Back to the Hills

Wednesday we did trail runs in Griffith Park.

Apparently Ben put in a special request for steep hills, and Gerald was all-to-happy to comply by planning a long steep run up to the Griffith Observatory.

Turns out, Ben couldn't make it to the run so Gerald changed the plan. We were going to do a course they did last week or so - I don't recall his exact words but the definite implication was that it "wouldn't be too bad". And Gerald should know, right? After all, he did this run recently.

Now you all know I have the utmost respect for Gerald, but the man has the memory of a goldfish. As he confessed later regarding one of the hills, "huh... I knew it was steep but I don't remember it being that long."

Needless to say it was a tough run. It didn't help that it was 87 degrees when we started and 86 when we finished. The air quality was terrible: it was hot, and windy, and muggy and dry and dusty. (how could it be muggy AND dry?I don't know, but it was.) And it was basically just one steep climb after another.

I'll give myself a pat on the back because for the most part I hung with the group pretty well. But I was hurting a bit by the time we finished- I was feeling light-headed and dizzy. My head felt fine while I was running so I guess the lesson here is "don't stop running".

My feet didn't hurt during the run, but when I got home I noticed I was shedding my skin like a snake. (That's my heel, with toes off to left.) I don't remember that happening before. I hope it doesn't continue.