Training time

Today I decided I'd better start getting in to shape for the backpacking trip I am taking with my daughter, Kathy.  In August I will be required, so she says, to carry a 40 pound pack up the mountain to our campsite where we will set up camp for the night.
 I began today to work on running up the hills here in town at the end of my regular run. One time for today. Up and back half way.  I figure you need to start easy, no extra weight for now, and work up to the forty pounds by August. 

I told Michael I needed to get up into the mountains around here to get into shape. He reminded me that we have plenty of hills to train on right here in town.  No duh! So in town it will be for now, anyway.

Yesterday, as I was taking a leisurely jog up the other side of town, along comes a cowboy, all decked out in his Stetson, jeans and cowboy shirt(I believe he wasn't wearing boots, though) zipping by me looking like it wasn't any effort at all. I thought maybe he was just making a short dash to the corner or something.  But no, he kept on running along, widening the gap between us as we went. You may say he was some young buckaroo, but no, he looked about as old as I am.

So I got to thinking that if he can make it look so effortless, without even looking the part, then why can't I. Just move those legs faster, that's all. So I tried it.  There really is a little something to that.  You get into a pace that becomes yours without stopping to wonder about whether it is all you can do anymore.  It takes some cowboy to wake you up and cause you to do a little self check and kick it up a notch.  But, I still couldn't have caught him.  It's going to take some work I can tell.