☁️⛰⛅️ 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