I flew back home from LA yesterday. As those of you who know me know, I love LA. As a runner, LA boasts my favorite places to run - challenging routes that involve a bit of technical skill (when adding trails), a whole lot of hills, an abundance of wildlife, and very little traffic (eat your heart out NYC). It seems crazy, but on the runs I take in the City of Angels, I never feel as though I'm in an urban area until I reach a vista point where the metropolis unveils its vastness before me. Usually, I'm less worried about traffic, and more concerned about coming upon a rattle snake, coyote, or (in the back of my mind, please god no!) a mountain lion.
I did my favorite run the first day. It begins from the doorstep of the place I stay in the Hills. A quick half mile run downhill to the mouth of Griffith park, followed by a 2 mile uphill to the observatory, and then home. It's a nice 5 miler with no flats. My LA running buddy, Joe, joined me for the run.
On day two, Joe and I met up with his regular partner a pied, Steve, on a five miler along Mulholland. That was a truly nice run, involving some gentle hills, cool winding roadways, and fog-shrouded vistas. When we finished, and were driving back, Joe suggested doing the Griffith Park run again. So, we grabbed a scone and coffee at Trails (a stunningly good little outdoor eatery in the park), and then, reloaded, the two of us charged up the hill. The Sunday running total fell somewhere between 8 and 9 miles. Not bad for a city more know for traffic than trails.
I hope to have some pics to post next week.
Some advice for those traveling to LA in the near future: Blow off Malibu. Right now it is cold as heck and blanketed in a cloudy/foggy haze - total disappointment. Do go to: The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve - a state park near a rather unpleasant little town called Lancaster. The drive out is amazing, and the 8 miles of trails they have that meander through fields of poppies is really beautiful.
That's all for now.
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