Okay, it was worth it
We managed to get Starbucks and still make it to the trailhead at Sabino Canyon on time. Johnny took off with about 17 or so other trail runners to run up to the top of Mt. Lemmon. I spent a few minutes talking with Joyce V, a great woman I met doing the Romero Pools run a few weeks ago. Her husband was going to bike to the top of the mountain, via Catalina Highway, which is how I was going to drive to the top.
Blaring Edie Brickell and the New Bohemian's Ghost of a Dog, I sung my way to the top of the mountain. It was chilly (in the 40s or so), so I put on long johns under my shorts, and wore a tank bra with a medium-weight fleece over it (a pink fuzzy fleece, to be precise). I packed up the camelback, and slipped my pepper spray (turns out it was unneeded) into my pocket, and ran to the restroom. Once I returned, Bruce G (the run director) and Ross Z pulled into the parking lot, along with Julie A. I introduced myself as Johnny's wife (since they hadn't met me face to face yet). Ross's first words to me, "You're overdressed!" proved true later in the run. Julie took off down the trail to meet up with her husband, Duane, who had begun hiking the 18.5 mile trail with 6500(ish) vertical feet of climbing at 10 p.m. the night before. Bruce and Ross finished preparing (I should have taken Bruce up on his offer of sunscreen!), and then we took off down the trail.
My plan was to run about 5ish miles, past the Wilderness of Rocks junction, to the point where the trail gets very steep (as opposed to just steep), and then turn around and climb the 2000 vt. ft. back up to the top. After 40 minutes, I needed to "water a bush" as Ross put it, and peeled off my sweaty long johns and fleece. Bruce decided to turn around, since he was run director, to make it back to the top before any of the runners arrived. Ross and I kept going. And going. And going. We had a three-hour, non-stop conversation ranging from rebellion (my favorite color after years of rejecting it due to socialization reasons is pink - I can't stand the fact that girls are expected to like pink! So I hated it for years! But then I realized that I was allowing that socialization to still color my world view, so when I finally made the choice to disconnect from what was expected/not expected of me, I realized I really loved the color pink. Ross's favorite color is blue - the expectatation that boys love blue be damned!) to discussion on spirituality and whether or not a god exists, to training, to family history, to school and intelligence, to Johnny's fueling issues, and way more. Too much fun! We were both slow, albeit for different reasons - Ross is on a running decline; a doctor told him the issues he had with his leg were due to flexibility - he was born with it and it would never go away - and I am a newbie, just barely beginning training and still getting in shape from years of obesity. Two runners passed us on the way up (remember, they started way down at the bottom!), and quickly. Ross said, "Isn't it disgusting that they can climb that hill so well!?" and my reply was, "No! It's inspirational!"
We were going to turn around at a predetermined point, but once the top two runners passed us at about that point, we realized Johnny wouldn't be far behind. So our turn-around spot was at Johnny. Ha! It was about 5 - 5.5 miles down. Johnny stayed with us for awhile, until Ross wanted us to see a view ("Where's your soul, Johnny!" Ross shouts as Johnny takes off and leaves us behind). So much laughter and fun on this run. We gave a guy named Julius a ride down, and had a great time on the way home, as well!
Since we went pretty slow on the downhill, and stopped to talk to runners on their way up, we finished in 3:09:05. I am very sore! I actually got 21 miles in this week - awesomely amazing and right on target to make Pemberton a reality. So next week, I need to get about 23 miles in to stay on track - upping my mileage by 10% each week...