Topanga Canyon Morning Run

Today's run began at 9am PST. Sadly, it was the longest I've gone for a while, just over an hour. Not bad, but for someone slated to run a marathon in a month, I may want to pick up my game.

Nonetheless, this morning was great. Cool, wet, muddy, windy and rainy until on my turnaround when the sun broke through. With the exception of the near wipe outs as I made my way through tight, sticky turns on the trail, I was brought back to the joy of the old cross country days.

There's something about plowing up hills and holding the arms out as I try to maintain balance on the downhill while flinging wet clay from my shoes that seems both adventurous and natural to me. The thing about running trails and terrain is that when I'm doing it, my mind is no where else but on the trail. The few times my mind has trailed off in the past, I've payed in the form of embarrassing falls, such as the one by Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia. At least the summer campers who witnessed me get the skid marks enjoyed it!

Most surprisingly, I found Topanga Canyon, a state park centered between the valley and the foot of Malibu's Pacific Ocean to have an oddly independent and isolated feel to it. Unlike many of the arid and dry southern California trails I've been on, much of the trail I trudged up had more of a North Carolina feel -- very green, pretty wet, skinny trails in some areas, tight turns, lots of nature/wildlife (I discovered a deer within the first minute), and yes, hilly. I liken it also to those air freshener or potpourri commercials I would see growing up. Or the tampon one where the woman is frolicing in a green, yet moutainous area while "there she goes" is playing in the background...youtube it, I swear. Damn, if there's one commercial that makes me want to buy tampons that's the one.

As you can see from the picture at the top, Topanga has this sort of Boone, NC feel to it. As you take Top. Canyon Rd. off the PCH, you start to feel like in a little mountain town. Small mom and pop stores and little artsy festivals. If you live in LA and you're in for an escape without escaping, this could be a good place for you.

Song: Carolina On My Mind, James Taylor and The DixieChicks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LvhF0uSEAE

Justin