I cut out of work to go running. One of the best decisions ever.

I heard a rumor its Winter.  

No really, its only a week into February.  But yesterday it was sunny, a very light breeze, and the temperature was about 65f.   Unbelievable.  

And so I was at work, and my work load was fairly light.  And suddenly I said to myself, "If i were to take a half day off I could go out running in this amazing weather."

My boss looked at me like I was a little crazy.  I simply say, "Boss, its crazy beautiful outside and I want to go running.  Can I burn a half day?"  

And so I did.  I obviously have something of an addiction.  I love to go running.  It makes me feel amazing.   It clears the head when needed, it cleans the soul when needed, and often it simply provides a constructive and insanely enjoyable way to pass some time.  

It wasn't too long ago I was talking to Skates, and discussing how running so much, as I am on a fairly regimented training schedule, takes up so much time.  In reply to my issue, she simply asked, "What would you be doing otherwise?"  And this is where I stopped to think, and realized there would be a lot of time simply spent sitting on the couch watching TV.  That seems a little on the pathetic side (were I to only do that, but the reality is I manage a pretty heavy mileage schedule AND plenty of TV time, so I'm OK with it).   

And so, when I have free time to myself, I go running.  And sometimes, you simply have to create that free time.  My peers around me, yesterday, decided I am crazy.  Who would take a day off just to go running?  Me.  That's who.  And it was a good run.  Possibly even Epic.  I'm not sure its specifically the run itself, but I believe the circumstances which contributed to the Wow Factor.

1. Half day at work.
2. Sunny.
3. Warm (it should be noted around here "sunny" and "warm" are often not used in the same sentence, especially in February).
4. Almost no wind, and for the 2nd half of a 10.25 miler what little wind there was provided a great tailwind.
5. Did I mention I took a half day at work for the sole purpose of taking advantage of numbers 2-4?

So I started off a little concerned.  Frankenankle was a little more stiff than I had anticipated.  I simply decided my total distance would be decided by one of two scenarios:  Frankenankle loosens up OR Frankenankle gets naughty.  

When a guy like me deals with ankle issues his entire life, he gets to know his problem spots and how to address them, and how they are going to effect him.  

So it seems a fair thing to say, I knew right out the gate the quality of my run was yet to be determined.  

But about a mile in I was feeling pretty good.  And then I simply got lost in the run.  For anyone who has not experienced that sort of euphoric feeling, often referred to as a "runner's high", its quite something.  I would guess it was a combination of a lot of circumstances.  I wasn't at work (a huge bonus), the weather was amazing, and I was just feeling good.   And about 5.25 miles later I realized I should probably make my way back to my truck since I wasn't prepared (not enough snacks, to be specific) for anything longer. 

So an epic 10 miler.  The waterfront  trails are quite nice, and provides an easy out and back path with minimal traffic to deal with and plenty of scenery along the bay. 

If you haven't tried these paths, I highly recommend it.