Come on my Run

A few weeks back, I thought of a fun idea and decided to save it for my Spotlight day in the hop. So for those of you who are visiting for the first time welcome!

I did a couple of things I don't usually or ever do. I went for a run (well that's a usually do, LOL) and actually brought my phone, which is rare for me. Second, I actually took the camera out and snapped a few pictures along the way. Why, I had this fun idea to take you on my run with me, virtually of course.

Let's start out, originally the plan was for 5 miles on a trail I had not been the entire way on before. We start out on this bridge that crosses what normally this time of year can look like a little stream, The Virgin River.

Heading out in the evening, partially cloudy but mostly a sunny 90 degrees. May sound hot, but it's actually quite a bit cooler than it has been! Fall is definitely in the air!
But I also love running in the heat so it's a win win!

I didn't even get across the bridge before snapping a quick picture of the river below.

Gonna put the phone away, gotta climb a bit of a lengthy hill now, to get closer to the top of the ridge you see in the picture above.

Phew, that was a steep climb, but only about a 1/8th of a mile to get to the top. Already the views looking from above are stunning. Full on sun now, since we no longer have the mountain to the left shading the trail. Which means lizards are out sunning themselves, which means try not to squish one, not even kidding about that! LOL

I'm already starting to tell that continuing to put my phone inside and out of my Flipbelt for snaps along the way, is starting to add a lot more time to my run. Oh well... just this once, I'll keep it up.

Quick view looking over the rail at the river below. It looks like the river from Charlie and the Chocolate factory. But for the chocolate lovers (I'm not one) gonna guess it doesn't taste as good as the one in the movie!
It's so muddy because of the storms up in the red canyons ahead, which I am guessing a few miles down the road we might start running into more.

Okay, enough rail pictures, I haven't even made it a mile and I think I could have run two by now, LOL I'm thinking a GoPro would be awesome to use for this instead, but unfortunately I don't own one yet:)

Remember the lizards I mentioned I didn't want to step on, well at first I couldn't believe this one let me get a close-up shot usually they run. But I think the guy in front of me on the trail must have stepped on it, he/she was a bit stunned and not going anywhere for a minute.

Still alive though, I thought about putting it out of its misery but my luck some other runner would come up on me throwing rocks at lizards heads and my luck they'd be some environmentalist freak with a camera and I'd be a You Tube sensation, LOL

See told ya it's easy and a valid fear to not want to squish a lizard on the trail, LOL

Had to put the camera away and get some actual running in, the sun is starting to set, and now only a little over 2 miles in. Well maybe a little more, I couldn't help myself taking a little side trail to see where it went, it took me up into some fancy neighborhood with homes the size of hotels hidden in the cliffs. (Some people have too much money, but all power too them!)

Now we get to cross the river and see what it's like on the other side.

It's evening and the rabbits are active and everywhere now. Jumping back and forth across the trail, probably hoping to get some last minute dinner in before sunset.

Most of them didn't stop long enough to get a shot, but this little guy apparently was curious enough about me he stayed in the open for a bit. I love rabbits, they are so cute!
Fun fact, a bunny was my first ever pet besides a fish!

One thing about the desert, there isn't much living but cactus and sage brush, except along the river. As you can see it's almost lush like. And look at those beautiful storm clouds moving their way closer in. On the plus side, looks like I will miss the storm afterall!

Lots of farmers and golf courses along this route closer to the city. 

I couldn't keep stopping to take pictures it's starting to get late and I keep taking too many little detours off the main trail.

These little wood and mud hut looking buildings are what a lot of farmers use to keep things cooler in, similar to how the Indians did. Those buildings even when triple digits out actually stay cool inside.

Sorry, the sun was full on in my eyes, so I couldn't tell that I ruined the picture with a sun-spot. I little mini waterfall from looking down one of the bridges.

I took another detour. After I climbed back up from the river floor, and then crossed the river a couple more times. I saw another trail that went down deeper in. Couldn't resist just a little bit of a run into it to see a little bit where it goes.

It's the adventure seeker in me, I always want to know what's around the next river bend. If you're thinking Pocahontas, I was too, writing this now I am already singing Disney's "What's around the river bend" LOL

Found a sign that said it goes for another 2.4 miles, guess that means I can save it for another day! But love how it actually has some tree's and shade even if only for a short bit, you don't find much of that here!

Time to go back up again.

It's getting late and the sun is down over the cliffs, but it still hitting the storm clouds, they really are making for some beautiful picture stops.

I've really got to pick it up, I am not huge on being on trails out in the dark by myself. Ya, know safety reasons and all:)

Usually, the sage brush is pretty dead. But we've had a little more rainfall than normal lately and look it made them bloom beautifully!

Now I didn't take a picture of this, but the entire College Cross Country team just passed me and started on the trail. Good thing they were going the other way, they sped past like they were on a mission. They must have been train racing each other, because props to several girls who were ahead of the guys on the hill they were climbing to pass me on, LOL

Okay, one more snap of the sky, it was so pretty! If anyone is running behind me and seeing me keep stopping to photograph this, they probably think I'm one of those crazy's who can't workout without proof, LOL I guess this time, they are kinda right.. oh well all in fun!

(No offense if you are a fitness camera proof crazy, I mean we are bloggers crazy is just at times the name of the game!)

It really started to get pretty dark after this point, so I put the camera away and picked it up a little to get back to the trailhead that I left my car at. 

I probably added 40 minutes to my time just snapping pictures alone on this run. I'm not even kidding. My phone barely fits in my Flip belt so it takes time taking it out, putting it back. I took a few more pictures along the way than I showed, and each one added way too much time. But it was fun to try once!

Well, I finished a sweaty mess. On the plus side, when the sun went down I was able to finish in a cool 85 degrees with a slight breeze. 

However, a quick look at my tracker showed all those detours, made my 5-mile run turn into just over 7-miles. In other words, story of my life, LOL

But who cares, like I say: better to be the type that adds more mileage than the type that shortens a run!

Will I do this again? The trail definitely!

But take the camera and phone??? Maybe once in a while, but only on days like today where I had all the time in the world to get my run in... Well, all the time until dark at least!

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Happy Running Friends!

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