Running miles and talking cars at Bethpage

Me and "M" chillin' near the trail head

Today's run (Bethpage Bike Trail): 5.2 miles

I'm usually ambivalent about getting out for my longer weekend runs because it involves organizing my gear and driving somewhere. I woke up this morning feeling energetic and ready to break out of the bounds of my neighborhood. It was chilly, so I wore what I hoped was the right gear to keep me comfortable through my entire run. I headed to Bethpage and parked in the lot.

I decided to run the northern part of the bike trail. I have different experiences with that path, sometimes it feels flat, and other times (such as today) the hills really feel like hills. I rolled along and reached my turnaround spot faster than I expected. There were a few groups of women walking from the other direction, and when we crossed paths I heard snippets of their conversation. Every conversation was either about their job, their kids college plans or how a woman (who wasn't with them) doesn't understand something.

I came back from my run feeling a little overheated. As I was cooling down, a guy ("M") came over and asked me about my car. He was considering the same model for his wife, and we talked about the merits of my SUV versus other models. We covered a lot of other stuff in the 15 minutes that we spoke. He was a really nice and interesting guy -- a former runner who still volunteers at races. M has  a disc injury that sounds more serious than mine. He mostly does long walks at Bethpage to stay in shape. I'll look for him next time I run there.

Later in the day the snow began to fall and it's supposed  to continue through morning. I really hope the roads are clear tomorrow, otherwise I'll have to face the treadmill once again.