this week (I've had a pair to wear over the last year, but I've had to share them a bit), and I'm definitely tired of the Kinvara's and welcoming back the Zero Drop Intuitions.  Can't wait!  They really are an amazing shoe.

So carrying on, I finally refilled my bottles at 16 miles and that cold water tasted SO good!  On my way home I happened on some interesting graffiti.  A bit strange for sure

Believe in Life.  Why thank you gangsters for the uplifting message at mile 18  :)

Anyway, sorry, this is turning into way too long of a post to say "I ran 20 miles, it was hard, it was hot, it was windy, it was hard to keep going sometimes, my foot hurt, I ran into a bull warning sign as well as some positive graffiti and am now sore as they come"  Yes, that was much simpler  :)