TALES FROM THE TRAIL (AND SOMETIMES THE ROAD TOO)

Thursday, October 22, 2009

"Good Girls Don't, But I do."

I want to swim tomorrow, especially because my wrist x-ray came back normal. So, today was run day for sure. But where to run? That was the question of the day (well, actually the first question of the day; a day is filled with lots of questions).

After dropping my two oldest boys off at elementary school, then an hour later, my youngest to preschool, I debated whether to run down to the marina, or to run to the Top of the World. Oh, the dilemmas of life! If I ran out the door for a harbor run, I’d be tempted to run ten or so miles, resulting in way too much time away from chores and other things on the “to do” list. On the other hand, the shortest route to Top of the World is only a 5.9 mile run. Ah – but there’s the drive to and from, adding to the time away from essentials.

What to do? What to do?

Quite frankly, I didn’t spend too much time deciding. The answer was easy. Onward, to the Top of the World!

I love that anxious feeling driving to Canyon Vistas Park, knowing that hot, steep climb up Cholla awaits me with open arms, stoically, non-judgmentally, yet mockingly. I love the twists and turns in the trail, swerving up to the ridge, lots of bike tracks, few shoe tracks. I love that I can’t see the top, but how suddenly after a bumpy rock outcropping and quick right turn, I’m there, at the top of Cholla Trail – as if it wasn’t that bad after all, but really, running up that thing was hell.

But wait, there’s more delight. Upon reaching Westridge, its two plus miles of rolling climbs are laid out entirely before me. I can see it all, and it’s more than intimidating, its frightening : ) But not too frightening. I put one foot in front of the other, once again and ran it all the way to the top. Just toward the end, Westridge’s most daunting climb, I told myself, “don’t look at the top,” and I put my eyes to the ground. Funny; I couldn’t stop looking. It was so difficult to run, I just had to see “how much farther????” I made a deal, don’t look until the song’s over. There was only about ten seconds left of the song, and I looked to the top about three times. Here’s the deal when I concentrate on the top of a tough climb: I slow down, I feel even more tired, and I want to quit. That’s why I try not to look. If I just focus on the moment, think about one foot at a time, I can take the hill a lot stronger.

About half way up these difficult part on Westridge (if you know the trail, it’s the climb that leads up to the Mathis intersection, the same one I fell down months ago), a song piped in through my headphones, a one hit wonder from my high school years, that I haven’t heard since about then. Good Girls Don’t, I’m pretty sure it’s called. The chorus goes, “Good Girls Don’t, Good Girls, Don’t, She’ll be tellin’ you, Good Girls Don’t, but I do.” I laughed out loud and changed the meaning of that song right then and there running up that hill – those words don’t mean what we all thought they meant! Good girls don’t get all dirty and run up ridiculously steep climbs like this, BUT I DO!

it's a middle-age sadness
Everyone has got to taste.
An in-between age madness
That you know you can't erase
Til she picks up her pace.

You're alone with her at last,
And you're waiting til you think the time is right.
Cause you've heard she's pretty fast.
And you're hoping that she’ll pick the trail tonight.
So, you start to make your play,
Cause you could've sworn you thought you heard her saying...

Good girls don't,
Good girls don't,
She'll be tellin' you,
Good girls don't, but I do.


Earlier today, when I was delirious this cracked me up. It’s not so funny now, but funny enough then to get me to the top of that climb. When I finally reached Top of the World I took in the ocean view and quickly turned around for that glorious run back. What a great feeling to finally make it to the top, sweating, dirty, and dead-dog tired! The run down was exhilarating – memories of getting up there, of conquering the monster, seeing the strain on the faces of the bikers who now made their way up. There are some up hills on the way back, it is a ridge trail after all. But Cholla, that’s all downhill, twisting, turning, glorious downhill.

Miles logged this morning: 5.9
ps. The song referenced is from "The Knack."

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