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

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Annadel State Park Revisited, or "Please Don't Talk to Me Right Now"

90 mins.
~12 miles

After yesterday morning's hilly run, my legs were fairly banged up today. I wanted to get in a longer effort, but I also requested that we take an easier route. Apparently Jordan was engaging his selective hearing during this conversation, because he proceeded to take me on an even hillier route than yesterday. I was NOT a happy camper. So much so, in fact, that as we were grinding our way up a particularly steep hill and Jordan offered encouragement in the form of, "We're almost to the top," I responded with, "Please don't talk to me right now." And I wasn't kidding.

Once we did finally crest the hill, we had a steep downhill segment for the next few miles. Normally I would appreciate this, but my legs were fairly shot at that point and I was just trying to hang on for the rest of the run. We stopped for a bathroom break at one of the main parking lots, then took a flat road and bike path back for the remainder of the run.

Oh, and I did get over my rage at Jordan later in the run. He could tell I was having a hard time breathing and thought it was because my nose was stuffy (it was, in fact, because I am out of shape and he was killing me out there). We stopped for a few minutes to stretch (read: allow me to catch my breath) and he offered me his gloved hand as a receptacle in which to blow my nose. I decided right then and there that nothing says true love like letting someone blow their nose into your hand. For the record, I didn't do it. But it's the thought that counts.

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Annadel State Park

~82-83 mins.
10.68 miles (says Mr. Garmin)

For my first run in Santa Rosa, Jordan wanted to take me to Annadel State Park. This is where he put it almost all of his runs throughout high school and when he was home from college, and he was excited to show me his old stomping grounds.

When we pulled up to the main parking lot, we were greeted by cool temperatures and a light mist. Apparently this is pretty typical Northern California winter weather (as I would learn over the next few days) and we were both dressed in long sleeves with a jacket or vest on top. We immediately headed out into the trails for what Jordan thought was a ten-mile loop. While it was muddy in some places, overall the ground was in pretty decent shape. What was more challenging for me was a) the rocks and 2) the hills. Both were in abundance, both slowed the pace, and both kept me focused on the ground in front of me at all times. Once we crested a particularly steep hill, we turned back and then had a downhill reprieve for most of the way back. While our overall pace was unremarkable, the effort (at least for me) was constant throughout.

Oh, and one more item of note: apparently at some point in the run my left nostril decided to go ahead and start bleeding. No idea why. It took me almost twenty minutes to realize that it wasn't just the usual outpouring of snot, and when I finally looked down at my hands and saw they were covered in blood I knew something was amiss. I also knew that I was really, really hardcore.

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