I't spring and it's windy in Illinois. Nothing new. A brisk wind coming perfectly from the north was the flavor for today. Understand geometry, I had two options. One, have Lesa drive me 12 miles north of town and run parallel with the wind. The other option was to run west and east at a right degree angle to the wind. The long, east-west bike path made the second option the best.
When I got to the Charleston Country Club it was obvious that no one was on the course so just past the third mile I took a hard right to run through the back nine holes of the course along its cement path connecting holes 11 through 16. This meant I'd have to run a little north into the wind but the holes are located in a small valley which provided a little shelter.
Near the 11th green I encounter this water hazard. I was coming towards where this picture was taken. Again, knowing my geometry, the shortest distance across the water appeared to be the left of the picture just off the path so that's where I took my leap.
I cleared the water and landed on grass. Success! But when I pulled my foot form the soft landing pad, my shoe remained behind stayed stuck in the muck. I wanted to take a picture of my lonely Saucony stuck in the mud but I didn't trust myself to balance on one foot in the process. I retrieved my shoe, smacked off as much mud as I could while hopping on my right leg keeping my left sock and foot dry, replace my left shoe and jogged on towards mile 4. I looped back and figured to at least capture a picture of the foot print which now marked the end of my 5th mile.
I got back on the bike path and ran west to mile 6, did a 180 degree turn and ran back to the Pathfinder arriving with both shoes securely attached to both feet.
