Rollin' Run at Leapfrog Flats

The inspiration for today's title
was found in front of the
Lake Storey Pavilion.

 The invitation was there on Facebook, open to any and all who might stumble across it: Fun run tomorrow (wednesday) morning at the Lake Storey Trail. Meet at 6 am at the parking lot by the boat ramp on 150. Hope to see everyone there!

The fine folks at Go Outside and Play have been organizing a variety of runs for their FB friends (or anyone who hears about them through the grapevine or just wanders by at the right place and time). There's a Burgers and Beer Fun Run, the Sole Sisters (women only) run/walk -- both monthly -- and the weekly Lake Storey Fun Run.

I thought I'd be able to enjoy my first B&B run Monday, but I didn't pay attention to my work schedule and discovered when I arrived at 9 a.m. that I was working the 2-11 p.m. shift. D'Oh! No burgers, no beer, no run, no fun. :(

But last night as I sat watching "The Outlaw Josey Wales" with one eye and perusing FB posts with the other, I noticed the reminder/invite for this morning's run. Especially of interest to me was a comment by one Ted Bevenour who guaranteed his attendance. I guess he qualified that commitment in the next sentence when he asked whether the group runs in the rain. I've never met Ted, but he's a good friend with my good friend Kent Kriegshauser, former Register-Mail photographer now going solo. Check out the website those two guys crafted to showcase Kent's new business.

Well, it wasn't raining at 6 when I arrived at the east boat ramp at the lake, just behind Nick and Jason (didn't get his last name). They ran to the starting point; I biked. We chatted a bit and waited a few minutes to see if anyone else would show. Pretty soon Carmen (another runner with no last name) rode up. Yea! Another bicyclist! Alas, no Ted. Maybe next time.

Carmen, hidden left, Jason and Nick round a bend near the
west end of the Lake Storey trail.

Off we trotted along the Lake Storey walking/jogging/biking path, which connects the east boat ramp to the west and beyond (it ends at South Lake Storey Road, across from Carl Sandburg College). The path is 5 miles round-trip, That's 5 miles of up and down through woods and along the edges of grassy fields with beautiful views of the lake along the way. As Nick put it, "It's about as hilly as you're gonna get around here." It ain't the mountains, but it's a workout (at least for a 45-year-old who's only been at it for a year).

Jason and Carmen took the lead and Nick and I lagged a little. But Nick was just getting warmed up and soon the trio pulled away from me. I think by the turnaround they were about 3/4 mile or a mile ahead of me and stayed there to the end. You could call me the tortoise locomotive: slow and steady and chugging loudly. I stopped three times to snap photos with my phone but there was nothing to pick up along the path. I think that's a good thing, though there's still plenty of trash strewn about Lake Storey.

My puny cellphone wasn't up to this task, but I tried. Dead center at the lip of the spillway stands a blue heron.
At right, just below the lip of the spillway, a family of ducks was making its way across the flowing water.

I did, however, find some things on the trip home. The list, as always, is below. In addition to that stuff, I added a decent crescent wrench found in the street last night and a spring-clip with a red cloth that was lying in the middle of Main Street as I rode to work (stopping to pick it up in the middle of the intersection almost got me run over, though). The clip and cloth I think must have been someone's flag for a long load sticking out of a truck or trunk. Well, it's mine now. Speaking of finders keepers, I spotted something interested yesterday and a follow-up visit to the same locale showed the object still in place today. If it is there on my next run, you'll read about it and its new owner here.

Today's Stats
Temp: 63 degrees F
Distance: 5 miles (plus 7.2 miles by bike)
Weekly Total: 8.5
Treasure: 1 child's sippy cup, pink (with a wee bit of milk still in it); 1 home-burned CD, Wiz Khalifa; 18 cans.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)
Sheila - Morphine
Tin Man - America
Cool Blue Reason - Cake
That's The Way (live) - Led Zeppelin
Vision Reflection - Wrigleyville Band
Streetcorner Symphony - Rob Thomas
Poles Apart - Pink Floyd
Sinner's Prayer - Eric Clapton
Come Running - Van Morrison
Buena - Morphine
Peace On Earth - U2
I Live For You - George Harrison
If I Fell (Beatles cover) - Evan Rachel Wood (Across the Universe soundtrack)