Wednesday, Twelve-Sixteen, Rain

I called Melissa ten miles into yesterday's run.  I was way up on Rampart Range Road, the light was getting dim and the clouds were moving in on me quickly surrounding me with fog and dropping the cold rain on me.

"Hi... Uh... I think that I might be in some trouble here," I explained to her.  It was too late and getting too dark to bail down Williams Canyon like I wanted to do and which would have been the shorter run.  I was going to have to run all the way down RRR to Manitou in the dark and the rain.  I quickly estimated the mileage to the 7-11 in Manitou and the time to get there and I asked Melissa to please leave the house in 45 minutes to meet me at the 7-11.  We confirmed the plan and I hung up the phone and started pounding down the road.

By now I am running in the clouds.  I can not see any city lights below at all and the rain is picking up.  Actual real fricken rain!  When was the last time we had that in Colorado?  I kept berating myself for not packing a headlamp but at the same time I was just thankful that at least I have decent night vision.  After about three miles down RRR not far from above the water tank lights started breaking through again and I was then UNDER said clouds.  Though it was still dark out and I was without a light, the city lights reflecting down off of the clouds did help a bit.  I couldn't see colors of course but definitely shades of darks, and greys and I had depth perception.  Good enough.

Of course I was SOAKED.  Like 2012 Rocky Raccoon soaked.  This just caused me to laugh as I knew that I only had three maybe four miles left... After what happened in Texas this rain and the amount of time that I would have to endure it was for the most part, meaningless.

The problem that I was having though was trying to balance running fast enough to cover ground, and yet staying warm, while at the same time going slow enough to be careful.  Even though I was soaked from head to toe, the only part of me that had been cold was my hands.

About the time I was close to GOG and I could see the rock formations I began to relax.  I knew that I was out of the woods pretty much, figuratively and literally.  I was just trying to enjoy this part of the run now... enjoy the break away from everything and just being outside, weather be damned.

I made Manitou just as I planned time-wise and sure enough Melissa passed me right before the 7-11.  Once again just absolute perfect timing.

Yesterday was supposed to be a 12 mile run, but in the end it was over 16.  I still had fun and I plan to use this first 10 mile section as a jumping off point to other runs this summer where I can just leave the house and go for a super long run.

Elevation Profile

Actual Course