The Long of It

Slow-twitch muscle fibers rule. Decided that in order to have a 20-mile week, my first one since May, that I'd have to run 10 miles today. When I thought about getting up, eating breakfast, waiting around until that settled--I decided it would be a better course of action just to run the 10 miles before breakfast (hey, I'm a runner, not an Einstein). So off I went at about 6:20 am, carrying my trusty water bottle in my hand and a packet of chocolate Clif Shot in my pocket. It was a perfect, gentle, Bay Area summer, with wispy pink fog-clouds drifting overhead as the sun rose, and a cool tailwind from the south encouraging me as I ran.

I did my usual four-city run, that is, through Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, and Richmond, out to the end of the Ohlone Greenway, also known as the BART trail, where the Baxter Creek restoration proceeds, with wonderful results (see photo, below).



Even though it was early, an older gentleman was already primping the wildflower garden that signals the approach to the creek. For midsummer, the garden is amazingly bright and flourishing. I complimented him, and got a smile in return.

The run was uneventful (the best kind). My energy stayed high, and the infrastructure reasonably functional. I did ice my left knee when I got home, but it was more for good luck than to ease any real pain. When I run "fast" (see last post), I think more speed and shorter races are the way to go. But when I get into a two-hour-long excursion and find my mind clearing and my body humming, I think longer runs and more marathons have to be the best place for my running focus. What a luxury not to have to choose right now, to just be able to go out the door with reasonable frequency and have a rewarding time whether I'm blazing down the trail or plonking along steadily, left-right, left-right.

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