winter

So. It's taken a couple days to actually realize that I don't have to go back to school for quite some time. In this case, it'll be about two months until I'm off to Hobbit School. What will I be doing in the meantime? Well, I decided to get a job. That's about it.

Without anyone/thing else to distract me, I figured I'd be getting in some mad mileage over the winter.

I went on my first winter-season long run yesterday. It was snowing lightly, and there was a sparkly dusting on the river trail. I looked out down the long, straight path and started running. And running. And running. For the first 5 miles, mile markers and skeleton trees were my only company. I tried listening to Mumford & Sons to make myself feel like a rugged Appalachian wanderer. It didn't work, since the next thing that came on my iPod was Adele.

Then I saw a tiny dark figure on the horizon. When I got closer, I realized it was my friend's dad. I was so thrilled to see another human being that I nearly jumped on his back for companionship. But he "didn't want to slow me down," so he went on ahead without me.

Ughhhh. No team, no friends, not even a dog to talk to. It was a sad, numb-fingered shuffle back to home base.

And now I realize - this is going to be my whole winter. Lonely. It's not even the cool kind of loneliness, like this:

Feh. I'd give anything to be out in the Western wilderness with Clint Eastwood and that horse. Instead I'm stuck running miles and miles alone in cold, dreary Pennsylvania.

But Christmas is roaring up upon us. Maybe the holiday spirit will get me through this hump. I do love seeing Christmas lights and eating Christmas cookies. So I'll probably be hopped up on sugar enough to distract myself from myself.