5.5 miles
ford loop (with winchell trail)
62 degrees
Getting closer to peak fall color. More reds are creeping in, lots of yellow, a few bits of orange. Ran north to the lake street bridge, then up the hill beside shadow falls, past The Monument, down to the ford bridge, back over to Minneapolis, and ended below on the Winchell Trail.
10 Things I Noticed
- My favorite spot above the floodplain forest, near the old stone steps, is beginning to lighten–a few of the trees are turning yellow, not golden yellow, but more the color of a lime or a pear
- At least 4 stones were stacked on the ancient boulder
- The welcoming oaks are becoming a golden grove unleaving
- At one point, I noticed part of the river was a pale blue, almost white, while the other part was a darker blue
- Running over the lake street bridge looking down at the river, the water looked smooth, flat, stretched, only a few ripples right in the center
- Running over the ford ave bridge, I noticed, for the first time, the faint outlines of 2 squares just in from each of the railing posts. What are these? Was the bridge more narrow, with the railings in closer to the road? Would that even be possible?
- The Winchell Trail was covered with leaves
- All around the trails, the trees were shedding leaves, the leaves floated down like snow flakes or raindrops or butterflies
- Running on the Winchell Trail, almost to the steep rise by Folwell, the trees were bare, revealing another dirt trail that winds even closer to the edge
- An older runner in a bright yellow shirt, running on the opposite side of the road near St. Thomas
I remember the feeling of having revelations or insights or just interesting thoughts, but I don’t remember what they were. The feeling? Satisfaction, I think. Or comfort? Reassurance? A calming sense of peace?
I counted to 4 in my head for many stretches of the run. It helped me to focus my breath and my effort. I should try this more often.