Saturday, April 11, 2009

Ah Hell...I Forgot to Give this a Title

Golly...I'm prolific this week! Must be Spring Break :-)

Back to running news. This morning, we (Betty, Elsie, Mik, BBJ, Santiago, and I) ran the SDTC's Low Tide Run. We ran from La Jolla Shores, up the part of Torrey Pines State Beach that is nearly impossible to get to, then up Torrey Pines and back down to La Jolla. Check out this elevation!

Both Lisa, who is running the La Jolla 1/2 and Irene have written about running the hill this week. It's daunting hill to run, and probably because I haven't run all week, I was pretty nervous about it. I wanted to do well, because this week's run mimics the most difficult part of the La Jolla 1/2.


I'm thrilled to say, it wasn't fast, and it wasn't pretty...but I did it. I ran the whole hill (I kept thinking Lisa did this. I can do it. Lisa did this. I can do this. Of course, Lisa would be just kicking my ass in her relative sprint up the hill right now, but I can do it.)

Last year for this run, it was about 80 degrees by 8am, and I was MIS-ER-A-BLE! This morning, it was about 50 degrees, and even though I broke a pretty serious sweat climbing over the rocks to get to the state park, and by the time I hit the cliffs, I was WAAAAAAY overdressed, it was WAAAAAAY better to be running in 50º, overcast weather, than unseasonably warm weather...I hope the cool weather holds for two more weeks, but I'm not optimistic about that.

Mik and Betty hovering in the car before the run because it too cold to be outside of the car.

Elsie, in the oh-so-fashionable garbage bag/warm up gear. I swear she's been a menace with lost clothing articles lately.

The run starts off at Kellogg Park (known to locals as simply La Jolla Shores). We run up the beach and if the tide is REALLY LOW, you can continue to run up the beach, but this morning, the tide wasn't REALLY LOW, and it was actually coming in, so like last year, we ended up walking over the rocks, close to the cliffs (Betty kept calling it "bouldering" which makes me giggle)

So, even though it was pretty cold on the shores, against the cliffs, it was pretty warm.

The run on the beach is one of the most amazingly beautiful things. Like I said, we run along the Torrey Pines Cliffs. It's really difficult to get to. In fact, San Diego's nude beach (Blacks Beach) is located here (nobody was nude sunbathing at 7:00 this morning...because I know you were wondering). But here's what we did see.

1. A dead seagull
2. A seal
3. A jellyfish
4. Beached whale - sad, but UNBELIEVABLY SMELLY.

In the future, when I want to REALLY insult someone, I'm going to call them a rotting beached whale. I'll know how AMAZINGLY bad that is...

Some other shots from the beach portion of the run. (My pix really don't do the beauty of the place justice...)

This is what happens when you take pictures while running...It seemed like such a good idea at the time...

Betty and I with the cliffs in the background...do you recognize the glasses? Nike sent me a new pair HOORAY!

Betty and me with the surf in the background!

So...the first 1/2 of the run went really well. Foot and hip felt fine. Certainly running on the sand, even the hard sand, helped this.

Running up Torrey Pines went well (if slow). Then we ran about 3 miles on a relatively flat, slightly downhill Torrey Pines Road. I still felt pretty good. I stopped at each water station and stretched for a bit...which slowed my overall time a fair amount, but I am able to walk tonight, so that's a good thing, right?

I also want to tout the amazingness of Gu Roctaine...that stuff ROCKS! I took one before I started the hill, and I think that's part of the reason I felt so good for the whole rest of the run. Usually when I run for 2+ hours I'll go through at least 2 Gu...I never felt a need for a second one. I like that. Each of those puppies is 100 calories, and I know I need the calories when I'm running, but I'm also getting calories from the Vitalite at the water stations. It kills me to be consuming calories on something that isn't...oh, PIE or BREAD or something really yummy, like a mimosa, or wine...I will be using it again...

But I digress a bit...back to some other fun run photos.

