I often tote on the few social networking sites that I belong to, that I love a movie that gets my neurons talking to one another. Unfortunately it seems that the only time they do talk to eachother is when coerced by outside influence, never on their own. So, I finished my workout, casually tossed on my jacket and walked out the door. On my second step outside I looked up to see my car, bang! my neurons started dancin’ and my body reacted almost as quickly. I turned and lunged to grab the door that latched shut as my fingers wrapped around the handle. Disgrace.

Notably, I’m a rather forgetful guy, so I take special precaution with my car keys. The only place I take them out of my car is at the gym. Why? Well, my cardkey is attached to my keyring. If you lose the cardkey then it costs $10. No bueno. So I figure I won’t lose the cardkey if it is attached to my keys and I won’t lose my keys if I only bring them into the gym (the gym isn’t that big). All other times I lock those suckers in my car and then use the keypad to get in. (Feel free to break in and steal it – the gas mileage is pitiful.)

So what’s the problem? Well, my lull in brain activity committed me to another 20 or so minutes of unanticipated cardiovascular bruha. Peering throught the glass, I could see my keys sitting on the shelf just inside the door, and I couldn’t get to them. No one else was at the gym, and here I stood at the very north end of Boulder 3 miles or so from my home. It wasn’t warm either, 29 degrees. Ran through my options in 10 seconds. No keys, no cell phone, no people, no traffic. Looks like I was going to get my daily run in anyway. I scoured my car and came up with a beanie and some gloves i’d used on the previous day’s run. I took off at my 10k pace. No point in wasting time.

Three cars passed me going the opposite direction. Then one car passed me heading south. I thought about sticking out my thumb, but 1:30 am? Who knows who would pick me up. I turned and looked as a pretty blond staring back passed me at an awkwardly slow pace. It took me a second to figure out why so slow, but then I realized – 1:30 am? I looked like a blithering moron:

- Basketball Shorts
- Racing flats
- Nylon stocking beanie
- Reflective gloves
- Uncomfortably large fleece jacket **

They all probably thought I had just robbed the liquor store or something. So that option was out too. I opted for the big loop (well lit streets) to my house as I was admittedly scared to take the local Kalmia causeway – a little ditty the damned city forgot to flank with lights. Scares the hell out of me. So I rocked it down Broadway, hooked a left onto Iris and ran right into what must have been the remnants of a late night bacon bits factory. The smell was overwhelming, practically nauseating. Kicked up the speed. My calves were frozen, my jacket causing me nightmares, and I was just plain irritated with myself. Who the hell runs 3 miles at 2 am in 29 degree weather sans the proper gear? or with the proper gear? I didn’s see another soul, and I covered some good ground. I must be the only moron out there…

* Iron Works Fitness – It rules, the best gym ever! Kills 24 hour fitness.
** Stupid Pikes Peak Finishers jacket. They lined a perfectly good fleece coat with nylon. So instead of slipping in and feeling warm, you’re greeted by chilled nylon. yuckers. And when you run in freezing temperatures your sweat freezes right into that nylon. blah. Ok, i’m the stupid one, I know.

Sunscreen, bug spray, stretching, sweat stinging my eyes. Strangers saying hi, taxed muscles, tripping over myself. Short shorts, no shirt, tripping and hitting the dirt. Headwinds, tailwinds, stairs, friends. Wanting more oxygen, damning the altitude, finding a new trail, relishing a favorite view. Head butting a tree branch, jumping off a rock, yelling with excitement, splashing through a stream. Slowing the pace, speeding up, shin meeting rock. Twisting an ankle, reaching the top, rockin’ it back down. If only there were a camera, or more water, or less oxygen, or more carbs, or more trail, or more altitude, or more time.

I know I said a lot that has been happening. But that’s what I think about all of the time. Tomorrow I’m going to go on my first run. They told me to go at a moderate pace, no hills, moderate time, and to stop if it hurts. I guess there is always dreaming.

Lady: Oh do you live here?
Me: Yep
Lady: Oh then you can help my daughter move in!
Me: Uhhh. (What?!? Living here got me qualified to help your daughter move in?)
Me: Uhhh.
Me: Uhhh.
Lady: Yeah, you just have to help with the sofa, dining room table, and dresser. We can get the rest.
Me: Uhhh. (Are you psycho?)
Me: Well knock on my door when you’re ready

* Ok so I could hardly fathom what just happened. This lady was totally out of her mind and I virtually committed to helping her by stuttering unrecognizable syllables. (She must have done this before)

Lady: Knock knock. (are you kidding? you really expect me to help?)
Me: Oh crap Troy, Here goes nothing…
Lady: So what year are you?
Me: I graduated last year
Lady What do you do?
Me: I started a small software company with my buddy
Lady: Oh, so you can help my daughter when she has computer problems
Me: Uhhh. Uhhh. Maybe. (I can’t believe I just said that)
Lady’s Husband: You can help me with computers too! I’ve got some problems!
Me: Uhhh. (Yes you do have problems senor, this stuttering is killing me).

Meanwhile, Troy is running from window to window taking pictures and laughing at me. Pictures are posted below – the one on the right is the next guy who got duped (they were through a window screen, please forgive). Yes, I helped move the dresser and dining room table before I claimed I had a conference call at 5 and had to run. Wow, that was weird.

I live here. However, since the image is a bit old – you might still see a Perkins Restaurant on the corner instead of my condo building. My parents live here.

Some people have found some pretty cool places all over the world and listed them on their sites. Check these out. Enjoy.

I rolled up to a fairly cold welcome. 10 guys and 1 woman all leaning against a fence chatting it up as if they’ve known eachother for years (which soon became apparent that they have known eachother for years).

“Are you guys the Boulder Trail Runners group?” I stuttered.
One guy looked at me as if I was crazy, “Yep”.
“Cool, do you mind if I tag along today?” I asked, knowing full well that was a stupid, stupid question.
“Uh, Sure” the same guy said.

I’m drowning myself with sarcastic thoughts – “Sweet, this is going to be awesome”. I was the youngest by far – the next youngest I’d venture to say was 30 years old. I introduced myself to two of the guys and then sat in my corner until we took off…

The warm-up was fine, up the ridge of Mt. Sanitas and back, over Mapleton to Red Rocks park and then to Ebin G. Fine park – where apparently the real running was about to take place. 4.5 mile round trip from the park up Boulder Creek ’til the end and then back. These cats weren’t messin’ around. I ran just behind the lead group for about the first mile and then they toasted me. Beside the fact that I was feeling rather inferior at the time – my body held up like a charm. I finished in the back of the pack. 9th I believe.

They were much nicer at the end. Two of the guys even talked to me. Ha ha. Maybe there was some sort of invisible screening process they had. Who knows, but i’ve got some new internet buddies. I’m willing to bet you can’t say that.