☁️⛰⛅️ 20+ miles & 4k' of low quiet fog, quail(2) & bunnies(3), lush green hills(4) & forests(5,6), and finally sunshine above the clouds at Cardiac hill(1,7) before running back(8,9) to where I started and up/down another hill(10). Being prepared brought more confidence than last week. Started later than planned, yet before #SFRC. Took my own route up Fox trail(2), down Coastal Fire road (stopping only for a curious bunny(3)), thru the Redwood creek woods, across Santos meadow, and up the Heather cut-off switchbacks(4). Made good time up Coastal view to the patch of misty forest where most of the trees have grown leaning with the wind(5). Moss covered trees rising from a floor of ferns(6), only a few hundred meters of forest canopy in the middle of an otherwise exposed trail. Still, such relaxing #greentime before finally emerging into the sunshine. The climb to Cardiac felt faster and smoother than usual. As a runner I’ve become grateful for fog and overcast skies, yet it was still nice to get some sun at my goal peak where I could look back on the clouds I had climbed through(7). After a brief snack break and saying hi to the volunteers at the Headlands50k aid station, I decided to chase the racers back down the way I came, all the way to Pirates Cove(8). Pirates Cove also felt faster, and less scary this time around. Kept encouraging the racers as they passed me on the climb, and chased them down the Coastal Fire road, stopping to snap a greener than usual Tennessee Valley for this time of year(9). Returned to Tennessee Valley parking lot at almost 18, hiked/jogged up Miwok trail to more foggy valley views(10), and scampered back down to round out my long trail run. Finally got my 20. ✅ #run #runner #Marin #MarinHeadlands #trail #trailrun #50ktraining #ultratraining #optoutside #getoutside #fog #KarlTheFog #befierce #pushyourself #facethemountain #fitstrongfierce #2019_236 #20190824 #Saturday #latergram #nofilter Last Saturday: http://tantek.com/2019/231/t1/unexpected-weather-trail-run

Tantek taking a selfie at the top of Cardiac hill, southern view behind him of clear blue skies above tree tops partially hidden by the thick clouds and fog below.

Fox trail under a thick fog, with quail and a bunny up ahead on the dirt trail with bushes on both sides.

Curious bunny sitting in straw next to bushes on the side of Coastal Fire road on the downhill to Muir Beach.

Heather cut-off switch backs partially occluded by fog, lush trees in the foreground on the side of the hill.

Coastal view trail in a lush misty forest with most of the trees leaning to the right with the wind.

Moss covered trees trunks above ferns, diffuse lighting from the forest canopy.

View from Cardiac hill, fairly barren in the foreground, a telephone pole rising up with a slight tilt, trees in the distance barely poking through the thick cloud cover.

Looking down on Pirates Cove beach and across the Pacific Ocean, diffuse white light from the clouds, with a sign in the foreground indicating 350 feet to the cove, with various symbols.

Tennessee Valley as seen from Coastal Fire road descent: green hills, Tennessee Valley trail winding them past a lagoon to the beach between two cloud covered hilltops.

Miwok cut-off view of green hills down to Tennessee Valley shrouded in fog.

☁️⛰⛅️ 20+ miles & 4k' of low quiet fog, quail(2) & bunnies(3), lush green hills(4) & forests(5,6), and finally sunshine above the clouds at Cardiac hill(1,7) before running back(8,9) to where I started and up/down another hill(10).

Being prepared brought more confidence than last week. Started later than planned, yet before #SFRC. Took my own route up Fox trail(2), down Coastal Fire road (stopping only for a curious bunny(3)), thru the Redwood creek woods, across Santos meadow, and up the Heather cut-off switchbacks(4).

Made good time up Coastal view to the patch of misty forest where most of the trees have grown leaning with the wind(5). Moss covered trees rising from a floor of ferns(6), only a few hundred meters of forest canopy in the middle of an otherwise exposed trail. Still, such relaxing #greentime before finally emerging into the sunshine.

The climb to Cardiac felt faster and smoother than usual. As a runner I’ve become grateful for fog and overcast skies, yet it was still nice to get some sun at my goal peak where I could look back on the clouds I had climbed through(7). After a brief snack break and saying hi to the volunteers at the Headlands50k aid station, I decided to chase the racers back down the way I came, all the way to Pirates Cove(8).

Pirates Cove also felt faster, and less scary this time around. Kept encouraging the racers as they passed me on the climb, and chased them down the Coastal Fire road, stopping to snap a greener than usual Tennessee Valley for this time of year(9).

Returned to Tennessee Valley parking lot at almost 18, hiked/jogged up Miwok trail to more foggy valley views(10), and scampered back down to round out my long trail run. Finally got my 20. ✅

#run #runner #Marin #MarinHeadlands #trail #trailrun #50ktraining #ultratraining #optoutside #getoutside #fog #KarlTheFog #befierce #pushyourself #facethemountain #fitstrongfierce #2019_236 #20190824 #Saturday #latergram #nofilter

Last Saturday: http://tantek.com/2019/231/t1/unexpected-weather-trail-run