It was pouring when I left work.  The temperature was balmy, not fall like at all.  There goes my run I thought.  I threw on my work out clothes anyway with a new plan to go to the gym.  I dropped Carlos off at preschool and thought I was going to the gym but my car had other plans.  I suddenly took a left turn instead of a right turn.  The rain had died down to a drizzle.  Within a mile it had all but stopped.  I knew exactly where I was going.

I walked about a quarter mile to the trail.  The air was warm.  The sky was cloudy, but the only drops were from the wet leaves of the trees overhead.  I set my water bottle down under a tree and turned on my tunes.  I set off for a 3 mile run around a beautiful local reservoir, not my usual running spot, another closer to home.  It was a great run from the start.  My pace was good, my breathing was even and I was in awe of the beautiful colors around me.  While most of the leaves have dropped to the ground they provided a soft colorful carpet on which to run.

As I rounded the back side of the reservoir a stunning streak of sun light emerged over the center of the water peeking out between the clouds.  The water sparkled.  Ducks floated by peacefully skimming the water.  And then I noticed something I had never seen before because the leaves were always too thick on the trees, but now amidst the bare branches I catch site of a rushing waterfall cascading down the mountain.

Before I even reach my water bottle I know that I am going to run a second loop around the reservoir.  I felt great despite having worked all night.  I was energized by this seemingly new reservoir I had discovered.  I had been here many times before but it was as if it transformed into an entirely different place with the progression of fall.  On the second loop around, I take extra time to appreciate the natural beauty of the landscape I am so lucky to be able to enjoy.

I finished 6 miles in approximately one hour five minutes.  It was a glorious run.  I walked back to the car bathed in sun light.  The clouds were gone and the rain a thing of the past for this day.