Running in Clouds

Some people walk on clouds - not me.

I was going to run up Mt. Wilson today... but the weather forecast said T-storms.  Running up a mountain peak in the middle of a t-storm, too stupid of an idea even for me... that said, I probably would have done it if A) I had warm clothes and B) I didn't have a time constraint of grabbing dinner at Teddy's house by 7:30.

I still wanted to get a long run in... first I thought of doing 2-3 laps around the Rose Bowl trail... but that didn't sound very exciting.  Then I remembered Henninger Flats - it's a mini plateau about 2500 feet up and the way to get there is a 3 mi (one way) steep as hell fire road where I mountain bike with my work buddies.  To make it a full run, I decided to run to it from the office for a total of 7-7.5 mi one way.

I didn't want to get my phone wet, so I used to clock on my waterproof camera.  Well, it's not quite as waterproof as they claim.  I dumped it into a jacuzzi once to show off... and it got water inside, so I had to dry it for a while.  In any case, I figured it should be waterproof for a little drizzle.

The higher up I ran, the more that drizzle started to look like a downpour.  By the time I was on the mountain I was drenched.  I was also very cold.  My Merino Wool T-shirts that I stole for an amazing price from www.steepandcheap.com haven't gotten here yet.  So I wore a cotton T-shirt with Vladimir Putin given to me by my uncle from Russia.  Putin might be good at bullying Georgia, but he didn't make me feel any warmer (or fuzzier).

I thought of turning around as worrying thoughts kept dragging me down "Oh, it's so cold, I can catch pneumonia or something."  But I asked myself if I actually physically felt bad right now and the answer was No.  So fuck it, let's just do it.

The run up was tough and I walked a few times, but never for more than 50 feet.  Walking gave a chance for my legs to rest just a tad which made me able to run again.  I practiced running to the top of hills and then running even faster on the downhill.  So in a race situation, I can smoke somebody on the uphill and then not let them catch me on a downhill.  This is not easy because by the time I get to the top of the hill, my legs feel like wood.  But I was able to push through that and make my Pinocchio legs move.  Whenever I took walking rests, it was only on uphills.

I was running into a white blanket of wetness and clouds.  At times, I could barely see 50 feet ahead.  I felt like if I run just a little bit faster, I will dissipate into the cloud and be engulfed by it.  But like magic, no matter how fast I ran, the cloud ran even faster and I was still able to see my precious 50 feet ahead.

I saw only one guy on the way up, he was coming down.  We waved at each other.  I yelled "Hardcore!" and he yelled back "Enjoy!"  I felt a sense of camaraderie.  Out of a metro area of 10 million people, it was just him and I up there.

I made it up in 35 minutes, tying or slightly beating my MTB time.  I've always thought that running is faster than MTB on the steep hills and this seems to prove it.

I rested under a tree trying to get any shelter I could from the rain.  Unsuccessfully.

A few minutes later I was on my way down.

The wind chilled me to the bones.  "This is going to SUCK.  I didn't think I would be running donwhill fast enough to get wind chill (unlike going downhill on a bike which is way faster)."

But after running for just a few minutes, I warmed up and got into the groove!  I felt exhilarated and light, just gliding my way down the mountain, in a cloud.  I screamed.  And then a beautiful view opened up to me of the city below, barely visible through the storm, and hulking towers from the high voltage transmission line jabbing their way out of the fog yet still blurry from being surrounded by it.  And the rain rhythmically humming all around.  It just felt so peaceful.

I got what I came for.