It’s called “phase I” because we didn’t run the full 20 miles. But it WAS an adventure!
So, the plan to run 20 miles was a good one because we are doing the Napa Valley Marathon two weeks later. The route we planned is a nice mix of pavement and wooded trails- up and down hills. The idea was to start mid-town Santa Cruz (Claire’s house) and run along the levee path to Pogonip, up to UCSC, across and over to Wilder, down to the Ranch and the Wilder bike trail and back home via West Cliff/Boardwalk. About 20 miles. Claire’s husband agreed (did he really have a choice?) to be our water stops.
So of course this morning it’s totally raining. But at 8:30, it’s a light rain, so we decide to do it anyway. I am in a quandary because I have Brand New Shoes to wear, but the trails will likely be muddy. Claire can’t decide between trail and road shoes. We figure it out and get out the door.
We start off feeling good and virtuous- some of the only people out this morning. It’s fun, and immediately we get overheated in our winter running gear. We go across the trestle at the Boardwalk, ane the riverbank is a beautiful smooth sand against gray water. There is a bright white Egret at the bank. All along the levee path, the birds in the river are like this. It’s really a beautiful day.
Once we get into Pogonip, it continues to be beautiful- the colors of the forest are deepened by rain and mist. There are some muddy swamp patches in the big meadow, and our feet get wet. COLD! We walk most of the way up the big hill on account of the slippery mud. At the top, we turn right and run along looking for clues that will lead us to our next trail. It’s totally beautiful in there, and even though it’s raining a bit more now, the canopy protects us. It’s an adventure finding the next trail because we don’t remember what the crossing looks like, but we find it no problem.
The next trail (U-Con Trail) zig zags up the hill to the top of the UCSC campus. It’s a very cool trail but all incline grade. I walk and trudge most of it- it is in fact very muddy and slippery and there are some small fallen trees to step over. My watch says 10:30am. “My friends are having brunch right now!” I call out as we slog up the switchbacks. But we’re earning it. It’s raining even more as we cross into Campus. Having found ourselves by a cell tower, we duck into a redwood tree circle and call Gary and tell him to meet us at the west entrance in 45 minutes. “And bring extra socks and long sleeve shirts and all our food…”
The Chinquapin trail is great- all wooded. You wouldn’t know you were at a large university because it is quiet and foresty. It is now pouring. It is not a warm rain. All the cold water has seeped into my awesome cycling jacket and infiltrated the wicking shirt underneath. Not so wicking when soaking wet! Claire is getting cold too. We find ourselves at the North Remote parking lot and opt to just take the road back to Empire Grade. The straightest line will get us there quickest. All I can think about is changing clothes in a warm car. We’re both pretty cold and fighting crankiness. After what seems like way way too long, we arrive, sodden, at the appointed meeting place. And here he comes, right at the moment we get there!
Inside the car it is all about putting on dry shirts and towels and trail mix and recovery drink. We’re looking outside at the freezing rain. I can rationalize quitting now, I mention, becuase I was only supposed to do a 3 hour run anyway and it’s been 2:14 and mostly uphill in the pouring rain, so that evens out to 3, right? Our other options are discussed, maybe driving over to nisene where it’s drier under the trees, or we could jsut drive to the last leg of our planned route here. Claire eventually decides “I’m over it!” And we’re done.
As per tradition, we met Lori at the brewery after for burgers and so forth.
It was a completely fun adventure, and later we’d like to revisit (and finish) the route, perhaps on a sunnier day!
Here is the route we ran today:
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=272239
Claire did take a picture of me in the car to document the occaision, but we don’t have pictures of these fabulous trails. Imagine a mixed tree/redwood forest in the pouring rain. Dark red, forest green, bright green new grass, gray mist, brown mud. Also imagine you are wearing a ball cap and you can see big droplets of water coming off the brim.
That’s all for now!
