When anyone asked what I was doing for Labor Day this year, I joked that I was going to San Francisco for dinner. Although that wasn't too far from the truth, I did manage to fit in a lot more during my weekend trip. Prior to my trip, I was hoping to run over the Golden Gate Bridge for bridge practice and also because I had never crossed it on foot. I didn't make it over the bridge, but I did get to run to it, and ran a total of 13.5 miles.
Running in San Francisco was very different from the conditions I've experienced in Connecticut. It was still dark when I started running and for the majority of the run, it was cold, windy, and really foggy. I loved it. It was easy to breathe, the temperature was comfortable, and I seemed to be one of the first runners out that morning. It was almost as if I had the streets to myself.
The run to the bridge was beautiful. I ran along the water to avoid any major hills and took my time and walked around for a little while once I got to the bridge. The run was slightly more difficult on my way back, but just as I started to lose steam, I saw someone walking around with their Team in Training jacket on. Instant inspiration! While it helped to see a TNT participant/mentor/coach, I was even more excited when I ran past Fort Mason and saw swimmers coming in from Alcatraz. Talk about inspiration, their morning was definitely more difficult than mine! I stopped at the finish line of the swim momentarily to marvel at the swimmers' accomplishment.
My run continued on the Embarcadero, past the Ferry Building, and eventually back to Union Square. After such a great run, what could make this morning better? A Mission burrito and Philz coffee.
