Running and a Review

Clinton North Shore Trail Head

The past weekend held two great days for running. Temps were relatively low, but humidity was high. For me, that meant that warming into the runs (in my case, getting my breathing going) worked well. I always find it easier to breathe when it is cooler. I do like the humidity, however, because it creates the feel of a really good (read sweaty) workout.

A bunch of Lawrence Trail Hawks and I met at 7:30 AM on Saturday and ran the route for the upcoming Sanders Saunter race. An oddly long amount of time was spent by most of us applying sulfur powder over the already copious amounts of DEET and other bug sprays we'd used. I believe everyone in the group had been victimized by the dreaded oak mites during previous runs. Anything and everything that could be deployed to hold the microscopic buggers at bay was utilized.  

So our yellow-legged group took off into the trees. The run featured two climbs up and down Sanders Mound (at the beginning and end). In between was the run to Lake Henry - out on the white trail, and back on blue. The views of Clinton Lake from atop Sanders Mound elevated everyone's spirits. 

Gary Henry, the group's fearless leader, used the run as his first return to the trails since completing the Hawk 100 mile race the week before. 

Sunday I decided to go where I'd have the least chance of running into another person. My run took me to the western portion of the Kansas River levee. I ran for 9.65 miles and passed a total of seven people. The levee is about as flat a run as one could possible have. I had the river on one side and fields and train tracks on the other. As usual, I tried to run a reverse split. I accomplished the task, but not as dramatically as I had earlier in the week on the levee's eastern side.  

I had two wildlife moments. Around mile 1.5 outbound I passed as close to a great blue heron as I've ever been. And on the return (with literally 25 meters left to go) I came across a massive copperhead slithering in my direction on the levee under the Kansas River bridge. I was surprised by this because I've only seen black snakes and garters in the area. Clinton (not the levee) is usually ground-zero for copperheads. I let the beautiful snake pass, and finished my run with a heart-rate that might've been slightly elevated above what the pace would demand.

Smith Optics Evolve

Finally, a quick review. A few months ago I won a giveaway from Adventure Journal. The prize was a pair of Smith Optics sunglasses. The pair arrived a few weeks ago, and I have been wearing them regularly ever since. Though not a style I would've chosen - my other pairs of higher-end shades (Spy Kash and Tifosi) are more geared toward sports performance - the Smith Optics have quickly become my pick for everyday wear. 

In terms of fit, I have no complaints. The glasses are snug without any tight/pinch points of discomfort. While mainly worn in ordinary (non-athletic) endeavors, I have used them in a round of disc golf. They stayed on my face even during the fast torque that comes with long drives.

While fit is good, where the glasses really shine is in their polarization. Honestly, I have never worn a pair quite like these. The lenses are large, clear, and very polarized (if there can be levels of polarization). I have not felt any fatigue while using them. They are far and away my go-to glasses for driving in sunny situations.

I want to take a second and thank both Adventure Journal and Smith Optics for introducing me to the line. I am a bit surprised by how much I really do like these glasses.