Mt. Tamalpais

Photo courtesy of Ivorjawa.

Last night I was at a friend's place watching the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life", I had never seen it. On one of my trips to the kitchen I just happened to look out the window and saw the city, looking East towards downtown where I lived. It was beautiful. The rain had stopped, there was very little fog and it was quiet...at least in this part of town.

It reminded me instantly of Jan's photograph, I had meant to share it last week. I like this image because it shows Mt. Tamalpais in the distance. I love that mountain. It's not very high but you will have to run many hills before you can summit. The Quad Dipsea Ultra is run there among other races, a short 28-mile course that boasts 9000+ feet of quad breaking, hamstring cramping climbs in a mountain that only tops around 2,500. I love it. Reminds me of a great girl, beautiful to behold but........hmmm what's the words...complex and deep within. You pay for every mile and it's not for the unprepared. If you have the strength, endurance and perseverance well you might just have a great time. You just can't ever lose respect. The same trails changes with the season, they change as you change. Ah but what I'm I talking about? Don't listen to me...I've been single for a very long time and date very little...I know nothing about women.

Speaking of which, she's never beaten me. Not yet anyway! I've crawled out of there several times looking pretty bad but never beaten. It helps not having a car, when there is no option but your own two feet you make do:) No worries I do carry money in case of emergencies as well as extra clothing. I ran my best race on those hills this year, the Miwok 100k, with the help of my friends Jason, Olga, Stephen and Georgia. A sweet time. Last year when my training plan hinged on super long runs every 3-4 weeks, I would travel from my apartment to the top of that mountain and back. It's a 50-60 mile trip depending on the trails you take. Then there was that day I did a roundtrip plus a detour to Stinson Beach so I could get some food and an espresso. At the top, on a clear day, you can look East and see Mt. Diablo. That mountain is about 1000 ft. higher and a favorite with the East Bay trail runners. It's fun to go there in the Spring and Summer months to test out your heat training.

This year I made it the top once and it was on my bike, a 60-mile taper ride for WS. My new training plan focused on shorter long runs but with more frequency and intensity. Much, much better but I miss the view from the top. Maybe next year, a special solo trip for old times.