Adventure on Railroad Trail

For some time now I've been hearing about a nearby Rails-to-Trails project. It's where a no-longer-functional railway is converted to a trail for public use. Yesterday evening (ahem...after my 2nd brownie) I decided that despite the 100+ degrees, it was time to finally check out the trail. It was now or never. I threw the baby jogger in the back of the car and Olivia and I set off for our adventure.

Arriving in the parking lot, I noticed only one other vehicle in the area with the driver side door open and no one around. I didn't see any car burglars so went ahead and parked. Just as we started down the trail I saw a large man, strangely resembling Mr. Clean, emerge from the bathrooms and head to the car. I was hoping the man was done exercising because he looked like the kind that lifts weights in his sleep. Yikes!

What was supposed to be a fun, exploratory walk/jog/exercise jiggle turned into my being more consumed with our safety than enjoying the new route. I obviously wasn't too concerned, or else I'd never have parked the car in the first place. Despite this fact, I still kept an eye out for anyone, anything that might be near us. Since becoming a Mom, my mind goes crazy running scenarios of what could happen in even the strangest circumstances. I almost wish I were my old level of not-quite-oblivious so that I could enjoy things a bit more. However, its probably better this way; my planning MacGuyver rolls, being ready at a moment's notice to run a million miles an hour to safety, and mentally walking myself through self defense moves that would put Chuck Norris to shame. Don't you mess with a Mama Bear.

Anyway...the remoteness of the wooded trail only served to intensify my wandering mind and up the ante on my adrenaline. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Mr. Clean coming up on us at a jog. I decided it would be a great time to call a few friends and family...you know, just to say hello. He passed us, jogging like a Neanderthal with granite muscles and sweat flying everywhere, me on the phone, mace in hand, pushing the jogger at a brisk pace and trying to look as mean as possible. **GRRR** He muttered a hello as he clomped by and I soon felt safer watching him jog into the distance ahead of us. About 1.5 in, I decided it was time to turn around. I felt safer thinking we would be going the opposite direction of Mr. Clean, and didn't want to overdo it on our first-in-a-while exercise jiggle...urr, adventure.

On our way back I got a little more freaked out than I should have. You know how your mind can play tricks on you? Well, mine decided to graduate to a full blown insanity. I began calculating the pace of the previously passing brute's and comparing it to that of my own, determining that if I kept up a certain pace, I'd make it back to the trailhead before anyone else could. The wind picked up and made the trees surrounding the trail rustle, their shadows making me certain that it was a perfect place for the headless horseman from Sleepy Hollow to emerge at any given moment. Old railroad timbers stacked near the trail made a perfect scenario for a crazed woodsman to be nearby, but I decided to rule that out.

I suppose my mind games became a strange motivation for me to jog harder than I normally would have. I'd been told the trail was pretty well traveled, was jogging along at a pretty good clip, with my child looking on as if she ruled the wood, and above all, knew that God was in control of every detail of our jaunt.

Toward the end of our adventure, once I'd calmed down, I noticed what a GREAT place those previously creepy trees would make for a family photo shoot, wondered what history the railroad timbers held of the people traveling back and forth between the two towns, and even began to feel a bit more motivated to return for future exercise. Despite the intense heat and my sluggishness from not having moved like that in a while, we were having fun.

Finally returning to the area where the car was parked, we be briefly visited with a nice man about to take off on a bike ride. He said his truck temperature gauge had just registered at 100 degrees, so exercising at that time was not for the faint of heart! I breathed a sigh as the nice man began his own journey down the trail, realized we'd survived my wild imaginings, and determined we'd be back again for a more enjoyable, calmer adventure. Maybe next time we can talk a friend into going with us!