The best run of my LIFE

Y'all. I just went on the most incredible, refreshing, adrenaline filled run of my LIFE. For reals. I think we all know I'm not very prone to hyperbole--so believe me when I say it truly was the BEST run I have ever been on.

What made it so wonderful? Well. That, my friends, is a combination of many factors. Of which I will obviously share right now. But the main point is that it was the kind of run that reminds me why I run. Why anybody runs, really.

For starters, it's like 70 degrees outside, which in these parts hasn't been experienced for about 6 months. First time to wear shorts outside this year! Woo! (I mentioned that to Chris before I left, and he looked at my alabaster legs and said, "Yeah, I can tell." Rude. Plus, joke's on him, because they look like that in August too.)

The weather was perfectly perfect. I was never too hot, but never cold. I couldn't have asked for a better climate.

This was also a spiritual run, meaning I recited the Book of Mormon in my head over and over, because I have it memorized. APRIL FOOLS, that really means that I went without a plan. Most of the time I plan a route, and have a rough, if not an exact, idea of how many miles it is. But sometimes I let the spirit guide me and I just GO. This was one of those, and oh boy was it great.

I ran through neighborhoods I had never seen before, and they basically charmed the pants off me. But once those kids saw me and yelled, "Mom, there's a lady out here with no pants on!" I ran away really fast. APRIL FOOLS AGAIN. I am killing it with the jokes today! But the real thing is, that there are the most charming neighborhoods not too far from mine that I never even knew about! There are a lot more vacant lots for kids to play in than I ever thought existed in this part of town. One of them even had a BARN, and a calico cat sitting on a STUMP. I KNOW. I almost went and wandered around, but I didn't want to seem like a creep, so instead I just slowed to a walk and fantasized about living in such a place.

Speaking of walking, that was the other thing that made this run so great. Some of it was walking. Because I didn't have a predetermined time or distance or what have you, I mostly ran, but walked if I felt like it. That is a major part of me enjoying running, the feeling that I can do what I want. I love it.

Another thing I loved was this little path I discovered behind Timpview that went up the mountain to the neighborhoods above the school. It seemed so secret, even though I'm sure hundreds of kids use it to get to school. But I felt like a spy or something, running up the hill, watching the baseball game with a bird's eye view.

I mostly didn't really think about anything, which was great. I had a really busy day at work today, and was doing lots of things that had to be done today from the moment I got there until about 4:45. But when I did think about stuff during my run, I thought about what I want my life to be like. And the answer to what I want from life is to be happy. I want to have happy kids, a happy husband, a happy ME, and a happy house. You know how some houses just exude pleasantness? I passed a lot of those today. And I want one of those.

Also, if that house could be some sort of Frank Lloyd Wright/Mies van der Rohe inspired house from the 60s, that would really be great. And have big trees? Maybe? And eventually I would like two cars. As long as there are lots of windows, everything will be great.

I saw a dead mouse that was horrifying and disgusting, but in a fun way, you know? He was tipped over on his back, and all rigor mortis-ed, and I nearly stepped on him, but then realized it was NOT a dried up leaf and leaped out of the way just in the nick of time.

Twice during my run I passed super hottie serious fast runners. And for some reason, those people never make me feel silly. I actually sort of love it. Because I always assume that they look at me judgmentally, and for some reason it is so funny to me. I can't explain it. But I just really love it. One time it was a girl super hottie serious fast runner, and the other time it was a guy. OH MY GOSH THEY SHOULD HOOK UP. That would make a good movie.

I heard some birds having a squawky fight in a tree. Or maybe they're just a loud talking family, who knows? Who am I to judge the tone of their squawkiness?

I got lost, and I loved it. I kept running down streets that were cul-de-sacs, and then I would have to turn around and backtrack, or get back to a through street and keep going in the direction I wanted to go. Eventually I did find my way back to familiar streets, and even more eventually, my own street.

And the best part of this whole run? You probably think I'm going to say that it's the little kid who yelled "HIIII!" at me while waving from the backseat of a Jeep, and that was pretty great, but the best part was really the attitude adjustment I got.

When I got home from work today, I was feeling tired and worn out and a little bit dissatisfied. Dissatisfied with my body, and my energy level, what I had planned to have for dinner, and I'll admit, even a little bit with Chris. Not in a, "Jeez, why did I marry this d-bag?" kind of way, but in a "why aren't you paying more attention to me right now?" sort of way. Then I decided to go outside, and everything was better. I walked for about half a mile, because I really was feeling sort of tired, but the warm air and my legs stretching invigorated me, so I started to run. And then all the things I just told you about happened, and my day was 10000% more awesome.

By the time I got home my thoughts had evolved to thinking about how amazing my body is (and just bodies in general, really), and how motivated I feel to make it stronger and leaner and better at running. And I thought about how glad I am to be married to someone so good for me, who is hard working and fun and funny and handsome and easy to be around. I was super excited about the chicken in the crock pot that would become tacos.

I thought about how the first thing I would do when I got home would be to open up my laptop and get this all down before I forget. Because I will forget, and I will think, "Running is hard. I'm just going to play Angry Birds on Chris's ipod and eat grapefruit slices candy for the rest of the evening." But I need to remember this feeling. Which is why I'm sitting here on the floor, computer propped up on the ottoman, still in my workout clothes, still unshowered, with my sweat all dried up on my forehead, blogging, of all things.

Because THIS feeling is why people run.