~7 miles @ ~10.2 min/mi

Memento mori: a tiny yellow-bellied bird lies toes-up in the middle of the path. I pass it ten times, going down the long hill by the Mormon Temple and climbing back up again. Today's noontime trek begins with a ride, hitched with Paulette and Gray to their friend's house up the road. A cautious quarter-mile scramble along the shoulder of Capitol View Av, stepping aside as cars zoom around the curves, gets to the top of Stoneybrook Dr. Bundled against the elements: assorted dog-walkers, church-goers, and pairs of pedestrians greet me. One asks how many times I'm doing the climb and then exclaims, "God bless you!" Three other runners are out today, but I only see them once each.

Splits for the half mile ~150 foot hill: 4:19↓, 4:39↑, 4:10↓, 4:52↑, 4:21↓, 4:59↑, 4:22↓, 5:01↑, 4:26↓, 4:53↑. The thought crosses my mind — repeatedly! — that I should stop after fewer repeats. "What would Lance do?" is answered by "Ten or twenty!" And after all, this pimple on the earth's surface is nothing compared to Massanutten or other real mountains. Plus which, the scale said 145 lbs this morning. When I get home it's a kilo or so less, from dehydration, in spite of the water bottle I'm carrying and suck dry.

After the final uphill I walk a bit, then jog down Menlo Av past the Ireland's home where Terry and the little dog greet me from the front yard fence. On the other side of the stream at McKenney Hills Park I venture along faint footpaths through the woods. Thanks to the iPhone's map, this time I make the correct turns to get to Hollow Glen Pl — unlike the 2012-10-09 - Lost in the Neighborhood Woods misadventure. On the way I cross a rickety-scary wooden bridge over a small ravine. On the far side there are signs in fluorescent orange paint, facing away from me, that read "CAUTION!" and "BRIDGE CLOSED!" Oops! Runkeeper and Garmin differ by 1% on the total distance.

(cf. 2008-12-24 - Temple Hillwork, 2009-06-18 - Mormon Temple Hillwork, 2009-09-23 - Mormon Temple Hillwork, 2010-12-05 - Mormon Temple Hillwork, 2011-12-21 - Mormon Temple Hillwork, ...) - ^z - 2013-01-05