Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge at 7 am
The run started on the beach at Stinson Beach Park. Good thing it wasn't a triathlon. This sign would have made it a short day for me. Why the hell would you swim there?! (click on image to read. It gets worse than just the pictures!)At the pre-race meeting, the race director announced that the full marathon distance was canceled due to the high winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms predicted for the day.
I think this one picture sums up the day. You can't see the horizontal rain,
but I think you get the idea.
but I think you get the idea.
The trail was breathtakingly beautiful, but tough. over 1800 ft of climb in the first 3 miles. Lots of wooden stairs and even one ladder!
We ran along a stream/creek bed and there were lots of mini waterfalls. Very cool!
One of the many wooden paths and bridges.
Lots of long climbs. This was one of the 'less steep' ones. At least it isn't stairs
Here is one of the MANY, MANY sets of rock or wooden stairs
As if the stairs weren't bad enough we even had to climb a ladder.
Around mile 2.5 (I had forgotten to start my Garmin for about 1/2 a mile or so so I wasn't positive where I was) I knew I was working much harder than I wanted to.
I have a half marathon next weekend, the 100K bike ride the weekend after that, and I have the CIM in 5 weeks and my legs are feeling a little trashed. I made the decision to turn back at the 7 mile course turnaround. It wasn't really the rain. It WAS pouring, and muddy, and slightly crazy since the trail marking SUCKED, but I really did it because I am tired and I felt like going the full 15 with another 1600 feet of climb was going to be too much. The 4 miles back were pretty much all down hill. It was slick and windy and crazy, but really fucking fun! It was like being a kid playing the forest.
I mean, come on! Could it get more beautiful?
I have a half marathon next weekend, the 100K bike ride the weekend after that, and I have the CIM in 5 weeks and my legs are feeling a little trashed. I made the decision to turn back at the 7 mile course turnaround. It wasn't really the rain. It WAS pouring, and muddy, and slightly crazy since the trail marking SUCKED, but I really did it because I am tired and I felt like going the full 15 with another 1600 feet of climb was going to be too much. The 4 miles back were pretty much all down hill. It was slick and windy and crazy, but really fucking fun! It was like being a kid playing the forest.
I mean, come on! Could it get more beautiful?
My DirtyGirl gaiters earned their name for sure today!
I could have done laps in this puddle!
Post race dirt!
Post race hair. Tell me it wasn't crazy windy!
I could have done laps in this puddle!
Post race dirt!
Post race hair. Tell me it wasn't crazy windy! They hold this run again in April. I may consider trying for the 25K again. It was gorgeous and fun, but really tough.
27 comments:
You have a month full of events ahead of you, I think doing the 7 miles with the given circumstances and weather still says a lot!
The [mud] puddles looked like a lot of fun and I would have been tempted to run laps in them too!
Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! Good call on the turnaround too. Trail looks like so much fun!
amazing pics! Way to go on the race, looked challenging but a ton of fun!
I want to run where you run, rain dirt and all! How aweseome for you. :D I have a trail around our property, I may just have to go run it more often.
That just does not look fun..at all..7 miles even alot in that mess..
Wow, that's some weather! What an interesting trail run...great pictures. It looks fun to me, but then again, I didn't have to do it ;-)
That is absolutely gorgeous. I love how you always post pics. I need to get a cameraphone and do the same.
I train almost completely alone, too, and for the past 2 years my "e-thletes" have been my best training partners!
I probably would have made it about 2 miles in that elevation and with the stairs and turned around.
You're a badass! I would have gone home.
Actually, that's not true. I would have deluded myself all morning that the weather was "going to get better." Then midway through the race, when I gave in to reality, I would have been pissed that I didn't go home.
You are one crazy girl for doing that race. Hardcore fo sho!
Good luck training for the cycling.
I'm beginning to like your California trails so much I hate you. 7 can equal 15 if you talk to it nice and buy it dinner or something I think. It's all about the attitude or something.
You have a busy few weeks ahead of you. Good luck with it.
That looks like a great run but in the rain and mud a longer run would have started to suck. Good decision to turn back and keep it fun.
Seven miles in that stuff? I hereby grant you the equivalence of at least twice that distance in good weather. I'm not sure I would have even gone to the race in that weather.
Ha, that ponytail is CRAZY!
But seriously, smart decision to turn back and stay within yourself. I remember how very steep that area is from doing a couple hikes there a looooong time ago. Not at all easy, even in good conditions. I think you must be part Billie Goat to have even gotten as far as you did in those wet and slick conditions. Thanks for the gorgeous photos!
I wish we had places like that around here to run. There are many days I wonder...now why do we live in Central Indiana? Nothing much around here but flat and corn/soybeans. Not nearly as much beauty as you have!
Your pictures ROCK!!
OMG - what a beautiful run!!! I can't believe it rained on you guys like that the whole time. WOW. You are a rocklete to finish it out. (athlete crossed with rock star) :)
Good thing you had those gaiters to keep you from getting muddy. :D Splashy girl!
Gorgeous area rain, mudd and all!
I did this path a few years back - not in the rain though. Great job for making it out there in the mud!
Smart move on calling it early.I KNOW you could have done it but you've got to save your legs for later.
Awesome pictures and great trail!
Thanks for the report. It was a great read.
Crickey that looks tough! I hate stairs! Good on you for starting in the first place.
PS, I hate mud and wet shoes too, and usually try and jump puddles - not very good at off road running yet am I? Woulda landed square in that puddle in the pic though lol
That looks like an amazing run (minus the rain). Who needs an Ipod when you have waterfalls and a ladder. I wish we had trails like that here. Doing races in Central Park gets tedious after a while.
okay - so what are those gaiters things? are they like raincoats for your shoes? Do they help? It looked like a ton of fun. I gotta get out and do some trail running.
YIKES!!! I usually LOVE to run in the rain...unless, of course there is mud involved ;)
Fuck the ladder! althought the mud is pretty cool.
I love the muddy-shoe shots...they made me laugh...
I'd have stopped at the bridge...and Sharks? I don't think so....
You are a rock-star!
WOW! What a run! Those pics are great! But that trail (and all that mud) doesn't look like much fun to me...
Nice job!!!
p.s. I don't know what took me this long, but I finally linked you off my site, so hopefully that means I'll be stopping by more! ;)
Those are some awesome pictures! And I love the hair.
Well done on your race!
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