Two Runs in the Dark

AM: 3 miles
PM: 58-59 mins.
7.5-8 miles

Jordan and I rose before the crack of dawn this morning to prepare for our 9-hour road trip from Santa Rosa to Palm Springs. In order to get from Jordan's mom's house to the house where Jordan's dad was staying, we decided to run. Genius idea. This actually involved a good deal of strategizing the night before, as we had to drop off our bags in advance so the car could be loaded, so we spent the night with only the clothes we were running in and a few essential toiletries.

We were on a strict 7am departure deadline from Santa Rosa, which meant we needed to be on location and showered well in advance. We set out from Jordan's mom's house just after 6am into a light mist. After a quick detour (Jordan forgot his money clip and had to flip a U at the first intersection) we were off into the dark, quiet morning. Jordan carried the backpack containing our meager belongings and wore his geeky headlamp, so I'm sure we were quite a sight for the few vehicles we encountered on the dark roads. Fortunately we arrived without incident and were in the car by go time.

As for the road trip, it had its highs and lows. For example, I got to experience my first meal at the legendary In and Out Burger. I also read an entire book, "Songs Without Words" by Ann Packer, which was a pleasant diversion. On the flip side, I also spent the entire trip sharing half a backseat with Jordan because the other half was overflowing with some of our bags. It was...cozy.

By the time we finally reached our destination, we were paradoxically eager to get out for a run yet feeling a bit tired and lethargic. Since the sun sets just after 5pm here, we were running in the dark almost the entire time. Geeky headlamp, check. The air was cold and dry and absolutely still, and it was a gorgeous night out in the desert. Jordan and I traversed some familiar streets and then he took me by a house that was festooned in an explosion of Christmas lights. There's really no way to describe it, and this picture doesn't remotely do it justice, but Jordan's dad said he read that their electric bill runs about $16,000 per month. Maybe that puts things in perspective for you. After stopping briefly to gawk at the display, we headed back toward home.


Entrance to the Christmas explosion