Muddy and Covered in Weeds

A lazy Memorial Day week-end capped off a week of good running. Last week I got in 37 miles, mixed between trails and road running. I was dragging by the end of the week, so I took Sunday off and joined the throngs at Jones Beach for the air show. We spent a pleasant Sunday watching the planes do loops and other acrobatics while periodically jumping into the 50 degree surf to cool down. My favorite part of the show was the WWII era planes. There were some P-52 Mustangs, dive bombers, and my favorite, a B-17 that hovered right over the water while dropping simulated bombs (actually watermelons) into the ocean about 200 feet off the beach. Watching the huge bomber making its slow, wide turns gave me a newfound respect for the men who flew it in combat. They must have had balls of steel flying such a massive target in the face of German anti-aircraft guns and the nimble ME-109s. The kids preferred the parachutists, who made perfect pinpoint landings on the beach, one after another.

The mosquitoes are starting to get bothersome in the Preserve-yesterday I stopped for a few seconds to adjust my Garmin and was immediately attacked by what seemed like twenty of the aggressive little bastards. Also, many of the trails there are lightly used, which means that they become covered with heavy vegetation that conceals jutting tree roots. I took a few near stumbles that almost ended badly. Thankfully I was paying attention and was able to recover before doing a face-plant in a poison ivy patch. I try to stick to the better groomed trails, but I like to explore and prefer to come home muddy and covered in weeds.