On the running trail with me.....

My run on Thursday, September 3, 2009 a bit after 6 PM.... I love this time of year to run...on the prairie path...at sunset. There are some beautiful sunsets in this preserve. Good thing I brought my camera with me tonight. BINGO....one of many great sunsets I see on this path.

I always start warming up by walking up a small loop where on one side, hobby plane enthusiast are radioing their aircraft through the air from an airfield just for such aircraft... See the plane at the bottom of the picture?

Leaving the parking lot behind, and taking on a 5K steady run....

It's about 6:15 PM and the sun is setting behind some clouds and starting its' awesome show!

Passing pass the plane hobbyists' air field....

Kool....

around the "walking warm-up" route to my stretching bench...

A beautiful wildflower greets me on the way...

The sunset's expression keeps changing....

The bench I do my warm-up stretches on (it overlooks a beautiful pond).

Stretch, set.....

GO!

Chasing the sunset....what a motivator!

Crossing a wooden bridge.

The big loop is about 5.8 miles around. Today I'm doing a short, slow, steady run (obviously, with a lot of stops for picture taking) since I'm still trying to recover from this glute pull!

A runner ahead of me takes a turn past another bridge and heads out to prairie land!

Horses are ridden on this trail too! Sometimes....you have to tip toe through the tulips!

Spectacular!

Here is the big turnaround! Running back to the parking lot of a 3.1 finish.

the infamous brook ... Springbrook creek. At one time, the forest preserve district was going to dam it up and a dragon shaped lake would form. The park was renamed, "Dragon Lake Forest Preserve" for a while. But the funds could never be raised. The project was too expensive and the idea was abandoned. The Springbrook Prairie name eventually returned. It has become a bird sanctuary now. Lots of deer, quail and pheasant run around here. Have seen some snake as well!

Another jogger runs up and over a hill. At one point, I started to catch up to him and thought I was becoming fast. But then he took off with high speed. He must be working on his fartklets!

Returning over the wooden bridge again...

Looking at the sunset over the prairie grasses...

I'm back on the warm-up path "cooling down" now with a walk. Looks like I'm walking up to heaven!

I can't stop looking at it! Can't stop snapping pictures!

Walking past the picnic area. Peaceful!

I'm watching this show while doing my cool down stretches...which are similar to the warm up stretches...

Work out those Achilles!

Is God a great artist or what!?!?!?!

Self portrait with the amazing background!

Trigger happy!

Swim, bike, Run..... It's what I do........

Too hard to see, but there was actually a person sky sailing into the sunset. Imagine... I was listening to my Mp3 still...and "Major Tom" came on ....how appropriate: "Earth below us, drifting, falling, floating, calling, calling, hoooooommmmeeeeee..........."

Driving home....

And what do I find? Dear hubby reading on the front porch! Even though he's facing West, the neighborhood houses were in the way for him to enjoy the sunset...
In the backyard? An amazing moonrise!!!!! A full moon too! This picture didn't do it justice. There was an orange cast to it. So....went from an amazing sunset, to and amazing moonrise...all within the span of one hour! Great run!