12k on trails

so long ago, i used to hate running. no really, i really did. i'd lace up with the best intentions, and then once on the pavement, i'd huff and puff for a total of 10 minutes, then resort to a gasping walk. then stop, bend over, and turn around. it was sorta pitiful.

in college, the bridge loops in boston and cambridge would beckon, and on fall days, it was oh-so-tempting to run and jog along the glistening charles. but alas, problem sets and winter days prevented me from putting on those running shoes.

but once i got to dc, somehow, i started running. i think it had something to do with the fact that swimming pools and sports clubs were unbelievably and ridiculously expensive. and running, well, was cheap. all i needed was a solid pair of spiffy running shoes. done and done. and suddenly, a solid 1.5 years ago, i'm stuck in this running rut.

i almost ran a 25k race this past weekend!!

(that's 15.5 miles)

fortunately, i recovered from my temporary insanity and just ran a 12k (7-and-a-half-ish miles) instead. around angel island state park, right off the coast of san francisco. it was a trail run! and pretty awesome :) and the weekend before, i ran THIRTEEN freaking miles in monterey (through 2 more towns). willie ran it too, and timmie biked. ha. thirteen. i'm not doing that again.

but really, how can i ever be considered a runner if i hate waking up early? early morning runs are refreshing? PSSSHHHH, yeah right. give me an 11am race any day.