Let’s just say the day didn’t start out as smoothly as I would have hoped. Because this race started an hour earlier, my Sunday morning started earlier, and I was just a little tired and heat drained from the day before. Again I ate my banana and peanut butter for breakfast and afterwards, headed over to where I thought was the start. It all worked out fine but because I didn’t pay careful attention to the race website and because the final race instructions didn’t specify, I ended up going to the wrong starting line area. Later I find out I wasn’t the only one. Yay! The Griffith Park Half Marathon was near the Greek Theater. However, the 10K
portion starts and finishes near the Old Zoo, which is on the other side of the park.
portion starts and finishes near the Old Zoo, which is on the other side of the park.
I’ve never run on the trails near the Old Zoo. Frankly, they scare me. I’ve read spooky stories about how that portion of the park is haunted. I’m not joking. So needless to say, this area of the park is very new to me. I didn’t know what I was in for.
That was pretty obvious when I dressed wearing a tank top in preparation for the heat. This morning there was no heat. There was no warmth. It was cold. I’m thankful to the woman
from Chicago who saw me looking quite chilled and let me borrow one of her sweatshirts. She was surprised at how cold it was (her LA-based boyfriend was running the race), considering she lives in Chicago where the temperature is currently in the 30s. It was only cold because that area of Griffith Park is densely populated with trees. Spookiness or not, I could’ve used this area in the half marathon the day before.
from Chicago who saw me looking quite chilled and let me borrow one of her sweatshirts. She was surprised at how cold it was (her LA-based boyfriend was running the race), considering she lives in Chicago where the temperature is currently in the 30s. It was only cold because that area of Griffith Park is densely populated with trees. Spookiness or not, I could’ve used this area in the half marathon the day before.
Chillin’ at the start.
Finally I’m doing one of Keira Henninger’s races and it’s not hot!! Who would’ve thunkit? There is hope for me yet.
We got our pre-race words from Keira and I didn’t get the sense this race was as tough as the half marathon course. We had 3.5 hours to complete the 10K so if people wanted to have a good power hike, or leisurely walk, that was fine. Just have fun. And fun it
was!
was!
“Have fun!“
The course started slowly with us walking up some stairs. Once we reached the top, the course leveled off and then gently rolled throughout. There were some hills that I climbed, and a couple very steep ones, but nothing very major. One steep uphill was towards the turnaround. And I loved reaching the turnaround!
How I approached this race was no different than the half marathon. I was going to take it easy and take my time but not take too much time where I was going to hit that 3.5 hour
deadline. My body and legs actually felt pretty decent. I wasn’t too achy so I knew I had a few more miles in me. And my ankle felt fine. Of course, I loaded it up with KT Tape and wore my friend’s ankle support again. I finished well ahead of the time limit, but I didn’t take too many photos of the course because I simply wanted to get done.
deadline. My body and legs actually felt pretty decent. I wasn’t too achy so I knew I had a few more miles in me. And my ankle felt fine. Of course, I loaded it up with KT Tape and wore my friend’s ankle support again. I finished well ahead of the time limit, but I didn’t take too many photos of the course because I simply wanted to get done.
Throughout the race, besides scoping out the dirt and rocks, I thought a lot. One thought that was prevalent, especially during the half marathon, was in regards to the 50 miler. I don’t run well in heat and if that heat makes it’s way to San Diego in January, I honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to finish it. Some people thrive in heat. I don’t. But I know I need to focus on baby steps — the here, and what I can do now.
There was never a moment when I didn’t think I was going to do these races. I always believed I could recover from this injury in well enough time so I could do them. However, I’m not 100% better. There is still something off that my ankle is fighting and I was told by a
physical therapist that he felt I would need at least another month to fully heal and that’s only if I’m very diligent about doing my ankle strengthening and proprioception exercises. You bet I’ll keep doing them.
physical therapist that he felt I would need at least another month to fully heal and that’s only if I’m very diligent about doing my ankle strengthening and proprioception exercises. You bet I’ll keep doing them.
Beautiful cool blue skies.
My goal during this weekend was not to roll any ankles and to finish these races completely intact. I accomplished that goal. Having sprained my ankle a couple of times this year has forced me to be always be aware of where I’m landing my feet. I’m always mindful of the ground. Even more so than ever! There was never a time during these races where I felt like I could relax. I couldn’t settle into a carefree rhythm because I was constantly surveying every inch of the ground. This forced me to slow down even more. It’s probably going to be like this for a very long time. And that’s okay. I’ve accepted that. If that’s what I have to do in order to (hopefully) prevent this injury from happening again, then so be it. I will do whatever needs to be done to keep me moving, keep me on the trails, and keep me running!
13.1 and 6.2 are done and done!
Thanks for reading and Happy Trail Running!