18 miles and an escape plan!

One of the great things about this training is that I have had the chance to explore areas on foot that I have only driven, areas I never thought I would go and areas that seemed insurmountable. In preparing for my planned 18 miles this weekend, I tried to find a course that would be beautiful and have plenty of pit stops, if needed.

I was helping some friends out with a Garage sale in Pasadena (near the foothills off Altadena- just North of 110) on Sat. I knew I wouldn't be able to come back and work on Sunday but thought, wouldn't it be cool to walk back up and check in! On top of that, my good friend Gabriel lives nearby and when he stopped by the sale on Sat, he said that he would join me for a mile or so if I did come back by the next day.

So I took a look at Google Maps and found that from my house to the garage sale was approx 9.2 miles. If I added in walking down the street to my friend Gabriel’s house, that added in an extra 0.5miles or so. This plan was starting to make me nervous. I had never done 18 miles before and definitely didn’t want to plan to do more my first time. Then my husband said he would be around that afternoon and I could call him to pick me up if I needed. I thought- What a great idea! Granted, I didn’t want to give myself the option of calling him before I hit 18 miles- but having that freedom meant I could go where I wanted and call him when I needed. What a gift!

Originally he had offered to go part of the way with me- but suggested I find a route that was a figure 8- so he could walk part way and then be dropped back off at home while I continued. There really aren’t that many places around my house I still want to explore- so the figure 8 idea - while well intentioned- wasn’t gonna fly for me today.

For some reason it takes me forever to get ready to walk. I always have the best intentions of leaving before 9am- but between putting on my gear (this time I forgot to powder under the lycra pants that I wore under my knee braces), packing my "power pack" (I was told it wasn’t a "fanny pack" since a.- I don’t wear it on my back. I wear it on my tummy and b.- it has bottle holders with insulation to keep them cold. It is MUCH more than a fanny pack) and stretching. I get so distracted as I am getting ready with all the things I feel like I need to do. I will have to make sure I pack up my power pack and layout my stuff before the marathon or I will be late to the starting line!

So I got out the door at 10 mins to 10am. And what a gorgeous day to be walking! The sun was out, but not too hot, there was a slight breeze and I was feeling fine! I took Huntington Drive all the way down to Sierra Madre/ San Marino Dr. At this point I had drank a little of my Gatorade (which I remembered to freeze the night before!). On the corner there is a BofA and I had a check with me I needed to deposit, so I paused my Nike Plus and stretched out my calves while at the ATM.

I guess its just Murphy's Law that every time I pause my Nike+ it stops my whole workout. I think its real progress that I don't freak out anymore. Before I would be upset at my Nike+ and think my whole workout was ruined, because my Mini me would not reflect the total number of miles I woudl actually complete, etc. Now, I just take it in stride (all puns intended) and start a new workout, so as to not have too long of a pause between them. Then I add up the totals at the end for my own edification. This was at 6.5 miles.

I continued up San Marino/ Sierra Madre towards the foothills. There really isnt any sidewalk on that street, so I went into the wide grassy median and walked in the middle of the road, beneth the trees, looking out for dog poop. It was getting warmer now, it was after noon and I knew I was getting closer to my destination: Garage Sale central. I was also feeling like I might need to go pee.

I hadn’t drank a lot of Gatorade yet, but I did have 8oz of "Joint Juice"- which is my Glucosamine supplement- before I left and it was catching up to me. I made it to Colorado, then Walnut and realized my Chiropractor's office was right there. I had the code for his office park door and knew there was a bathroom inside, so I went there. Incidentally- it is 8.7 miles to my Chiropractor from home (in case I ever wanted to walk there again).

Leaving my Chiropractor's I continued up Altadena. I was in the home stretch. Soon I would be seeing friends (as if at a finish line) selling their wares at the garage sale, and walk up triumphantly! I texted my friend Gabriel who was going to meet me nearby when I crossed the intersection of Altadena and Paloma. He says "Stop at Paloma, I am almost there". I write back "I don’t want to stop where are you at?" He texts, "Call me" so I do. I turn around and walk back down Paloma and see a figure walking toward me with a dog.

