Sunday, August 3, 2008

Conquerors

Betty and I woke up REALLY early to start our long run this week at 6:00 am (that's in the MORNING!)

Now I know that lots of runners are really early-morning people...I read all your blogs with your 5:30 running starts, or your 5am gym workouts, and I admire you-all for it...really, I do...but I have to say, I think that's all NUTS... As a confirmed night-owl, this early morning stuff is not only really painful; it's for the birds.

Yet, there we were this morning at 6 am... (well 6:14 really...I ran a little late), doing our warm-up. Betty and I realized at some point on Friday, that unless we ran REALLY EARLY on Sunday, we might not get a good long run in at all...and with less than two weeks before AFC, we can't have that...

Also, we still had 6th Avenue to conquer (the hill at mile 11 of AFC...it's cruel, just cruel)



Here's the route for this morning's long run...about 10-ish miles. I think I put the start point on a block south from where Betty and I actually started, but I didn't realize it until too late and I didn't want to start mapping all over again. We ran the loop through Balboa Park twice, then headed down to the Harbor and ended by running up 6th.

There are some REALLY SIGNIFICANT things I learned this morning about running at Balboa Park at 6am.
  • There is ample parking on 6th avenue, and everywhere else for that matter.
  • The homeless population is still sleeping.
  • The custodians do not unlock the restrooms until "oh about 7:00 or so" (that's a direct quote from one of the groundskeepers, individuals whom don't seem to have keys to said restrooms).
This was a huge issue for me this morning. As I've written before, I'm a pretty regular person...wake up, morning coffee, take care of business...like clockwork, so any deviation to my morning routine that puts me in a place where I cannot "take care of business" in a timely fashion is a problem for me, as is running close to 2.5 miles while "holding it"...getting hopeful each time I came close to a restroom (there are at least three we passed along the way)...then disappointed as I notice the locked gate/door (WTF is up with THAT?)

Luckily, one set of public restrooms (I know, ewwww) was open. (FYI...it was the one next to the Aerospace Museum, across from the Starlight Bowl). So, I had an opportunity to (as Clarence once so eloquently put it) "drop the kids off at the pool." (Yeah? What do you call it? My dad calls it "seeing a man about a horse" I don't really get that though...).

To be honest, I was happy to find the open restrooms as the alternative was going to be the porta-potties that were no doubt left over from the San Diego Track Club 8 mile run (which I chose not to do) the day before. I was THAT desperate and (also luckily), I had a map and we KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!

The rest of the run was relatively uneventful. After my potty break (relief!), I eventually caught up to Betty...we ran DOWN Laurel (a pretty steep downhill at about 6.5 to 7 miles...steeper, I think, than anything we'll run in two weeks), around Harbor, (Betty let me "bite and suck" on her camel pack...thank you very much), through a little bit of downtown before we got to...
6th street...

Aka the HILL...

Ran. The. Whole. Fucking. Thing!

Woot!

15 comments:

  1. Late Starter :-) j/k

    Awesome runs and way to conquer the hills by running up and over them..umm is there any other way to do hills, oh yea walk em like moi! Great job!

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  2. That 6th street hill looks absolutely horrendous!!! But you ran it all! Way to go!!

    I don't understand you night owls-I'm very much a morning person!! There is something about being the only one out super early in the morning! But my friends think I'm nuts to run before work! I haven't run today! I'm dealing with a hamstring issue that stopped me from running the san fran half this morning! I'm really bummed! I'm finding that hamstrings don't heal quickly-or maybe it's because I'm older and as you get older things take longer to heal...hmm...

    what is the AFC?

    Southbay Girl

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  3. I know what AFC is...Americas Finest Cty half. I just came back from my running store and saw the flyer-I had contemplated running that half...

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  4. I hear you about "getting it done"...hahaha my dad always said that too! Too funny.

    Glad you got everything sorted out!

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  5. Having IBS where you have to "see a man about a horse," 5-8 times a day, and every public restroom is your friend (of course you learn to carry Purell and Kleenx at all times).

    WTG with your morning run!

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  6. ROFLMAO! I ran a race once and had to go. It was the most uncomfy feeling in the world. Never again. My bowels will be cleared before any of that HAHAHA

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  7. CONGRATS on conquering the hill!! You should be proud and thank goodness you got into one of the public restrooms. That is the worst feeling ever.

    Don't say bad things about us morning people hehe. You would be surprised how many of us there are. Tomorrow I am back to 5:30 workouts, house guest or no house guest.

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  8. I'm still laughing about "dropping the kids off at the pool."

    Heheheee...


    You rock! I hope that means you'll be able to take on that hill for the AFC 1/2. ;)

    Have a great week!

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  9. good job on your late morning run. sometimes i forget and have coffee(diuretic) before my run and i have to take a detour to the portapotty which freaks the heck out of me.

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  10. In the Summer, if I'm starting my run after 6am, it's too hot for me! That's tough because I'm a night owl by nature.

    Great job on the hill!

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  11. Great job on the run! I hate that feeling of having to go on a run! I am glad you were able to find a bathroom.

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  12. it took me two years to become a morning runner . . . and it is still a chore most days to get out of bed.

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  13. Kick ass on that hill!!! I am with you. I fell asleep tonight at 9pm and my husband said why don't you just move into your spot and go to bed. Yeah, ok there weirdo ;)

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  14. Love the title, so appropriate! Great job on conquering The Hill!!

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  15. Awesome job on that hill! You will be all set for your half.

    I'm running the Nike half as well...guess I'd better start running some hills! :)

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