We drove down to Crissy Field and parked, which was far easier and more secure than we thought it would be. I'm not sure if it's just because the America's Cup was going on, but there were parking attendants in the lot to keep an eye on vehicles. There were porta-potties available, and the running path is clean and well-maintained. Theresa and I set off on a 10K run with no intention of worrying about our pace or finishing time. We just wanted to enjoy the morning and have a great running experience.
The course is clearly marked with signs to the bridge, so a couple miles in we started winding our way up. The hills weren't incredibly treacherous, but then again, we were going at a pretty relaxed pace to begin with. The weather was cool and foggy -- we couldn't even see the top of the bridge, but it was a comfortable day for running. Once we got to the bridge itself, the pedestrian lane was fairly crowded with walkers, moms-and-strollers, and sight-seers. We did a bit of dodging to avoid collisions, but all in all it was a fabulous run. We finished in about an hour and fifteen minutes, including our photo opportunities.
As I've mentioned before, it's easy to get caught up in official events, specialized training plans, and paranoia over improving race times, but every so often it's a good idea to go out and run with no expectations beyond having a good time. We did that in San Francisco this weekend, and it was one of the best runs we've been on yet.
That said, I'm absolutely going to enter the SF Marathon next year.
Here are some pictures from our morning:
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| Ready to start! |
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Theresa winding her way up.
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Running for the joy of getting out there might just be the best reason of all to run. Thanks for sharing your fun sightseeing run!
ReplyDeleteVery nice, Chris! That looks like a lot of fun. I'll definitely keep it in mind the next time I go to San Francisco!
ReplyDeleteOK, you've combined two things that I don't do well - running and heights. OK, I can run a bit, and I used to enjoy running more than I do now, but you couldn't have gotten me running on a bridge that high if you told me Charlize Theron was at the other end waiting to give me a blow job.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that, Sully, because I think the NYC Marathon next year has the "Verrazano Narrows Bridge - Charlize Theron BJ" option.
DeleteI've been on the bridge.
ReplyDeleteI got about as close to the railing as where you are running.
That puppy is scariest when the wind's blowing in from the ocean.
That said, the views back to the city from there and from the turnout on the north end are fabulous.
Have you considered running the Bay to Breakers?
Bay to Breakers looks fun. Craziness!
ReplyDeleteWow. Good for you Chris. And you know you look so different since you've lost so much weight and I finally figured out who you remind me of! Peter Skaarsgard from The Killing. (I think that's how you spell his name!)
ReplyDelete