Found some hills...and chickens and horses and wild turkeys

One of my concerns moving out to Oklahoma in the middle of my marathon training was how flat it is here. Flat in Central North Carolina? Not so much. The City of Oaks Marathon course? Definitely not! I had two wonderfully flat runs around the OU campus earlier this week, but I've been on the lookout for some hills to better prepare myself for November's race. A chance drive down an unknown road that's one block from my neighborhood made everything right in the world.

Hills!

This 5-1/2 mile stretch of rural asphalt starts with some very subtle rolling hills as it winds away from civilization. These seemingly unending hills get larger and larger the further you go. As the path unfolds, you are alternately shadowed by trees (and the musky odor of skunk) and then surrounded acres and acres of farmland (and the sweet smell of horse manure).

For the entire duration of my 6-mile run, I was wishing I had brought my camera with me (or at least my phone) so I could capture some of the experience on "film." Instead, I decided to return to my new beloved road this morning for a leisurely walk. Maybe I was moving too fast yesterday to notice, but this morning I stumbled upon two chickens on the side of the road (no doubt pondering the ramifications of crossing). They were quite friendly and posed for the camera, as did the horse and wild turkeys. Well... the wild turkeys were off running in the distance, so I quickly caught them with my zoom, so they're a bit of a blur.

I'll be heading up to Oklahoma City bright & early tomorrow morning for a 13-mile run around Lake Hefner. Then classes start Monday!