Last night when I was thinking about this walk and where I should be going I was stumped! I have been walking around so many parts of my neighborhood, Alhambra, Pasadena, etc- I felt like I had covered a lot of ground in the 200+ miles I have done since the start of this training. Trying to plot out 18 miles without a lot of repeat was getting tough! So when I went out there today, I kind of winged it.So I tried tabulating it in my head: I knew there was a part of the Ernest E. Debbs park that I hadn't walked yet and its right by my house- that might be an extra mile, and if I walked over to the Rose bowl that might be 4 miles and maybe I could walk across Colorado and down to Huntington. That should get me to about 9 miles and then I could head home.
It was a nice morning, not too hot, with some cloud cover. It was the perfect day for a long walk. I had bought some "Body Glide" at the store per a friend's suggestion. I have been trying all kinds of things to combat the rash I seem to keep getting under my knee braces. So I rubbed that stuff all over my knees and calves, then slid on my clean lycra capris and the knee braces over that. I velcroed them in and grabbed my "power pack" and loaded the usual- including Power Bar gels, Power bar gummies, Thirst Quench gum and a couple of frozen Gatorades (20 oz). I put my phone, iPod, money, ID and ATM card in there with my handkerchief.
I had been getting a little bored with the same play list for the last three weekend long walks so I tried to find Podcasts of This American Life - one of my favorite NPR shows to hear on the walk. Unfortunately, my iTunes was having trouble connecting to the store. I remembered that my husband's Sony mp3 player had an FM tuner, so I asked him before he headed to Camarillo if I could borrow it. Now I had an extra electric device in my power pack- you'd think I was headed to a desert island!
I felt the house at 10:30am and headed toward the park. It has been a while since I walked the neighborhood hills. I normally go straight to Huntington, this time is was uphill for more than 1.5 miles and I was already hurting by the time I got to the hiking path into the park. It was beautiful, though. This was the start of my walk feeling like a hike. I really like hikes!
I walked up the hill into the park and onto the first plateau. Then across the parking lot to the section of the park I had never been. I had attempted it once a couple years before- but when I realized it was all uphill I had quit before. This time I found myself chanting- I can do this, I am doing this, I will do this. I knew the only way I wouldn't make it up the steep hill is if I stopped. And as long as I could put one foot in front of the other- no matter how slow it was- I could make it up. I counted about 10 lizards as I made it across the park and up this slope. I finally reached a plateau and saw two different directions, so I started one way and realized they connected around a little mound. Behind the mound was a LAKE!
That's right, a LAKE! At the top of Monterey Hill in Ernest E. Debbs park is a LAKE that overlooks downtown, Mount Washington, Highland Park and Hermon from different sides. It was like a little oasis! I had no idea there would be a naturally occurring body of water on top of this hill, much less that other people would be there, trying to fish! Its amazing the places people in LA try to fish. I have seen quite a few on these walks, now, too.
It took me about an hour to get to this point and I decided to switch to the radio from my normally music. Luckily I had locked controls on the iPod, so it looked like my Nike+ would cooperate with my and track everything today without pausing or ending the workout. I tuned the radio to KPCC and heard "Wait- Wait Don't Tell Me" as I continued up the mountain side.
The one thing I was afraid of, when listening to talking instead of beats, was that I would slow down. I actually picked up my pace according to the Nike+! It must have been because I because so engaged in what I was hearing. I kept one ear bud in and the other out to hear the world. I felt so curious, walking down paths I would never have taken, just to see where they went. After all, I knew I needed to accumulate miles and so walking up a trail and back down to explore it was a good way to add to the tally.
I took the trail all the way over the mountain and down the other side, which dropped me right next to the 110 FWY by Via Marisol. I crossed the street and walked by the tennis courts and park I normally drive past and under the overpass. The new dog park that I see whenever I get onto the 110 Fwy at Ave 60 was right there! I found out how to get to it by exploring!
I also had been noticing the new bike path along the 110 fwy and was able to get onto it from where I was and walk in the cement waterway that (I think) becomes the Arroyo! Its amazing how fearless I felt walking down paths I had never tread alone. I felt like a great explorer, finding things I have only seen from the road. The path ended at Pasadena Ave- which I crossed and then found a little dirt path behind the bus stop.
Turns out that path took me into the official Arroyo Seco Park in South Pasadena. I walked up and down and noted the signs which had pics of the wildlife and wildflowers as I listened to "Off Ramp" on the radio. I continued down the narrow path as it went into the trees and notices the Arroyo golf course come up on the left side. I passed by a few other walkers and knew it was a safe place to be. Walking next to the golf course I immediately thought back to walking in Nebraska/ Iowa and the golf course there. It was so yellow there and so green and lush here. It was nice to be home.
As I came out in the clearing I notices some rocks on the side of the hill. I walked over to them and realized that they were the rocks on the side of the 110 FWY that say "City of South Pasadena"! This was a major road marker for me! The first time I saw that I was in college and I remember thinking how cool it was. This was the first time I had ever taken the 110FWY and went into Old Town Pasadena with my friend Anel to get our hair done. I always wondered how someone could get to those rocks and here I was!
I continued on the path and it dropped me out at the South Pasadena Little League fields I had walked by on my first 16 miler. There were little kid teams playing and it was adorable. I had forgotten how coaches would pair kids up at certain bases and have them play as buddies. The adult was pitching and the little one at the plate was doing his best to hit to the 4 left fielders. It really took me back to my little league time. What a gorgeous spring day to be playing ball.
