Trail + Rain

If you happened to see me today, which I highly doubt you did, you probably got a good laugh.  I decided to run again today since I had some down time while the kids were in their sessions this afternoon.  If I could've seen the future I probably would've waited or gone earlier.  I'd been out for 10 or 15 minutes...just long enough to get a good distance from where I'm staying for the week and the bottom of the sky just fell out!  I thought it might let up some, so I just kept going.  It did let up...an HOUR later.  Long enough for me to continue running on a red clay trail through the woods (by a river...it was pretty, and would've been perfect had it been dry) and end up with red mud all over my legs, shoes, and socks.  I didn't feel ashamed when I met a couple of other people on the trail because we were both in the same predicament.  There was nothing else I could do except embrace running in the rain, so I did.  It wasn't the worst thing imaginable, but certainly not ideal (good thing I didn't fall in the mud when I slipped those few times).  I couldn't go back to the dorm covered in mud, so I kept going while I worked on figuring that one out.  Luckily, I literally ran into a rushing clean, rainwater runoff headed toward the river from the azalea garden (by this time I was out of the wooded trail and back to civilization).  So...there was only one thing to do-rinse off.  I stepped in the water and splashed water on my legs to get the mud off and put my shoes in to do the same (the rest of the way back was paved...and not far at all, of course).  A few people saw me, and I hope they could piece together my situation and not judge the person fully clothed (shoes and all), soaked, and standing in the water rinsing off (I call it pre-bathing).  Variety is the spice of life, right? 

Oh yeah, I'm now officially certified to teach dance in the state of Texas-along with my current Life Science, Health, and PE!  Yay!  One more added to my existing list!