Cinderella Run 5 mile
When I got back home to Oakland, I wanted to get back in shape (I had slacked off a bit during exam season), so I signed up for an easy 5 mile run in Joaquin Miller Park, which is right by my house. On Saturday morning, my mom and I drove up (she and my Grandma came to cheer me on) and I got in line to start the run. The run was great. It was especially nice because, although I didn't realize when I signed up, much of the route was on trail that I had either run or ridden before, and part of it was my favorite ride to do with Pearl, back when I still had her. So it ended up being a surprisingly sentimental run. It was a pretty 5 miles all on single track or fire trails, starting with a relative uphill, moving into some mostly flat switchbacks, a little more up, and then a huge (and hugely fun) downhill. The downhill was very long, very winding, thin, and dotted with rocks and roots I had to jump over. That kind of trail is the reason I like running. It's my favorite type. That section made the run for me, and I finished in 45 minutes, second in my age group. It was, as usual, a very well managed run put on by Coastal Trail Runs, and I had fun as always!
