For years, we've always talk about the "Woodisde Run" as being a critical component of training for any race. From what I understood, there was a good mix of pavement, trail, flat road, hills, and a good sense of accomplishment when anyone completed the trail. Yes, as the Team Manager I would often hype up the dreaded "Woodside Run" and then quickly try to ease anyone's anxiety. Most seasons, we're fortunate to have excellent running weather in Woodside....if we started early enough, we'd beat the heat in the summer. And, the weather was almost always on the cool side and perhaps a little wet in the winter. No big deal...at least it wasn't too hot.
Woodside Town Hall, Woodside CA
Well, this past Saturday, yours truly finally discarded the Team Manager role and took on the dreaded "Woodside Run" myself. Now I know why this run is such a pain in the a**, especially on a 100+ degree day.
I woke up extra early to drive up to Woodside in hopes that I would be able to start my run at about 6:30am. Nope. Coach didn't let us start until about 7:30am. By then, it was already 70+ degrees, and when I was about 2 miles into my 8 mile run, I swear it felt like the temperature jumped about 20 degrees. For about 2 miles of the run, I ran against traffic (luckily there was none), on the shoulder of a road that hugged the freeweay. I had to be extra careful while running so as not to step in the frequent and sometimes massive piles of horse droppings/poop/crap/sh** or whatever you want to call them. By this time, I was getting cranky, was about halfway through my water, and had to go to the bathroom....a nice mixture of "Don't Go TEAM me while I am running or I might bite your head off!"
Seriously.....I WAS NOT a happy camper.
At about the 5 miles mark, I refuled, found a bathroom (sorry, I'm not really a pee in the bushes kind of gal), and kept going. Everything in me told me to stop everything and just walk back to the car. I was literally a few hundred yards from my car. But I kept going, not knowing what lie ahead.
Fortunately, there was shade on the remaining 3 or so miles of this trail. Not the entire 3+ miles, but enough that I could try and keep out of the sun for small pockets at a time. Thank goodness I remembered my sunscreen. Had I not, I probably would have had some major burns....we're talking lobster red, or worse. That's how bad the sun was in the non-shady parts of the trail.
The last mile and a half, I ran (or should I say tried to run, but rather walked) along a non-shaded part of road that led by some horse stables. More horse poop, lots of flies, wonderful stench. I'm glad I remembered to breathe through my nose so as not to swallow a fly. There were a few time I was close to tears. I was exhausted, hot, sweaty, dirty, my shoes and socks were now brown and covered in dust and perhaps a little horse crap. Fortunately, my teammate Vicki ran up beside me. She didn't try to cheer me up, rather she just ran next to me. She had been on my previous teams and I respect her tremendously, so it was actually nice to have a little company for the last half mile or so. That last half mile seemed like it lasted FOREVER. We were headed slightly uphill, and then FINALLY rounded a corner on our left and down into the parking lot. It took me 1 hour 40 minutes and some change to complete 8 miles that day. Not a personal best, but I was DONE!!!
Now, I can say I have been there, done that.
As grueling as my experience was this past Saturday, I know that it will never really compare to what some folks experience everyday. Just two weeks ago, a friend and former TNT participant told me that her 5 year old son was recently diagnosed with leukemia.
He's 5. 5 years old. FIVE!!!!
At the end of the summer, little kids are supposed to be looking forward to starting school, meeting new friends, playdates, soccer practice, thinking about this year's Halloween costume. Not dreading spending over 2 weeks in the hospital hooked up to machines that administer chemo and powerful drugs to wipe out cancer cells in your tough, little body.
This kid is the toughest 5 year old I know. He could probably run circles around me with all of his energy. Heck, he probably would have LOVED to have run this past Saturday in Woodside with the hot sun, no shade, horse poop and all. All that is probably a million time better than chemo.
So, from now on, I'll stop complaining about Woodside and embrace it. Horse poop and all.
