Leo Carillo Run: Tough One but not a Rough One
Yesterday our marathon training group headed back to Poinsettia Park in Carlsbad for another major bun-burner.
The course took us inland, up Palomar Airport Road, where traffic on the six-lane thoroughfare whips by going at least 55 mph. We then turned into newer residential developments with some grand views. The entire course was a series of rolling hills, which in runnerspeak means “relentless.” Most were long, gradual inclines or declines but along miles-long Melrose Avenue the terrain contained some serious dips and climbs in elevation. It was an out-and-back, which gave us the advantage of knowing what to expect the second half. I’m not sure it helped some conquer the hills any better, but it was a big bonus for me.
I started out conservatively, easily talking up a storm and mentally noting the first part on Hidden Valley Road was a steep decline, which meant I’d have to save something at the end to get back up it. “I’m not opposed to walking this after doing 15 miles,” I told a friend. Indeed, I’d slept very little the night before and worried I’d have another bad run. I’d struggled with my running in recent weeks and had started seriously doubting my ability -- my desire, even -- to run a good marathon in about two months. For extra assurance, I ate a new breakfast -- oatmeal -- and packed five peppermint Lifesavers instead of my usual two or three. (I run with Lifesavers to keep my mouth moist and blood sugar up since I don’t do Gu.) Weather at the start was ideal, with the marine layer keeping things cool.
A downside to running on a major road within a city are traffic lights at busy intersections. If you miss the walk sign, you can be stuck on the corner for several minutes until your turn comes up again. This only happened once on the way out but would become almost a running joke on the return, where I managed to miss every single walk light and struggled to keep from confusing my legs during the long stops.
But on the way up I managed to catch up with a woman named Terri and we held together for the middle stretch. Towards the turnaround, with the sun now strong, she began to look for a place to relieve herself. As I mentioned at the start, there are quite a few new neighborhoods being built in this stretch, which meant there also were several port-a-potties for construction crews available. We found one within an open gate and while Terri was in it, some guys pulled up. I told them why we were on their site, begged their indulgence and smiled politely at them when my running partner called out from the commode, “Oh, Anne, this is just what I needed!”
I’d no sooner switched places with her when Terri yelled, “You better hurry. They’re locking us in!” Sure enough the guys were locking the gate, probably to keep the rest of the runners out.
I picked up the pace the last six miles, once we were climbing those big hills again. Because we’d been one of the last to go the entire way for the Intermediate Group, I wondered if I’d again be close to last coming in. But I steadily picked off people as I headed back along Palomar Airport Road into the Hidden Valley hill, which appeared sooner than I thought and, it turned out, was easier to get up than I expected. I felt great when I finished. I could definitely have done more miles. And that’s just what I needed to feel to restore some of the confidence that had eroded in the last few weeks.
Soon as I got home, I showered and hit the road again, this time to drive north to my parents’ house in Orange County. My sisters and I were getting together for Mom’s and Dad’s birthdays this month. And I, for one, was in the mood to celebrate.
The course took us inland, up Palomar Airport Road, where traffic on the six-lane thoroughfare whips by going at least 55 mph. We then turned into newer residential developments with some grand views. The entire course was a series of rolling hills, which in runnerspeak means “relentless.” Most were long, gradual inclines or declines but along miles-long Melrose Avenue the terrain contained some serious dips and climbs in elevation. It was an out-and-back, which gave us the advantage of knowing what to expect the second half. I’m not sure it helped some conquer the hills any better, but it was a big bonus for me.
I started out conservatively, easily talking up a storm and mentally noting the first part on Hidden Valley Road was a steep decline, which meant I’d have to save something at the end to get back up it. “I’m not opposed to walking this after doing 15 miles,” I told a friend. Indeed, I’d slept very little the night before and worried I’d have another bad run. I’d struggled with my running in recent weeks and had started seriously doubting my ability -- my desire, even -- to run a good marathon in about two months. For extra assurance, I ate a new breakfast -- oatmeal -- and packed five peppermint Lifesavers instead of my usual two or three. (I run with Lifesavers to keep my mouth moist and blood sugar up since I don’t do Gu.) Weather at the start was ideal, with the marine layer keeping things cool.
A downside to running on a major road within a city are traffic lights at busy intersections. If you miss the walk sign, you can be stuck on the corner for several minutes until your turn comes up again. This only happened once on the way out but would become almost a running joke on the return, where I managed to miss every single walk light and struggled to keep from confusing my legs during the long stops.
But on the way up I managed to catch up with a woman named Terri and we held together for the middle stretch. Towards the turnaround, with the sun now strong, she began to look for a place to relieve herself. As I mentioned at the start, there are quite a few new neighborhoods being built in this stretch, which meant there also were several port-a-potties for construction crews available. We found one within an open gate and while Terri was in it, some guys pulled up. I told them why we were on their site, begged their indulgence and smiled politely at them when my running partner called out from the commode, “Oh, Anne, this is just what I needed!”
I’d no sooner switched places with her when Terri yelled, “You better hurry. They’re locking us in!” Sure enough the guys were locking the gate, probably to keep the rest of the runners out.
I picked up the pace the last six miles, once we were climbing those big hills again. Because we’d been one of the last to go the entire way for the Intermediate Group, I wondered if I’d again be close to last coming in. But I steadily picked off people as I headed back along Palomar Airport Road into the Hidden Valley hill, which appeared sooner than I thought and, it turned out, was easier to get up than I expected. I felt great when I finished. I could definitely have done more miles. And that’s just what I needed to feel to restore some of the confidence that had eroded in the last few weeks.
Soon as I got home, I showered and hit the road again, this time to drive north to my parents’ house in Orange County. My sisters and I were getting together for Mom’s and Dad’s birthdays this month. And I, for one, was in the mood to celebrate.
