9.2 miles, 1:57:06 elapsed time, suffer score 273.

Xterra Trail Run Series. Topanga Canyon 15k.

This was my first time on this course. I love trail runs. This was a great one before Thanksgiving Dinner. I met my friends at Lynda’s house at zero dark 5:45am. Bryan, Marvin, Lucas, MikeW and Lynda. She always gets us a great parking spot right at the starting line, regardless of the staff on duty. It was a warm morning. I took a selfie with Turkey Man before the race. The sun was fully out. It was hot in the sun, and cool in the shade. The course is a challenging 15k. First two miles are straightup hill. Mile 3-5 are on what we call Hobbit Trail. I’m sure there’s an official name out there. It’s overgrown, rocky, single-track. I gotta duck the branches, hop over the roots, and watch out for the switchbacks on the cliffs. I almost lost an eye with one branch. I tripped on a root and rolled my left ankle, and I skidded out out on a switchback. Whew! that was fun. Mile 5-7 were fire roads in the blazing sun. We got over the crest and could see the Pacific Ocean and Palos Verdes to the south. The final miles were a mad descent. The whole trip was fun with my friends. Marvin and Bryan are spouting off the funniest stuff on the car ride. Lucas took a wrong turn somewhere and missed the Hobbit Trail. Bryan gave Marvin an awesome time. Fun Times. We all earned our Turkey Dinner.

[UPDATE: Did I mention that I smoked Lynda? Yeah. That just happened.]