After a fragmented sleep, I got up at 4:20am, downed two bananas and one jug of
water, headed north, and arrived early at the Rodeo Beach to meet L and his son
S. We hadn't run together since early April.
It was dark and the big parking lot was almost empty. I could see the outlines
of the hills on one side and hear the Pacific on the other: endless waves
rushed to shore making a soothing noise. Dawn came quietly and swiftly, however.
In 20 minutes our surroundings emerged from the darkness. A couple of miles up,
we were able to look back and see city lights.
This was the first time I ran in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area,
82,000 acres of hills, valleys, beaches, and miles and miles of trails free for
people to roam on. One couldn't help feeling thankful that this gem had not been
bought up or built into another San Francisco. Who cares if Silicon Valley tech
giants are moving to Texas?
We followed the route of the Headlands races and took it easy. L was recovering
from groin pain and I had my right foot to take care of. In fact, I planned to
take a shortcut if I couldn't keep up with them in the last miles. I also wore a
pair of Merrells just for today's run. 20-year-old S was the most experienced
runner and guided us through the labyrinth of trails.
The Merrells proved to be the right choice as a few segments were very rocky. My
foot hurt from the start but in a better-cushioned shoe it did not get worse. I
also followed L's example as he walked on steep uphills instead of keeping on
running. Hiking muscles felt slightly different and burning the quads less.
It was a beautiful day. Going north on our clockwise loop, we were flanked by the
deep blue Pacific on the left and green undulating hills to the right, all under an
azure sky. South bound, Golden Gate Bridge loomed in a distance. A sapphire-blue
inlet of the Richardson bay showed up on our left, decorated on the edges by
numerous bright white yachts and rusty red bluffs. It was a stunning view.
Near noon, we crossed the Bunker Road from above and made it to the north end
of the bridge. The trails became busy but hikers made way for us. Some reminded
us of masks but overall people were nice. It was on our way down the road to the
abutment when I looked back and saw AhTang leading a group of Chinese runners
toward the underpass to the Vista Point.
Coming back up, we stopped chatting and joking and hunkered down for the last
five miles. Surprisingly, I found myself in good shape. I focused on form,
ignored the foot pain, surged ahead, and was able to maintain speed till the
end. We finished at around 1:00pm, after running more than six hours, during
which I drank from a hydropack but ate nothing.
I conked down on the sofa once home, slumbered for more than an hour, and had a
great meal and again a lot of lemon water.
