Dirty girl

This is what happens when you bike unexpectedly through the mud, without the benefit of fenders.

Yummy, yummy, yummy.

And an incredibly good time too. I swear I got dirt between my teeth from smiling the whole time!

Actually, I came across all this muck while exploring a park near my house which I haven't really been to much, and have decided that it is definitely going to be my next long run destination - it even has a smattering of unpaved trails, something I am always on the lookout for in Toronto -they're hard to come by! I really wanted to run there last night, but since I'm a little leary of the place after dark (it's had it's share of high-profile stabbings and the like), I decided to stick to the roads.

I did nevertheless manage to encounter some fun sights and sounds while circling the neighborhood, including a front lawn bedecked with 50 pink plastic flamingoes in honour of someone's birthday, and some sort of crazy backyard concert/really loud jam session that could be heard for two blocks - I circled around several times because the music was so good! It was like being in a race, when they have bands along the course and the music just pumps you up right when you need it. It was wonderful.

Of course, it wasn't entirely like a race, since my pace was abysmally slow. 11:37 average, for 7 miles, which is pretty darn lazy for me. However, it was my first "long" run in about a month, so I'm not upset over it - I felt great, and it was just nice to get out there and finally run for more than an hour. Plus, I took Ms. Camelbak out for her first real test (as in, the run was long enough that I actually needed water!), and may I just say that I am in love. So in love. Camelbak + Garmin = the running Dream Team. Too bad iPod nano got left behind this time. She might be a little jealous.