best run ever

On Saturday, two classmates and I ran five miles on the trail that runs along the rim of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We took a few interval pictures (by "pictures," I mean "breaths"... 7,000 ft. in altitude makes a difference in the lung-burning sensation). One visitor shouted as we passed by "best run ever!"

I agree.

Granted, breathing was hard. And regardless of what my Great Smoky Mountain ranger friend says, those are hills. We have very few hills in Middle Tennessee so anything beyond a 2% grade increase kicks my butt. We had to take a few breaks and at home taking breaks would have been discouraging. But the weather was in the mid-50s, sunny, and calm. I could not have asked for a more spectacular scene to run past. And I am now looking forward to choking on the abundance of oxygen when I return to sea-level running.

P.S. On a side note, I think I am now getting sick (NOOOOO!) and that may interfere with anymore scenic runs while I am here (NOOOOO!). I am drinking lots of fluids and trying to will the germies away. That never works, but I have got to do something.