Bee-utiful Mississippi

It's official. The Chicago Marathon training schedule is well underway and this weekend marks the second long run (12 miles). J. and I devised a plan to get our run in even though we'd be spending the weekend in Mississippi for a wedding. We got into town (a very small town) on Friday afternoon and were a little alarmed when we passed a fellow runner toting a very large stick (apparently the dogs out here aren't very friendly). The location of our hotel was slightly suspect as well. No worries--we can go out to the state park! (I'd done a little research on the area and found out there was a 6-mile nature trail--we could just run it twice . . . ). In pre-long run tradition, we skipped the alcohol, ate light, and didn't attend the post-rehearsal dinner bar-hopping (or bar hop as there appeared to only be one bar in town).

Fresh and sort-of-well-rested we were ready for our almost half-marathon distance training run. With bagels, gatorade, and a map in hand we took off in search of this state park . . . many wrong turns and hour later we finally found it (and decided that Mississippians must think street signs and accurate maps are overrated). We slipped our money in the honor box and headed down a road toward the "Opossum Trail."

Enter "Deliverance" theme music here . . . J. and I exchange glances, but optimism and determination prevail and we head out.

The trail starts out nice enough--a wide-enough-for-a-car dirt path meandering around what appears to be a fishing pond. We're up the first hill and all of a sudden it narrows to a steep poison-ivy covered "trail." The thought of knee-highing for 12 miles while trying to spot snakes and dodge poison ivy starts to dampen our spirits. Just as we decide it may be better to try and run on the paved park roads, a bee starts to swarm. The casual swat didn't deter this sucker. It dive-bombed and circled me the entire run/race back to the car. The few fishermen lazing by the pond stared knowingly as we came tearing back down the hillside we'd just gone up.

Downside . . . the 12-miler was postponed. Upside . . . I got in some unanticipated speed work.