River walk #3

Date: Thursday, April 28

Wearing: Red wool coat, matching purple and red hat with the flower, tennis shoes, umbrella in pocket

Weather: Very windy, fairly cold, very cloudy

Music: An Evans Blue album

Well, today's walk was not as long as my first two. The biting wind, combined with my low energy from a stressful Thursday, was working against me. The colder temperature did encourage me to walk at a brisker pace than usual to stay warm. Only my legs were cold, though, and even then it was bearable at the pace I was walking.

I woke up that morning to absolutely pouring rain, which, as you can tell in this walk's photos, was snow at the higher elevations. Needless to say, I was not happy. Montana is unbelievably frustrating sometimes; I was soaking up the 60 degree sun on Sunday, and now it was probably mid-thirties, dumping rain and snow. Oh Spring, quit teasing and show up!

I didn't see many people on this walk, maybe a handful of walkers and the same amount of bikers. 

Not much else to report aside from the crappy weather and lack of people. I'm hoping for better weather soon!

River walk #2

Date: Wednesday, April 27

Weather: Cloud cover, but decently warm

Wearing: Red wool jacket, matching purple/red winter hat with flower, tennis shoes

Music: Britney Spears, Panic at the Disco

Still plenty of clouds in the sky, but the sun's warmth managed to shine through enough to warm me up as I walked. On the mile back, I actually had to unbutton my jacket to cool off a bit. I was hoofin' it fairly quickly, as well. I also took my hat off on the way back. I made it within the same time as the first walk.

I was a little disappointed I did not run into anyone I knew on this walk. My walk ended up being fairly exciting anyhow... I was almost to the one mile marker and was just exiting the Orange Street bridge underpass when I noticed a bicyclist off-roading it down the hill created by a road that ran parallel to the trail to meet the bridge. He was about 40-50 feet in front of me, and made it all the way to the base of the hill, just cruising, when he hit the gravel that flanks either side of the paved trail. And then he ate it. Hard. His bike slid sideways, but he hit the ground face-down, head-first. 

I kept walking towards him and I was about ten feet away from him when he got up. (He wasn't on the ground for very long.) He was younger, probably no older than me, and had long shaggy hair that flopped over his bloodied face. The man had a cut on his forehead above his left eyebrow and there was blood dripping all the way down his cheek. I stopped walking and asked him if he was going to be okay. A bicyclist passing by also saw the incident and stopped. The man sounded shaken, and he mumbled a half-confident "Yes, I'm fine" and laughed an odd little laugh. I asked if he was sure, and he said yes. I resumed my walk and, as I tucked my green earbuds back in my ears, I told him to take it easy. As I walked past him, he told me "Yeah, I'm supposed to be" and with that, I was off, laughing to myself at this man who probably does stupid stuff like that all the time. (But then again, what man isn't stupid in one capacity or another, eh?)

Aside from the bloody biker wipe-out, my walk was otherwise uneventful. No pictures on this walk.

River walk #1

Date: Tuesday, April 26

Weather: Cloudy with spitting snow, then sunny

Wearing: Red wool coat, Dansko knock-off shoes

Music: Britney Spears, Femme Fatale 

My first walk! I decided on Britney to help pace myself since I listen to this album when walking to keep pace on the treadmill. I discovered that there are actually mile markers close to where I start my walk; how handy! : ) I timed myself on my watch and it turns out I had a 25 min/mile. It works perfectly because I make it to the mile marker in 25 minutes, take a five minute break on the benches/sitting area at the mile marker, then make it back in time for my hour lunch break to be over. It's nice that I have an hour time restraint; it helps me keep my pace on the way back when I'm a little tired and want to slow down a bit. 

I started out my walk with a solid grey sky above me. I'm not exaggerating when I say solid; the sky was covered in a sheet of cloud  so smooth it seemed as though it was a carpet or lid rolled across the valley from the top of one mountain to the other. I wouldn't say it was threatening grey, but more of a consistent, never ending shade that dampens the shade of even the brightest flower or stoplight.

About a fourth of the way into my first mile, it began snowing every so lightly; a flake here, a flake there. I just barely noticed the tiny white specks as they were dashed to the ground from above me.

I saw two people I knew within the first mile, as well. My friend John, whom I used to work with at the smoothie shop, was jogging in the opposite direction. We waved and said hello as he plodded along red-faced and smiling. He passed me going the same direction a bit later. I also saw Shane riding his bike to campus. He threw his arms up in the air like a doofus as he rode by with his white earbuds in, his long, greasy hair flopping in the wind behind him.

I noticed that, close to the Higgins Street bridge, a beaver has been busy chopping wood! I'm hoping I will be able to get a picture of the beaver him/herself on a future walk.

Let the walks begin!

I'm excited to start blogging about my river walks because these walks help me focus on my environment and keep my mind off work or whatever I'm stressed or bothered about. I am more cognizant of my surroundings and am less likely to take my whereabouts for granted. As I continue this blog, I'm guessing I'll find myself paring down my posts, perhaps just listing images my mind captures or some interesting/exciting [in a positive way] things that my happen. (Exciting, relative to my either mind-numbingly boring or stressful workday).

Also, I'm going to try to take a picture of something each day, again to help me focus on the smaller things in life and to take my mind off of work for an hour.

I will probably also use this blog to record my experiences and frustrations that occur over the course of my journey to a healthier me. We'll see!