Down the hill - Betty at Water Station 3

BBJ and Santiago caught up with us (of course, they ran 14+ miles to our 11) LOOK! Santiago is SMILING! (of course, maybe that is because I was yelling at him to "SMILE FOR THE CAMERA!" He enjoyed that...)

Then, came the roughest part of the run...the last downhill mile to La Jolla Shores...It is a brutally steep downhill. I tried to run it really slowly, but with every step, I just felt like I could feel all of my weight on my achilles and knees. This will be the toughest part of the La Jolla 1/2 in two weeks...mostly because it will still be followed by two more miles and one smaller climb.

Another blurry shot of us running down the hill...the blur in front of me is Betty. Yeah, another incredibly blurry running shot. I'm a photo genius, aren't I?

The crew...after the run (all at once!)

After the run...back to World Famous for some well-deserved mimosas and breakfast. You won't be surprised to know that by the time I came home, got in the spa, took a shower...it was NAP TIME.

I have so much to get ready for school on Monday, it isn't even funny...where did my spring break go?

20 comments:

  1. Wow! Great job! It sounds like a fun run (as fun as that hill can be). It certainly was a perfect day for running. I hope the weather holds out tomorrow. I am a bit jealous. Your beach route sounds much better than my out-and-back. I need to try that sometime!

    Thanks for the shout out. It is cool that you thought of me while you were climbing the hill. It's funny... I often think of you when I am running in various spots around town. I KNOW that I will run into you at Lake BP one of these days.

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  2. Atypical weather this morning, wasn't it? Did it rain on you? It rained on us.

    I think I was smiling the whole time I was reading your blog. I guess because I recognize the routes you ran... plus you're funny!

    That beached whale was amazing! I've never seen (or smelled) a dead beached whale. Poor whale. :(

    Good job on your run & for making it up & down those hills!

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  3. Poor whale, but awesome pics! Great job kicking ass on the hill too! :D

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  4. I really wish I could have joined you all on this one. It's my favorite in the RnR program. And you ran all the way up that huge hill?! Daaaaang, girl. No wonder you didn't have the mental energy to come up with a name for this post!

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  5. With the exception of the beached whale, it looks like a beautiful run. I just wouldn't want to run up that hill!

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  6. Thank goodness we don't yet have "smell-a-blog" since I'd hate to have smelt the rotting beached whale! Nice job on the hills and thanks again for the nice comments regarding foto friday!

    Happy Easter!

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  7. Sounds like a nice run! Way to go! Umm, the whale looks disgusting, I can only imagine the smell. poor thing!

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  8. Great job on the run!!
    That poor beached whale was pretty gross, but the rest of the views looked great!

    And YAY!! for the sunglasses!

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  9. Great photos! Thanks for sharing your run with all of us!

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  10. why am I so riveted by the whale.
    Ive never ever seen anything like that in person!
    (awesome run, too. but the whale, oh the whale, SAD SAD)

    Miz.

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  11. OK I know it's sad (the whale) and all but I can't stop laughing at the thing! Seriously, you're running and then look over there! Dead smelly whale! HAHAHHAA! Ohhh man!

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  12. Rotting beached whale, sad but that does make for a really unique insult. That run looks tough, nice job! And you had the oh-so-important post run mimosas, I swear they are key to my recovery ;)

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  13. yep, that would be the ULTIMATE insult. i definitely wouldn't want someone tell my i have dead whale breath.
    nice photos and it looks like you're ready for the half in two weeks.

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  14. That whale was on the news the other night! The woman on the news was TOUCHING it! EWWWWWWW... nasty.

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  15. That hill looks scary -- way to go! I really like your post-run mimosa tradition.

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  16. Congratulations! Hills are an energy zapper. I also fully endorse Roctane Gu. Nice job.

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  17. Loved the report. It sounds like you had such a good time.

    Ew about the beached whale!

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  18. Thank goodness this isn't a scratch and sniff blog, I can smell the beached whale from here.

    Nice place to run, can I come and live with you...I don't smell too much...

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  19. Awesome pics!!! Nice job on the run too!! That hill looks deadly!!!!!

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