Night Runs

Last week, it finally hit me - I've been spending so much time sitting down on my ass, that it was becoming progressively harder to be active.  This computer is only a small part of the problem - I can spend all day reading the news of other people doing things, read the opinions of other people writing things, and basically read about all sorts of people having an active life.  You know, going outside.  Walking.  Bicycling.  Running.  Skiing.  Climbing.  Being social.

So for my first run of the new year, I pulled on the shoes and grabbed the headlamps.  It was 8:00pm in the Pacific Northwest, so it was well past dark.  One of the smaller headlamps, loosened up, works great as a "here-I-am" tool for Neo, so he got one around his neck.  I held a second one in my hand, and we headed down to the local larger-sized Lincoln City Park.

Situated on the waterfront, with a wood covered bluff, Lincoln creates a perfect 3-mile loop if you park just a few blocks away at neighboring Loughman Park.  A brief 5-minute warm up on pavement into the park set us up for the run up the bluff's dirt trail, a steep series of stairs and switch backs, and then we followed a series of unmaintained "use trails" that link grassy glades through knee-high dense brush.  The entire world slipped by as our attention focused on the trail in view of the headlamp's glow.  Back onto pavement to follow a ramp back down to the waterfront, then turned to the right, to follow the waves back home.

There's a dog here!  I know it!

Statistics:  Loughman-Lincoln Park clockwise loop.  3 miles, 150' elevation gained and lost.