Farmington to Centerville Today is Saturday. I rolled out of bed at quarter to ten, then proceeded to do absolutely nothing all morning. My inactivity continued into the afternoon while my wife cleaned the house, painted touch-ups on the walls, and hung pictures. Sometime around 1:30PM I formulated a simple plan that would jump-start my day (better late than never) and get me to shake off the apathy, clear away the mental fog, and awaken my body. I would run from home in Farmington to the next town South, Centerville. I estimated that the distance there and back is 12 miles, so I set out at 2PM wearing two shirts, sweats, a knit cap, and earphones playing some of my favorite music. Weather was wishy-washy. Sun was out, but was competing for real estate with high, fluffy clouds. A half mile from home I ran past the Davis County Legacy equestrian center, and continued down a country road past nice, cozy homes and horse properties. At Shepherd Lane I turned East, and continued past a lot occupied with dozens of sitting school busses that immediately reminded me of New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin. I'll call the practice field near the busses Nagin's "chocolate field". (Look up Ray Nagin, School busses, and his "chocolate city" if you don't immediately get the referrence.) At Nagin 's field I accessed the Legacy Highway North-South bike/running path and turned South for a long, straight run to Centerville. To my left is the Legacy Highway running parallel to the path, and to my right are fields, half-frozen puddles, and pastures dotted with lazy cattle. Once I reached the Parrish Lane overpass (spanning Legacy), I crossed over and ran another mile to Parrish Lane, then turned East to reconnect with the Legacy footpath. This was my turn-around point and I stopped for a brief break to remove my long sleeve shirt. Also, I was pleased to have packed my poo kit because it was very handy. I quickly sucked down a Hammer Gel and began the run back toward home. Since I had crossed the overpass on my way out and reached Parrish Lane via a surface street, I missed this section of the Legacy trail. Tall marsh reeds grow on either side of the asphalt trail and for a few minutes I was hidden from the world of freeway traffic. This is when I reached my high. The sun was bright, but a few menacing clouds drifting above made for brilliant lighting and shadows, which made every detail of my surroundings buzz with visual delight. The trail turns East for a short run, and I could see in one vista the sky, mountains, homes on the foothill, and the freeway. Just then I observed a hawk drifting in a breeze above the freeway. Yes, this was my high. I felt terrific. Heading back on the Legacy trail, I had a harmless battle with a wind coming out of the North. Ahead I could see a dark, blank wall of cloud. A mild snow fell, then further the wind became a little more menacing, then snow fell faster. I was running through the thin arm of a small storm, with flakes of snow sticking to my clothing, and my bare arms turning red with cold. Still, I felt great, and was plenty warm. I came out the other side and the sun was shining again. I ran past Nagin Field, going West on Shepherd Lane, a 2 mile stretch of country road that leads home past more horse properties and cozy homes. At home I checked my time and I was out 2:08. My simple plan worked. My legs feel good, I am awake and already planning my next run. | 