Running in Place (back home)

I don't think I've actually written about running in Michigan just yet.  Let's remedy that.  My brother Andy got married on June 29 and asked me to be one of the groomsmen.  Since the wedding was shortly before the long holiday weekend, Mila and I decided to stay and relax for a bit.
The wedding weekend itself was fantastic. We saw family, played golf horribly, played wiffleball

better (especially David), got in a bit of trouble, sweated in the sun during the service, and danced like fools at the reception.  Two of my all-time favorite days have been my brothers' weddings. 

Andy and Amy's first dance

beautiful setting for the wedding (photo credit: Amy Stieve, check out her work on her Instagram.)

Mila and Scott

some CWB action

I only ran a couple of times during our time in Michigan, but we went on quite a few hikes.  We started with a tour of the area behind the house I grew up in.  There's a path that leads to the Flint river AND a sweet sledding hill.  As a kid, it seemed a long trek (especially when snow was knee deep) and I've always identified with Calvin and Hobbes' adventures in the woods.  In truth, it was roughly 1/2 mile back there.

Mila and Mar.  You can just about see Calvin and Hobbes off the path

poor guy was getting torn up by flies

Unfortunately, there is a lot of utility work going on around the area.  It seems that they are replacing or refurbing gas lines and have torn up a lot of the area.  We couldn't even get back to see the river.  The sledding hill looks to be in danger too.Remember, I didn't run much before I moved to San Antonio.  I remember running during soccer practice and a few training run before leaving for basic training.  Of course, my "long run" was 2 miles back then.  So, I didn't know much about the local Davison/Flint running scene.  I certainly didn't know good spots to run in.  Mar told me that a path from Genesee into Flint had been extended to nearly right behind our house.  Of course, I had to try it.

not the greatest sign to see as you're getting
ready to step off

I decide to go on an easy run as I'd been indulging the few days before.  After a mile or so on the road, I found the path.  If it weren't for the excessive bugs, it would have been an amazing run.  Even still, I had a good time exploring the trail.

the start of the trail

a cool looking bridge

it WAS muggy and buggy but I enjoyed the run

The next day I decided to go to another entrance of the same path.  The goal, while getting in 800m repeats, was to get as close to Flint as possible.  I figured I could at least get to Stepping Stone Falls.  I was wrong.  The trail wound around Mott Lake and several small parks in the area.  Not knowing exactly where I was (and with tree and cloud cover messing with my GPS) I just tried to stick close to the lake.  No land nav fails here!

This park had a nice memorial for Genesee county vets

Chair!  (it didn't tempt me)

I found a couple bunnies

new hat and Mott Lake in the background

I don't know exactly how I did in keeping to my workout schedule as my GPS was going haywire.  In any case, I felt good and enjoyed the run.  I only wish I would have known about this place (and started running) while I still lived in the area.
We left mid-Michigan and spent a few days in the Northern Lower Peninsula.  It's beautiful up there and we went to take advantage of the weather and check out some of the lakes.
Mila and I went to Sleeping Bear Dunes, which is a National Lakeshore.  Scott had previously told me to not take the trail, as it is hardly worth it to make it all the way to a small beach.  As we walked up we saw this straight in front of us...

...and a paved "heritage trail" leading to the left.  Well, Scott had said don't take the trail and I obviously wasn't thinking clearly, so we headed straight up that sand dune.  I told Mila that I'd do some sprints up the hill. Silly me.  I did do 3, but I could only muster up about 25 seconds at a time.

Mila's down there somewhere

Well, it was nearly 2 miles.  And it was tough!

But the beach we found wasn't so bad.

it was just small.

The next day, we went to Petoskey State Park in search of petoskey stones.  It was much cooler that day, in the 50 during the morning, and there was some intermittent rain as well.  While there, we found that there were plenty of trails to hike in the park.

We walked the beach for a while, looking for petoskey stones.  I did find one, but it wasn't picture perfect.  Neither am I, so it was good enough to take home.

The trip was fantastic and we certainly didn't want to leave.  Here comes the "what I learned from this trip" part.  Going back home is always interesting to me.  Even after 11 years, I still kind of expect most things to be the same.  I always look for familiar faces.  This time I caught myself looking at the wrong generation in search of old acquaintances.  I was looking at people in their early to mid 20s.  Those people were in elementary school when I left.  My mom pointed out that my memory about my childhood seems to be pretty awful.  There were more than a few times when she would start a sentence with "Do you remember when..." and I would respond with a blank stare or shrugged shoulders.  I wonder how much of this can be chalked up to poor memory and how much is almost willful.  Not exactly my childhood, but the fact that after I left, I did my best to rehab the self image I had.  Part of the reason that I joined the Air Force (and didn't go work in a factory like my grandma wanted) was that I knew that I could be better.  I had been more or less spinning my wheels for a few years while watching my brothers and some of my friends (certainly not all) having success and moving forward with their lives.  I wanted to make not only myself, but those that cared about me proud.  I wonder if this plays a part in my forgetfulness.  I'm not sure it does, but it was something I mulled over while running.
Next on the calendar is the Southland Shuffle 6 miler on August 17th.  That's tentative though as I have a ceremony and formal dinner the night before.  If everything goes well, my goal is 50 minutes.