At this point I had finished 1.25 Gatorades and so I stopped by the bathroom. I had gotten 7.5 miles in at this point. On the way out I tried to cool my hands in the faucet and fill one of the Gatorade bottles with drinking water. I had been walking for a little more than 2 hrs at this point, so I opened up a powerbar gel and knocked that back too.
I walked up Arroyo Dr. past the stables and onto one of my favorite streets in Pasadena. Walking the tree lined street on the dirt side, I looked down into the Arroyo and noted all the trees growing sideways juxtaposed with the multi-million dollar homes. "This American Life" came on the radio and I was like- YES! I forgot that was on the radio today! This was what I spent an hour trying to download before I left and its actually ON LIVE! What good fortune!
"This American Life" carried me down Arroyo all the way to the Rose Bowl. I walked past the Aquatic Center, where I have spent the majority of my time when here before. This time I walked across the baseball fields and over to the KidSpace Museum. Then I walked to the actual Rose Bowl and saw other runners/ walkers and felt like I was at home. I had never walked around the Rose Bowl before, so I decided to do it now. I was already at 10 miles, but I figured it wasn't that far around, so it would be fine! Besides, I was caught up in the last story on the radio, so I just kept going.
The field in front of the Rose Bowl had more soccer teams, in their bright uniforms, than I have ever seen in one place. Crossing the street I intercepted 4 balls and sent them back across the busy street to their games/ practices before I got into the Pedestrian lane on the road. I followed the people ahead of me as "The Splendid Table" came on the radio.
I guess I didn't realize the path around the Rose Bowl went around Brookside Golf Course, too? So it was a longer circumference than I had originally planned. By the time I heard the story on vegan soul food, a woman who was reborn at the Farmer's market and the Cheese monger from Brooklyn talk about washed rind cheese, I had already gone 3 miles! I decided it was ok if I didn't go all the way to where I began my trip around and cut back down the road by the Aquatic center and start to head home. I was already at 13.75 miles!
My feet were starting to hurt and I realized after I began walking up along Holly street back to Orange Grove, that I didn't use the bathroom at the Rose Bowl like I should have. I had made it through most of the rest of my Gatorade and some of the water at this point. I had had another powerbar gel and some gummies and some gum. "Prairie Home Companion" had just begun when I hit 14 miles.
I was starting to plot out how I would get home and avoid too many more hills. My legs were starting to hurt and I could tell already I was going to have a rash/burn/hot spot under my knee braces. I tried to just put it out of my head, since there was nothing I could do about it now. I decided the shortest route was going to be the best one, even if I had to take some hills. I went all the way down Orange Grove to Mission, Mission to Indiana and Indiana to Monterey.
I looked at my iPod as I walked on Monterey toward Foremost Liquor, where the Metro tracks cross.- I was at 18 miles. That was supposed to be the whole walk. And here I was- still 2 BIG hills and what I thought would be 2 miles away from my house! The good news was I was at about 5hrs 15mins at this stage- so my pace was working for me. The bad news was no one was there to pick me up! Last week I knew I wasn't going to be a hero and was going to call for a ride when I hit 18 miles. Well I called. But he was still in Camarillo when I called- which is over 1 hr away. So I told him I loved him and thanked him for the loan of the FM player. I told him I'd see him at home, one way or another.
After I hung up, I looked ahead and said to myself, "Time doesn't matter. Just get home. No matter how long it takes. The only way it wont happen is if you stop moving." And so I walked.
I walked over the hill on Monterey (the one that back in Jan I never would have imagined taking by foot) and while I slowed down a bit, I made it! I kept chanting "I can do this, I will do this, I am doing this!"
By the time I got over the 1st hill, the NPR news was coming on. It was 5pm. I was at 20 miles. Still not home. I kept going.
I walked down Monterey and around the corner to Huntington. My feet were feeling numb and my legs heavy. I had to go pee pretty badly and didn't have any more water/ Gatorade. I wanted to drink more, but had nothing. I wanted to eat something, but managed to subside that with the gummies.
I finally made it to little Huntington drive- home was within range- just half a mile. I kept pushing on through the neighborhood to the school by my house. Last big hill. Push Push Push, I made it up and then the rest was cake. My feet kept going. My breath kept going and I arrived home at 5:30pm. Completed 21.5 miles.
When I got home I ran to the bathroom to pee and started peeling off layers. I was right about the rash/burn. It was worse than any previous weeks. Just touching it felt hot and scraped. The one thing the 'Body Glide' did manage to do is let all the dirt I had kicked up stick to my knees. I looked bruised even more than I was because of all the dirt stuck to my feet, knees and calves.
After my shower tonight, I dove into leftover sushi from date night (last night) and some left over chicken soup my husband made. I tried to stretch, as much as I could without touching my burnt calves. I rubbed all kinds of Diaper rash cream on and I felt content. My feet didn't fall off.
Even though I started this trek blind (hence the extra 3.5 miles I ended up doing) I felt like I got to open my eyes to areas I had never seen before. I am loving this quenching of curiosity that I get to do on every walk. I am so proud that I have given myself this time and I am not giving up on myself. Just think! I went 21.5 miles today. That is less than 5 miles away from the whole marathon total!! I CAN DO THIS!! Less than one month to go!
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