Running With The Buffalo

It's been a hectic weekend but that never seems to change. Finding the time to workout is always a problem and with everything else that life throws at me it's amazing that I find the time at all. But when something unusual happens it makes the effort so much more enjoyable. Like running with buffalo.

Friday was a nice calm day but overcast. The drought is extreme here and the rain a few nights ago has lifted everyone's hopes for more. But the wind was down and the temperature was mild so even though it was sprinkling a little I started on my ride anyway. I got a little damp and the roads were slightly wet but that's about all we had in the way of precipitation. I tried a new route and it was exactly the mileage I was looking for. All in all nothing spectacular but good.

Saturday I had the choice of 3 runs in the area. It's amazing how many more races/runs are being held compared to a few years ago when I had to drive long distances to find races. I chose a local 5K that benefited the animal shelter and was run at the zoo. The weather was cool and the wind brisk. The turnout for the run was small but I knew several of the other runners. Then they told us we would be running inside the zoo. Hmmmm. That meant the distance would be short of 5K by quite a bit. I was needing a 3 mile run to stay on my training schedule so I was a little disappointed. But what the heck. That meant that I could push the shorter distance and pick up my pace a little.

Running in the zoo is always interesting. The animals were out and watching us. The lion and puma just sat at the front of their enclosures and watched us pass by with looks of boredom. I could almost see the lion thinking "I bet they would run a lot faster if I was not behind this fence!"

Then we passed by the buffalo enclosure and as if on cue the two huge buffalo started keeping pace with us! We ran beside their area for a little while and they seemed to be showing off for us two legged beasts. The larger of the two is easily 8 feet tall to his shoulders, dwarfing us puny humans. I imagined what the Native Indians must have felt like running with a herd of thousands of these giants and having the courage, strength and stamina to bring one down. It seems impossible, but they did it to survive.

So maybe that is what I should do. Work to build my strength so that my body is ready for the challenges in this life. Push hard and long to build the stamina to go the distance to finish the tasks set before me. Dig deep to find the courage to face each obstacle head on. Then maybe I can run with the buffalo every day. Wouldn't that be amazing!