The relaxed atmosphere of our time up here in the cabin in Strawberry got me a little less inclined to run Wednesday and Thursday… well not inclined at all.

If I was in town, this Saturday, last day of 2005, would have been a Team-D 6 mile run at South Mountain, so being up here, I ran my own 6.5 mile run our Fossil Creek Road. This is a gentle meander out the paved main road in town, past the bulk of the homes. This stretch is unusual as it seems to be slightly downhil both coming and going.

But the real thrill is after the pavement ends, and the road bends left then right, and climbs steeply perhapd two hundred feet up, past the Llama Ranch, past the last few large private homes, and finally reaches the boundary of Tonto National Forest. A few more miles out the road, th bottom drops out for an 1800 foot descent into the bottom of Fossil Creek Canyon. I’ve done this before on mountain bike, but not today on foot, maybe in some future lifetime when I am in shape for a triathalon.

Today, the boundary was more than enough.

Forest Boundary marker, with some surrealness via PhotoShop

It was a nice steady run out and back, pretty much on the slow side, but without stopping. I was a bit sore in the muscles (a dip in the hot tub always helps!), but felt good that I ran the route I set out to day.

Did you know... "As a sophmore in high school, professional football player Tony George was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes" (from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)
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