this is what a california boondoggle would get you

so, it's friday. my friday off. my lovely friday off. i couldn't sleep in this morning, because i was too excited to get out and run through the hills today. i had originally planned on heading to el moro canyon along the coast, but the long, steep hills promised to be a little more than what i wanted to throw at my leg.

instead, i headed to the aliso creek and wood canyon wilderness park. this being the part of the area that i ran during last sunday's 14 miler. the hills are an amazing green right now, and this is just the beginning of the 'spring' growth that we'll get this year. the coach had me down for 10 miles, so i figured a run to the top of the cholla trail and back would be just the ticket.

smsmh dropped me off at the trail head, since we're short one car right now (truck is FINALLY in the shop getting the stereo replaced and the damage to the dash repaired). i popped my cell phone into the camelbak and told her that i'd call her when i wanted her to pick me up.

i set off down the canyon at a nice, easy pace (none of this ponytail pulling speed stuff). at the trail head to wood canyon, i headed up toward the base of cholla hill. the canyon was amazing and i was treated to wonderful oak groves, fields of fresh grasses and the occasional hawk looking for lunch. at the base of cholla, i stretched for a bit and downed some GU.

cholla wasn't as tough as i remembered, and i quickly gained the ridge line, looking back down the canyon. i snapped a couple photos and took stock of where i was. from the ridge line, i could see a major street that i recognized. i figured if i could get to that street, i could run the whole way home and not have to worry about smsmh picking me up.

i headed down off the backside of the ridge and into a residential community. there were a couple of mothers outside playing with their kids and i asked them how to get to the street i'd seen. it was pretty simple, and a couple miles later i was in familiar territory. i gauged how much further i'd need to go, and i figured that i'd be putting in no more than 11 miles, and maybe even closer to 10 if i could cut some corners.

i took another GU at 9 miles and started up the last hill before my house. as i neared the home stretch, i cut through a parking lot, about a half mile from home, and the chirp on the forerunner informed me i'd hit 10 miles. perfect! i hit the front of my house at 10.5 miles. all my GU was gone, my camelbak bladder was empty and my bottle of cytomax was drained.

it was a tough run, over some hard hills and in 70+ degree weather, but the views were absolutely worth it.

Posted by jeff at February 4, 2005 2:54 PM