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Didja see that?!? It kinda hurt!

What a trail run!  I've written about how fun trail runs are before, but last night's was the epitome of San Angelo trail running for me. 
It was the San Angelo Road Lizards Christmas Light Run.  Now, I don't know if that's an annual thing or something that Kent thought up but that's how it went.  Out of the seven of us, only two didn't have lights.  Yeash... I was one of the bah humbugs so I had to tuck in with the more well-lit runners of the group. 
Kent being festive
Photo Credit: Dennis Hall
I've been in a bit of a funk the last couple of weeks, not really wanting to run.  Looking at some of the civilians at work with the giant guts in envy.  "If only I could just stop caring about the shape I'm in."  I had to talk myself into heading out the door.  That being said, I don't think I ever remember regretting going for a run.  I never seem to come back thinking "Man, I shouldn't have done that." 
With that in mind, I showed up to the run just waiting to see what it would bring. 
Adventure, that's what it brought.  It rained earlier in the day so we were expecting a mud run as much as a trail run.  We weren't disappointed.  Shortly after starting, we split into runners and walkers.  At about 3/4 of a mile, there was a small pine tree decked out for Christmas.  I hear that was Bill Cullins' doing. 
I've been out there dozens of times and yet I still don't quite trust my sense of direction after a couple of miles.  That's in the light.  Turns out that when I'm spending most of my time starting at the ground to ensure I don't trip on rocks or uneven ground, I don't much know where I am.  Apparently either does Kent.  Balde got us to a familiar area after two miles, but that wasn't enough for Kent.  So, he took us off in another direction.  Not quite sure where, and I'm not even sure we were on a real trail for portions.  The good thing is that none of us bit it.  There were some slippery sections that seemed to sneak up on us.  We even found a spot where cars had been mudding and it was nearly ankle deep.  The type of mud that would pull your shoe off if it isn't tied tightly enough. 
I'm not quite sure how it happened, but we ended up on the trail that leads to the buttes.  And, uh, we found some puddles.  I was following Kent and Dennis pretty closely and heard them say something.  Problem is, I didn't catch what it was until it was too late.  I stepped and slid right into a a puddle.  At least my left shoe got washed.  It really didn't matter a bit later when we found a puddle that covered the entire trail.  Both shoes got washed then.  We eventually "hoo dee hoo'd" enough to find the walker group and took the "short cut" back.  Upon finishing, we saw that all of us were covered in mud up to our mid thighs.
Mike and I post run
photo credit: Dennis Hall
I think part of the fun is re-living childhood woods exploration.  Just like back then, I'd come home muddy and typically scraped up but happy.  We crack jokes, tell stories, and talk about family.  Unlike when I was a child, we ended the run with a beer.  Lobo Negro, to be exact.  It was a great way to cap my 2017 with the Road Lizards.  Last year I ran the G2G 22 miler around Thanksgiving.  This year, I have a 16 mile G2M run on Christmas Eve.  Enjoy your holidays everyone!
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