The Hills have It

Ready to hit those hills

Yesterday, we had about 22 runners join us for pretty tough run.  It started with cold temps, and a nifty lunar eclipse which one got to see heading out in the morning.  We started just a few minutes after 7am and went north.  The idea of the early start was to get going before everyone, and then finish within a reasonable time...and not be the last ones coming in all the time.  I think this worked out fairly well, and even though we got passed by the faster groups, it was actually nice to have company during our runs.

We went just a tick over 15miles, did in just under 4 hours, and averaged just a bit over out target pace.  We did take a bit of a bathroom break before heading up San Vicente, since by going this total north course, we knew there would not be any bathrooms once we headed up the hill. And we definitely got our dose of hill work.  Once we got up to the top at 26th St., we continued all the way to Bundy, which was basically flat with just a bit of downhill, and then proceed right and circumnavigate the golf course up there.  By extending the route with this south loop, we added a bit over 3 miles, to get the full 15. What was most interesting is that this was new territory for all of us, and even though there were a few hills thrown in, this was a very nice quiet residential neighborhood. 

A sunny day in the neighborhood

We saw quite a few great estates, and I guess this was officially the Brentwood area, but I liked the idea of going into an area we've never been before.  It was a nice diversion, and once we came back onto San Vicente, all we had to do was to head back downhill and finish the run.  I'm not suggesting it was an easy day...I was totally beat and sore by that night, and the bottoms of my feet were very sore, in fact I do believe it's time to switch to a new pair of shoes, this pair has seen it's day.  The fact that it did warm up a bit, but remained cool enough, did help, and I felt that even though the group was very tired at the end, we stuck together enough and really had a great workout. These are the kind of days where I feel we really elevate our ability and performance...to finish well in spite of a tough day.

Exploring new frontiers

We'll be heading up to the top quite a few more times, so I'm sure we'll just get more used to it, and for those who missed it...don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunity to join us for some nice tough workouts.

Keep up the good work,

Walt