Pulling Back

 We were in town late last week and in an attempt to circumvent the increasing number of tourists in the downtown area veered down a side road.

We see many deer often in town, usually sitting under shade trees or grazing on the front lawns of homes.

Many people in Cody really dislike having so many deer within the city limits.

If I lived in town maybe I would also dislike them when they grazed on my lawn or on my plants.

Somehow I do not think that would be the case though.

As we slowly drove down the side road looking for another side road so that we could zig and zag our way back in the direction we really wanted to travel I saw an adult deer in the shade.

I looked closer and suddenly realized that she had a fawn with her.  

Still very young and with spots but steady on his feet.

LC pulled the truck over without my asking, knowing full well that I would want to take pictures of the pair.

From across the road I took these pictures..............

 Even the side roads are busier than normal in Cody right now, and will continue to be busy until after Labor Day.

As I stood beside the truck vehicles slowly but continuously drove by the momma and baby, and while photographing them it became increasingly obvious that momma was getting disoriented by all of the activity around her.

She moved from yard to yard, and then out into the road and back again, all the while looking frantically around her and all the while baby followed wherever momma went.

I stood watching them hoping very strongly that she would not dart out in front of traffic.

Hoping that little deer (little dear) would not do the same..............

 After a few minutes of indecision she eventually ran quickly down the side of the road with baby valiantly following along behind her..............

 

 At the bend in the road I watched as momma jumped over, and baby scampered over the guard rail, down a steep and long dirt embankment which quickly led them down to an open dirt lot.

LC pulled the truck over to the side of the road again so I could climb out and and watch them.

Good I thought.

Very good.

Down at the bottom of the hill was a very quiet neighborhood.

The chances of them being hit by a car were much less.  They were safer down there than where we were.

And on the outskirts of this quiet neighborhood is a sage filled trail system and the Shoshone River.

Good.  Very good..................

 By 9 or 9:30 each night the sun begins to set over the mountains to the west of us.

One of these days soon I want to be either in the mountains or over water when that happens.

These pictures were taken the other night at the house.

The sky changes every few minutes as the sun drops down over the mountains, creating very beautiful pinks and oranges and red in the sky, and bringing the clouds alive.............

 

 

 Yesterday morning I took Jamie for a long walk and took these pictures.

Even though it was early it was already very warm, and by the time we made our way back to the house it was hot.

I stopped three or four times whenever I found shade and tried to water my dog.

Easier said than done.

She is a very curious dog who loves to walk, is led by her nose, wants to walk more than sit in the shade and drink water.

Her little legs were tired and her tongue was hanging out by the time we were done but we both had a great and quiet walk with each other.

A beautiful wagon in a neighbors yard just down the road a few homes...........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right at the end of one long gravel road and before you hit the entrance to BLM land there is a small side road that I know, from previous walks we have taken, dead-ends in about half a mile.

We took that side road and James continued her nose explorations and I took more pictures of the canal and beautiful green pasture land.

This is where we turned around yesterday and is about two miles from the house.

That one shady spot on the bridge over the canal is where I sat with James for a few minutes before we headed back.

Rest for a few minutes, attempts to force feed water into my tired dog and we headed back up the dirt road...........

 

 

 All ears and quietly sitting stretched out in the shade.

My great and furry hunter did not even notice him..........

 

 I ran early this morning trying to beat the heat.

And something really good happened during that run.

During the first half of the run I was sucking wind with heavy legs and quickly realizing that I was not going to be successful in my attempts to get through it before it got too hot.

A combination of walking and running and continued disgust that my runs were not getting easier.

After about 2 1/2 miles I stopped by the canal on BLM land and walked over to see the water and look out over the scenes around me while drinking water that tasted awful because it was hot.

After spending a few minutes letting my heart rate get closer to normal, being alone with my thoughts, listening to music on my mp3 that (as I told someone once) makes me feel like " I wanna break shit" I made a conscious decision to go slow on the way back.

There is a small hill on the BLM dirt road that I always walk.  

There is a much longer hill close to the house that I always walk.

I didn't even think about the hill by the house while standing on BLM.  

But as I began to head back today I made a conscious decision to go slow on the way back because I wanted to run the BLM hill.

I started slow and consistently told myself to "pull back" - a buzz phrase I used to keep in my head when I had the urge to go out too fast.

Go out too fast and you explode.  

Jaw, neck, shoulders, back, chest all get too tight.

Heart rate red lines - goes too high and reaches levels where your muscles work without oxygen.

And at that point you can't maintain your workload.

The whole point of cardio exercise is to work at a level that you can maintain for long periods of time.

Constantly telling myself to "pull back" reminds me to not go out too hard or too fast.

And today for the first time in a long time I can say that I succeeded.

I headed out and it felt I was traveling too slow.

I ran down the dirt road and ran the BLM hill and felt fine.

I kept running and still felt fine.

I got off BLM land, hit the gravel road, ran up the gravel road all the way to the turnoff to our road, turned onto the road, ran down that road and kept running.

And felt fine.  More than fine.  Good.

I ran the long bendy hill and then the long straight-away home.

And felt fine.

Today my brain remembered how to send messages to my bones and joints and muscles and heart and lungs.

Today my brain knew what pacing was all about.

And I felt fine..............