runnin sick

So I went for a ten k at what is supposed to have been race pace by the book, but I got another chest cold and it isn't quite over yet, so I just went with whatever felt good. After missing significant "training runs"and doing away completely with the speed training portion of my agenda, whatever happens, happens, and I just hope that I make it to the finish line.
Today was a beautiful running day. The sky is all blue, and the leaves are all falling. Ran down the tracks, and the end of the line near Wal-Mart looked like a tunnel through the trees. There was the dark shadow of a man on the tracks I couldn't tell whether he was coming or going. As I approached he seemed to just be standing there. I got closer and if it wasn't Mister Staggerlee, weaving and tripping two steps forward and one step back. Every third step it looked like he might fall all the way over, but he would right himself and shuffle step the other way. When I greeted him he made a joke about how fast I was going compared to his jumbly stumble, and my heart warmed to him. I wished him luck, and kept on through the tunnel to Fraser Rd. I decided that since Id been slacking on my hill and training in general to do a second lap back up the little incline fromt he highway to the tracks and back and that marked my halfway.
I got into the trail in the park by the water, and it was a yellow brick road of leaves. It looked like a place I'd never seen before and was fun to run through the piled up dry leaves a foot thick, tossing them around. The trees along the sides were decorated with christmas light orange leaves all through. The sun shone through the yellow at the edges and I busted through into it for the way back. Sun on my face and blue on my right. The music was epic as I came alongside the bay, and through the yellow grass, the seagulls were a mist above as they all turned in the sky and made for their landing, settling into a polka dot blanket on water that seemed more blue today with the sky in its eye. The song made the scene stretch out further and wrap around me, pulling me along and into it.
I felt like I was running pretty fast, getting this one over without too much effort. In the back of my mind the naysayer kept telling me that my ipod was calibrated wrong and I wasn't running as far as it said. Doesn't matter. I'm not running anyway. A seal popped out of the river with a salmon in its flipper hands and ripped off its tail right next to me, what a treat! Made a diagonal line from the water trail to my house at about 12th St. Just got home and thirsty.
When I finished running, the fountain started out of my nose. The whole run I had to breathe through my mouth, not cos I'm stuffed up, but because I have a runny nose, and I didnt want it spraying me. I coughed up a lot of shit, but I can't spit, but I tried to. Thats why I bring a bandanna. When I stopped I started to cough and didnt stop until I caught my breath back. Nut I feel even better now that its done.