<-- The sky in Missoula today. I was in a running funk a few weeks ago. I went on the run I blogged I would and it was ok. I haven’t run since. Until today. A few weeks ago I wrote an inspirational message to myself promising to get back on it even if it was different with a babe in the tum. And then I didn’t so I felt lame and like I am so not a runner anymore. But then today I put Alice in her outfit (easy walk harness is amazing for strong dogs who pull because they must smell other dogs or they will simply perish) and drove up the Rattlesnake with my man who was going for a big bike ride. I started to run and it is very different now…I have a belly and my thighs are more jiggly and, well, it sorta felt like running through molasses. Alice was fab and adjusted her stride to accommodate her much slower mama. I laughed thinking about the lime-sized kid dancing around in there enjoying the jostle. The bug is preparing for the bouncy swing, knee rides and road trips.

So I ran for ten minutes up Spring Gulch and then walked for three and felt good about this. After the next ten I didn’t feel like walking so I kept running and running and I ran for about 4.5 miles which isn’t epic but felt fantastic. I even ran back 3 1/2 minutes faster than I ran in…I still can’t let the time thing go. I saw four others runners on the trail and I knew two of them. I was a runner running with other runners in a town where I knew 50% of the people I saw up the most secret best, easily accessible running trail in the Rattlesnake.

The funk is over. I am signing up for the Missoula half marathon today.