My sister told me that if there were pretty places like this to run in LA that she would be doing it, too. I think she is full of shit. But it is beautiful, especially in the spring.
This picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice, plus for some reason it is out of focus. My camera rocks, so I must have fucked up somewhere. Oh wait, I think I was running when I took it. Not even fast! But it gives you the idea.
The American River Parkway runs for over 30 miles from Sacramento east into Folsom. Depending on which section of the trail you are on, sometimes the river is visible, sometimes it isn't.
This is what I see in one of the areas I frequent:
I also see lots of critters, including squirrels (sadly, many of them are flat), bunnies, lizards, and deer. I spotted my first doe of the year not long after I took this shot, but she had bounded across the trail and into the brush before I could grab my camera out of my running geek backpack (maybe I'll post a pic of me wearing it sometime...it's so nerdy but it is also holdy).
This is the bridge over the reservoir that feeds into the American:
Last November, we did a run from Folsom Lake to a spot under this bridge. A 9 mile run. To get over the reservoir to the meeting place on the other side, I had to cross it. I was hoping it would show up better in the image, but you have to look hard to see where the trail crosses under the bridge and then switches back in a steep hill to ascend it. I happened to hit one of my walking intervals (I was running 4 minutes, walking 1), and I would have kissed the feet of the Ironman Watch God if he had presented himself, for that gift. Even walking, that hill kicked my ass.
And this Saturday, I get to do 8 miles here. Believe it or not, that is a good thing.
Seriously.
Gah! You're running 8 miles Saturday? I'm only up to 7! Crap.
I really need to get out to the Parkway and actually run it one of these days, or I'm bound to get lost on race day.
Posted by: Daily Tragedies | March 30, 2007 at 08:47 AM