Mile 101-ish, or thereabouts. It wasn't until I put them on that I realized I'd packed those shorts today. The ones that I've only worn once before, because they are half as long as all my other pairs. They've been sitting unused at the bottom of the shorts bucket for at least five years. How on Earth did they end up in my bag today?
I almost didn't leave the building. I almost decided I would just have to run in the evening. But it was such a nice day out. The unseasonably wonderful running weather is nearly gone, and I just had to go do it.
So I headed out of the building, self-conscious about the pale and unfamiliar areas at the tops of my legs. For a while it was all I could do to keep from tugging down on the legs (if you can call them that) of the shorts, trying to see if the fabric would suddenly cover more. But soon, I was just running and kind of forgot about my wardrobe.
Until the breeze hit me. I had a moment of pure clarity on Lake Austin Blvd. Now I get it. Now I understand why some people run in these things. I was better off not knowing. I foresee some tough decisions ahead of me this summer.