Run long enough in the woods and the flowers that were budding on the way out will be in full bloom on the way home. When you study the trail map, follow the arrows and let Siri help, a 20K is a real 20K. But after the runners spread out and you are alone in the woods, you will still doubt yourself, although you can hear the birds much better. RunKeeper will tell you the elevations of all four hills you climbed, but it’s best to not know such details until after the race is done. Sand is for horses. But a Bob Ross tattoo on a man’s calf kind of works. Two years of trail racing with RunnerSusan and that jar of honey and organic bamboo shirt still makes excellent swag.

This beauty is just down the road.

WPA bridge over the Brazos River, Graford, Texas, April 12, 2014

And while we were there taking pictures, a guy caught an excellent bass.