I was absolutely thrilled today when I was walking through Sports Authority looking for running shorts and tops and happened across a display of hydration packs. There on a hook was a North Face Bullhead for HALF OFF!! Only $25!! Now this wasn't the exact North Face pack that I'd been considering, so I tried it on. It fit pretty nicely and had (almost) all the features I've been looking for in a trail running hydration pack. The only thing it was missing was a waist strap that I could place a small pouch for gels. But at that price I decided I could figure out another way to carry the gels! Off to the check-out counter I went.
I was planning on doing a nice, easy run on the paved hike/bike trail or the pancake flat Paint Creek Trail, but with my new purchase I just had to do a real trail run today and try it out. It leaked... 
It didn't leak a lot and if I only carried water, it wouldn't be a big deal. But I'd like to put sports drink in it for longer runs. So it seems I'll be heading back to the store, dejected. Shoulda known it was too good to be true.
Well, at least the run was a lot of fun. My shoes turned from bright red to dark brown along with my legs below the knee. Good thing I finally remembered to put a towel in my car! I didn't see another living soul on the trail - well, not human anyway. I did see a fair few Spring flowers... large-flowered trillium, yellow and blue violets, May Apples, marsh marigolds, wild strawberries and rue anemones. Still waiting for that "wildflower plunge" that is bound to happen one of these days - when I'm so distracted by wildflower-watching that I have an unpleasant close-encounter with the ground. It'll happen. I know it will.
Tomorrow is my next 20-miler so I took it really easy on the trail today. Did only 7 miles nice and slow. That's probably the only reason I survived my wildflower-watching. :-)
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