It took me three years to enjoy this run...

One of the highlighted runs of the Rockin' and Runnin' SDTC training program is the Low Tide Run. On paper, it looks like it would be a lovely run. I mean who wouldn't want to run up an isolated, beautiful, and infrequently visited part of the Southern California coast?

The run starts at La Jolla Shores, which is a lovely stretch of beach, and heads up the sand, but before getting to the "isolated" part of the beach, we have to make our way over some rocks. Now I don't mind rock climbing, but it's typically not my preferred way to start an 11 mile run.

Anyway, in the past two attempts at this run, I've pretty much thoroughly bitched and complained about said rocks, as well as the hill into Torrey Pines State Park, and I've also moaned about the nasty run downhill back into La Jolla. Two years ago, we had to endure 80+ degree heat by 8am on this run, and last year, albeit much cooler, there was the rain and a rotting beached whale to run by.

This year? The rocks were still there, as were the hills (no extreme heat, rain, or dead whales), yet for some reason, it was not the most difficult run EVAH!

I guess it took me three years to figure out how to NOT kill myself on this run and to just enjoy the scenery.

Running up the beach at 6:45 this morning.

This was the view from (almost) the top of Torrey Pines

 Notice how far above the ocean I still am...and I'd already run down a considerable hill at this point. I'm thinking my quads will be reminding me of that tomorrow.

So...my running stats for the morning...I ran 10.81 miles at an 11:49 average pace. I forgot to reset my Garmin to record mile splits, so I have no idea when I was faster and slower for sure, but I didn't break any land speed records, that's for sure.

I know I ran pretty slowly the first five miles, which were on the beach. While the sand was hard-packed, it certainly didn't make for speedy running. Also, we seemed to be running into the wind.

I also walked up the hill into Torrey Pines State Park, which is between a 6% and 11% grade. Really, I could have walked faster than I could have run it. I ran up it once last year, but I'd been doing some hill training before that AND I was training for the La Jolla 1/2, so I was ready for it. This year, that was not the case, and again. I'm not interested in hurting myself right now.

I do have to make one comment about the hill and it's nastyness. Not only is it steep, but it's also a curvy, windy road, so when you get to what you hope will be the top of a hill, you look around the corner ONLY TO SEE MORE EFFING HILL. Even crueler is that by the time you get to what you think is the top of the hill, you're still headed up ONLY a 4% incline, but by that time, the 4% seems almost flat.

It's a nasty hill. Those of you running the La Jolla 1/2 Marathon this year, be warned and do your hill training. You'll thank me for it later.

On the flats and the rolling hill section (North Torrey Pines Road), we were supposed to run two miles at our "marathon pace" so I tried to keep it about 11:15...not that THAT's my marathon pace, but it's the pace I'd like to keep for the 1/2 marathon. Like I said, I have no splits, so I can only go by the times I looked at my Garmin, and I seemed to be around there.

After we finished our run, a few of us decided to chill our sore legs in the ocean water.

Better than ice...ocean water therapy (Ocean temp is currently about 59º). I'm pretty sure that Betty is saying something like "Get me the EFF outta here!" That's Elsie's friend Jean in the pink hat.

There are worse places in the world to be

After run mimosas...I'll bet you thought we were NEVER going to do that AGAIN! According to The Hefferblog, the last mimosa-fest was MARCH EFFING 6th...Almost a whole month ago! FOR SHAME HERD, FOR SHAME!

If there ever was a group looking like they needed a mimosa, it was us this morning!

Bonus points to whoever can decipher this...It was Elsie's description of a concept she used to teach her biology students, and NO those are not breasts.

Happy Easter to those of you who are going to indulge in brunch and entirely too much chocolate, jelly beans, and peeps in the AM.

I cannot believe my Spring Break is almost over. Back to school on Monday (and that stack of papers...still needs to be graded...GAH!)