Sunday, January 07, 2007

No Shortcuts

i decided to reverse the wildcat canyon run today. i did this for a couple of reasons, none of the least which was i had my fill of hills this week and wanted to make this run easier by avoiding several of the steep ass climbs.

ha ha ha.

seems i forgot about a few others in the opposite direction and failed to appreciate the challenge posed by going down said steep ass hills.

oh my knees!!!

there ain't nothing easy about running these trails.

high on the ridge the view was stunning. well worth the effort. a couple of baby cows watched me curiously... scooting away only once i was very close. i spotted a few equestrians and was impressed by a man's unleashed dog that heeled until they passed. my brandy is not so well behaved around horses..

yesterday mia and i were talking about how easy it is to go out too fast during a long race. i tried really hard to pace myself (sans technology) and when it felt slow i slowed down more. per usual the first 2 miles sucked, but then it got better. 2 hours into the run i felt like i had loads of energy still. the last half hour however took it's toll and my mind scrambled on how i could shorten the trek. instead of shortening it i opted to take a longer flatter route vs the shorter but steeper way back to the car.

the 2.5 hour long run left me feeling tired and content. i claimed a picnic table in the sun and stretched for a long time. a woman hiker coming off the trail first sat down on a bench but then saw me sprawled out like a gecko sunning itself and claimed her own table to stretch too.

so, the week ahead looks as unpredictable as last week...i will need to fit runs in as the opportunity presents itself. i actually enjoyed a run after work this week. maybe the adaptability factor from working in so many other buildings this past month is rubbing off. whatever the reason, if i plan on actually showing up for next months race while remaining gainfully employed adjustments in the training will need to be made.