JJSB RunDate 16038: Rock Pile Photo Opp

On my last few runs, I've decided to try to find photo opportunities that strike me as being worth sharing.  I have always come across moments that I would like to capture while running but was always hesitant to slow down and/or stop and actually take the pictures.  I generally hold my phone while running, so it wouldn't mean having to wrestle the phone out of one of those little compact arm band things.  Still, I didn't want to slow down and "ruin" my pace.  This seems quite droll to me now, considering my pace is mediocre at best when compared to other runners.  The other hindrance I faced was my unpreparedness when the photo opportunity arrived.  I wouldn't seek out photo opps but instead, just wait for them to happen.  And when something did happen, like a group of baby deer crossing my path, I wouldn't be ready to get the photo.  You know how phones are: Switching from a running app over to the camera would often waste the few precious seconds needed to capture the moment.

Well, I've changed my outlook a little.  I've decided to be a little more intentional and seek out some picture opportunities.  I'm making little mental notes during my runs regarding possible spots or events that would make interesting pictures and then I plan to incorporate taking the picture into a subsequent run.

Yesterday, I took a photo of some random rock piles that some creative person had set up in the nature trail near my home.

I'm not sure that the pictures quite captured how interesting this whole scene was but I still like them.
They did cost me some time off my pace though.  What started out as me stopping very briefly to get a quick picture, ended up with me taking a few steps off of the running path to get closer to the creek bank and getting snagged by a bunch of thorns.  It really didn't look like there were many twigs but it was like they reached out and grabbed my legs.  The result, was me having to unsnag myself, take a picture and then carefully wind back onto the path and complete my run with blood running down my legs.

A Closeup of a fallen tree with rock piles

A little bit wider shot.  There are numerous rock piles in this picture but my phone camera didn't do a very good job of contrasting the piles with the surrounding rocks.  

A closer shot of the rock piles on the right from the above picture.
I like it when people do odd and creative things like this.

The price I paid to get the photo was losing 30 seconds off my average pace for the run AND some bloody legs:

Bloody Gam

And now, it's time for a weight check-in.  I've plateaued a bit over the past week.  I weighed in at 159 Lbs on 2/1 and then at 160 Lbs yesterday on 2/7.  I've increased my running a bit (21.9 total miles last week) but I've been building muscle and have still been consuming a lot of calories so I think the next 5 Lbs to get to my goal of 155 lbs will be a bit more gradual.  I was at 170 Lbs on 1/4, so I've lost roughly 10 Lbs in a month.  And even though I haven't been losing pounds as rapidly, my waist is definitely slimming down as my jeans are getting looser.

Current weight as of 2/7/16: 160 Lbs