48 degree start (62 degree finish), 7:40am (ish)
This was a run I have been dreading. I planned it for myself a few weeks ago, with big dreams and crazy confidence. It was a double loop of one of the most challenging routes I have done in recent history. I have only done it once before, and it kicked my ass, but I walked away determined to do it again. Plus an extra. So, in the training plan, the distance was right this week, and I hit the griffith park hill loop again- but did it twice. Alone.
OK, so the moral of the story is- it sucked, but it was good. It's a LONG loop - approx 5.7 miles- with a 1.5 mile steady incline of a hill in it. The rest of the loop is either downhill, or rolling slight hills. It is not for the weak of spirit. My first go around went well, actually, I was faster then the last time, and I picked up a nice burst of speed in the second half. Then there was a brief potty break- which saw the end of my handkerchief (I bring for runny nose issues) as it hit the floor in the porto- john. Nope. Not touching that again.
The second go around started off odd- I picked an alternate path, and ended up running on sand so loose I might as well have been on beach- not counting on that extra effort- and circling me around a bit farther then I thought. Going up the hill required a walk break as well- my quads were just shot- so I gave them a break. Of course, that tells me I need to be doing more of this route- gotta get those quads up to monster levels. Coming back down, I took in food, but not enough water, and cramped for about 2.5 miles. This might sounds like the run was a total fail- but it wasn't, it just sucked.
That's the thing I've learned doing these challenging runs- sometimes you fail, sometimes it just sucks, sometimes you feel like a rockstar. Today was 2 of the 3- it sucked and I felt like a rockstar. I conquered a route that most people have to gird themselves to do once, and I did it twice. I passed people on their bikes doing the same route (in reverse) for the same distance, and I was RUNNING it. It might have gotten ugly for a bit there, and I might not be able to walk much in a few hours, but I feel like I conquered it, regardless of all that. When I have to hit 17/18 miles in a couple of weeks, I might just do it again- but go for the three-peat.
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