I meet up with Gabriel and Nikko and double back up the street and arrive at the Garage sale which is incredibly quiet... actually its done. Its put away. The car is in the driveway. I am too late to get kudos and accolades from my friends. Well it is 1:10p. 10.5 miles.

I walk up to the door and knock and the organizers are in there counting money. They congratulate me on the distance I came just to check in on them and thank me for the time I spent yesterday selling. I feel good :)

So I go back out and walk with Gabriel to his house, sit down for a couple mins, he gives me some of his left over "Accel Gel" and we sit for about 15 mins and drink some water. Its nice to rest for a moment. I don't think the walk would have been half as enjoyable without knowing the rest time was coming and enjoying the shade of the back porch, some cold water and time with my friend.

He leashes his other dog, Hannah and we say goodbye to his partner and head back out, towards home. He catches me up on all the latest, come cool séance work he has been doing at the Pasadena Playhouse, the drama of Paranormal investigation and tells me the best houses to look at in Pasadena are on San Pasqual (one of his 3 favorite streets in Pasadena).

We walk south, out of the foothills, past Colorado, past Del Mar to San Pasqual. I hug my friend and pet Hannah to say goodbye and continue the rest of my journey alone. San Pasqual doesn’t disappoint. It is a beautiful street, lots of trees, wide road, amazing homes with beautiful details. The type of neighborhood I never think I could afford, but love to visit. I admire the other families walking by and the open house- trying to get a glimpse without actually going in.

The street ends at Hill, right at the Cal Tech campus. I have never been to Cal Tech and really haven’t been on a college campus in a long time. I forgot how independent they make me feel. How quiet they are with nature the only interruption of people studying. There is a serenity here that I didn’t expect existed in the middle of this city. It feels like this is the birth of science here.

Since I have never been, I am little afraid I will hit a border on campus and not be able to get out, so when I see cars passing, I head to that street. Its is California. At this point I have had my first Powerbar Gel. I was starting to feel a little hungry, tired, kind of worn down and had already eaten my power bar "gummy" gels. Those are great- not quite as much as the gel packets- but just enough to feel like I am doing something for the fatigue.

I took California all the way east, past Pie and Burger on Lake, past Euclid, Marengo and then turned left and headed down Arroyo Parkway. Now at this point I am starting to watch my mile count. I know that to get all the way back home would take me FAR more than 18 miles. I don’t want to be a hero today. Besides, my husband said I could call and he would pick me up if I reached a point where I couldn’t go on.

I began thinking about eating- I was getting hungry as I walked down Arroyo Pkwy. What if I was able to hit 18 miles, at a sushi restaurant, then call my husband and have him meet me there and have a late lunch! That would be perfect! I passed by one on Arroyo- 16.7 miles… What about the one on Fair Oaks? – 17.2 miles! Dammit! This plan wasn’t going to work. So I kept pushing on, consuming another powerbar gel to take away the hunger and what I knew would be an impending headache if I didn’t.

I took Fair Oaks to Monterey and then took Fremont to Huntington. I got myself on the left side of the road as I walked back, planning for my pick up. I was almost at 18 miles as I passed the Starbucks. Soon I would approach the $0.99 cent store. I looked at my iPod and say- 18 miles (once I added the 11.5 showing to the 6.5 I had got earlier). I grabbed my phone and texted Gabriel- “I DID IT and now I am calling my husband.” I called him and said, “I am on Huntington, on your side of the road. Please come get me! J” And I kept walking.

Ultimately I did 18.75 miles by the time I climbed into his truck on the side of the road. He took me home and I unraveled my gear and found I had achieved a MAJOR rash on both calves and behind my knee, this time. (Not sure why- though the lycra pants weren’t fresh and clean like last time and I did forget the powder.) I think this is heat rash, but I am not sure of that either. My legs are incredibly sore now, but I did the best stretch I could and plan to do another before I go to bed.

I got in the shower, cleaned up, and rewarded my efforts with a drive to Little Toyko (downtown) and a sushi feast. Good protein and carbs. Healthy and delicious. Plus I felt I earned the hell out of it.