That One Time I Went On a Trail Run

I’ve mentioned at least once that Handy Husband is a runner.

He loves all the parts of running. The competition, the stats, the runner’s high, the gear, that part where your chest burns and your muscles want to die. Yeah, all of it.

I run too. At least 3 times a week for the past 5 years. However, I’ve never reached the “love” stage of running. I’m still in the, “how far do I have to go so my pants still fit” stage.

Handy Husband and I used to go running together. Then he decided to be a show-off and run 6-minute miles. I’d have to purposefully not tie my shoelaces very well in the hope that I’d have a legitimate excuse to stop ~~running~~ sprinting like the Hook Man was chasing me.

Handy Husband had a birthday recently and I didn’t know what to get him. I’m supposed to be the creative one, so it wasn’t lost on me that in a moment of desperation I said we’d go on a family trail run. He LOVES trail runs and thought a family trail run would be an epic way to celebrate his birthday. So epic.

I figured I could keep up with an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old, so it wouldn’t be like a pity run. I’d have a legitimate excuse for going my normal speed…~~my shoelaces came untied~~ the kids!

We started off on the trail and while everyone else hiked, we ran. It was a beautiful day and the kids needed plenty of drink breaks. I do love those kids.

I should have known there would be some danger involved when my son insisted on wearing his swim shorts on the trail run. At some point during the run the trail ended at a raging creek. If we wanted to keep going, we had to walk across a pipe that was probably 8-feet off the water. I don’t know how deep the water was because this was a muddy Georgia creek, but it looked deep. It also looked like a nice home for alligators.

Taking dangerous bodily risks is not high on my priority list since ~~ever~~ having children. That should tell you how motivated I was by laziness that I decided to cross over the pipe instead of doubling back because I didn’t want to lengthen our trail run.

My husband insisted we hold the kids’ hands while crossing the pipe as the current was moving swiftly. I sure hoped my 8-year-old would be able to pull me back up if I slipped.

Imagine my surprise when 5 minutes later we had to walk back across the creek on a different pipe to continue following the “short” trail back to the car. The water was much calmer here, as was I, so we stopped for a picture.

I’m seriously considering wearing bunny ears while running. It seems like it really helps.

My son was so disappointed that we didn’t fall off the pipe and into the creek that we took him to a different creek later in the day so he could play in the water.

Thank goodness that log was in the water so the kids could reenact our epic trail run.

Except in their version someone always fell off into the pit of alligators.

Playing in the creek is one of my children’s favorite things to do.