Lost Valley run

RUN 10.5 miles (0.4 miles walked) on Lost Valley, 2hrs 7 minutes

WOW a trail run!! I was stressed most of the morning -- this was going to be LA and 1st weekend apart -- and I was mentally a mess. Trying to distract myself, Azu and M were looking over my shoulder, and I was sick the day before with gut pains (from stress). I got a late start, but a start nontheless.

My first surprise of the day was pulling into the parking lot for the visitor's center and thinking I had the wrong turn because there was a WHOLE NEW BUILDING at the entrance!? WTF? When did that appear? Has it been THAT long? That made me kinda sad. 

The goal was to find 10 miles, either out n back or a loop using the Hamburg. Since this was my first trail run since .... July of last year?...see above paragraph...I wanted to be sure I didn't come out here and bang up the joints and connectives in a bid to see some trees.

I haven't mentioned yet -- this was a PERFECT morning for weather! I was in a t-shirt and shorts, sunshine and dry and little wind. Unseasonably wonderful. So there were many others out on the trail, hikers and bikers (the latter of which seemed to forget that "on your left" is an expected phrase!). 

Out to Hamburg, down the hill, walk up the next hill and running until I find the right-turn to the trail I was coming up on 3 miles and was certain I'd missed that turn, when I found it. Mental note on the distance! I I though I'd just see how this goes, and also thought the creek bed along the road was maybe 5 miles out. But I knew by now that wasn't right, it had to be 8 or 10? I know I did this out n back run  last year. Has it really been that long!?

I'm going along, loving it, feeling the rocks hit my feet but not hurting, feeling the mild stresses on my hips and knees but not in a bad way. But I know I gotta turn around soon, no way I'll make it to the creek bed. I decide to run to the collapsed bridge, and to my surprise - that's 5 miles! Mental note that too.

I pause, snap a few photos, send one to TV and one to LA (who is on his way here!! That totally changed my outlook on the weekend!) and turned it around. The way back to the road felt much longer than 2 miles, and the road back felt longer than 3 miles. A sign that I'm still building. A good reminder too, because at one point I was thinking "if 10 can feel this fun, I'm so CLOSE to 20, amiright?!) NO!!