Briones

On most Tuesdays and Sundays I go out to Briones nature preserve for a half an hour to hour run. This preserve is vibrant with green trees, yellow grass, slow moving cows and singing birds. Last Tuesday, after talking to Hope on the phone, I snagged my camera to take some pictures of my usual Tuesday route.

Here is the entrance into the preserve:

Like my new car on the right? :P

My trail is up and to the right of the entrance on a dirt trail, through a meadow and along a brook. This is where it begins:

My trail is in the left corner through the trees

The challenging part, other than the uneven ground and occasional tree root, is the ascent. I don't know if the pictures give a good sense of the incline but here are two pictures. The first picture is looking back and where I ran so far and the second is looking forward to what is next.

Going up . . .

Still going up . . .

When I make it to the top (after take a walking break in between the top pictures above), the rest of the run is pretty clear sailing as it is mostly downhill. I go through a gate and up a few hills to conclude with a final descent on a gravel path. Sometimes the steep descent is almost as hard because I have to counter-ballance for the gravity pulling me forward. I also focus a lot and how my feet land in order to protect my ankles and not put too much weight on my right big toe (my stride got funky after I twisted my ankle).

At the bottom looking back up (glorious finish!)

I took a picture of my hard working feet at the end of the run. Pretty reliable fellows:

They look so small and far away

Then I might add a few minutes to my run, depending how I am feeling. Or I walk around for a bit. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to run the whole route without a walking break. Other times I get frustrated with my stride or how I land on my feet. And even other times I feel proud of my accomplishment. Then it is back in the car to return on Sunday for my alternate route.