A missed run, a bad run and two great runners!

Friday I missed my tempo run, I left work late got home later, no biggie I thought I’ll get it done and by the time I looked at my watch it was 10:00pm, with a long run the next morning I knew it was too much. I prepped everything for the next morning and hit the hay. The next morning I was up and at them early but I knew it was a sign when my iPod decided to blow up; not literally but after a hard reset I was running late. Reloaded I headed out.

I was on the trail at Cheeseboro Canyon by 7:30am with a clear blue sky overhead I knew it was going to be a warm one. Twenty two miles was the distance of the day and so I headed along the canyon floor, taking a sharp left turn I pushed over into the next canyon, my plan was to tackle the long climb first and avoid the worst of the heat. I reached the Palo Camado trial and started to climb. An hour and half, 6 miles and 1400’ feet elevation change later I was at China Flats. I found a nice trail that took me to top of Simi Peak and I snapped some video of the view.

There was a helicopter buzzing around I wondered given the Red Flag Warning if they were looking for more wildfires? I finished up the loop and started back down the trail toward Shepherd’s Flats and the Ridge Trail, it was getting warmer now and despite having two handhelds and a UD Wasp (over 100oz in total) I was concerned that I might run out and so I changed the route in my mind to swing by the parking lot so I could replen.

The Ridge Trail, as per its name, rolls along the ridgeline of the southern side of Cheeseboro Canyon for six or so miles finally you take a connector which spits you onto the valley floor and the main “in and out” trail. By the time I reached this point I was out of fluids and feeling a little worse for wear, with another two miles to parking lot I was taking it easy. I reached the car a little after 3 hours and 16 miles and knew that, as usual, I would be racing the clock, I ditched my vest refilled a handheld and headed out to try and cover as much distance as I could in the remaining time I had in a simple out and back. Probably being too conservative I scraped another mile and half turned around and headed back to the car. The finally tally 19.38 miles, over 2.5 miles under my goal.

I threw my kit in the car and headed home stopping off at gas station to pick two 32oz bottles of Powerade that were drunk in the 15 minute drive! I guess I was a little more dehydrated than I thought, not surprising given that the temperature reading in my car said 96 degrees, ugh!

So I am putting these runs (or lack thereof in Friday's case) behind and moving on, this week will be better.

Finally, but by no means least, check out the shirt I am wearing. I have never been to Greenville SC, but I know someone who has, in fact some great folks who live there! How cool is this, it arrived in the mail Friday and I had to take it on the trails ASAP. Thanks Robin and Scott you guys are awesome!

I am putting together the rules for Swap-Beat and will post them tomorrow.

Here are some photos and the MotionBased data: