Beyond Gorgeous!

Yesterday was one of those completely gorgeous and perfect days that you dream about when you're huddled up in your snuggie sipping cocoa while a blizzard is raging outside. It was warm and sunny with just a slight breeze. aaaaaahhhhh

Bill took the day off and after running some more errands, we decided to head over to Harpers Ferry to walk around. I desperately wanted to run. Yesterday was day 61 since I last ran outside. My kicks were calling my name and I wanted to oblige them.

I was a little worried since I still have the galloping crud and Shane is still coughing a lot, but neither of us keeled over so I'm glad we went.

My original intention was for Hank and I to run while Bill, Ella and Shane walked around sightseeing. Well, E and S wanted to run, too, so Bill followed us around with the camera. I'm sure we looked a little strange, but I didn't care a bit.

Initially I was tempted to just run on my own and leave the kids with Bill to walk around, but running with them kept me in check. I couldn't go too far or too fast with them so we'd run about a quarter of a mile, walk around a bit or stop to look at something, and then run some more which probably helped my hip way more than just running to my heart's content.

We walked up the great big hill to the church that overlooks the town- it's the church you see when you're coming across the Potomac from Maryland.  The kids did a *great* job with minimal complaining. The five of us walked/ran just over 2.5 miles, and then Hank and I did an extra 1.6 while Ella and Shane finished their snack.

It's such a beautiful little town and full of rich history. Most folks know about John Brown's raid, a bold abolitionist attack in the early days of unrest before the Civil War, but did you know that Lewis and Clark went to Harpers Ferry to be outfitted for weapons before they began their exploration of the Lousianna Purchase? The engineers there also made a special collapsible boat for the expedition. Cool stuff.

We hiked farther up to Jefferson Rock - so named because Thomas Jefferson stood there.

Almost everything in town is closed until spring - during the week anyway - so we brought snacks along. Good thing because after all that walking/running/hiking the kids were starving.

Ella and Shane finished their snack while Hank and I went on a little run. He told me he's ready to start training because he wants to run a 4.9 mile trail run with me in early April (assuming my hip continues to behave). We definitely won't be 'racing' it, but it will be a fun experience for us to do it together. 

I noticed 2 people were wearing Newtons which is the shoe of choice at Two Rivers Treads in Shepherdstown - Dr Mark Cucuzilla co-owns the store, heads the Freedoms Run and coordinated the injury prevention forum I attended last month. I thought that was interesting because we saw maybe just 30 people the whole time we were there.

A freight train came through just as we were getting ready to leave which thrilled the kids to pieces. A very fun day indeed!