So many bays to choose from

This weekend I disappointed myself when I left the house at 6:30AM with the intention to run some distance between 18 and 22 miles, but instead quit after only 13. I was "playing it by hip" to see what it would let me do, but in the end it my IT band forced me to stop. Since my hip flexor injury, (which by the way felt perfectly fine for those 13 miles) I've become hyper-aware of tweaks and pains during runs.

What does that clicking mean? Is it bad? Do I ignore it? Push through it? Do I stop? Do I go? Does this qualify as pain? Is it just sore?

These questions--mostly in other forms involving swear words--run through my mind with nearly every step. I never used to doubt my body's ability to perform...and now I feel old. I'm turning 30 (in a year and 21 days) and my body's recent betrayal makes me feel much older. And! I completely believe in the power of thought, so the more I dwell on how old I feel...the older I feel. I should be thinking "young" thoughts and about how amazing I felt after 13 miles and that I actually wanted to run another 5 miles and could have done so--had my knee not had other needs (homophone intended). That's pretty cool and not something I could say four months ago. But instead of focusing on this like I should (like Kara Goucher would!), I fret and worry and sigh about all the aches and pains that are coming my way with every day that I get older.

Granted, my hobby is hard on the joints...but still. It's hard to imagine a day where I'm not looking forward to the next race. I want to be one of those old ladies in her 80's qualifying for Boston...or at least winning my age bracket because I'm the only old bag out there still gettin' my run on. What's the secret to running forever??

Anyway, below is the route I ran this weekend. As promised, this is my weekly-new-run-route addition:

San Diego's Mission Bay (Approximately 13 miles):

Begin at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach. Run east along the San Diego River Trail to the Sea World Drive bridge (1 mile)-- hang a left over the bridge. On the other side, veer left and take the foot/bike path to go back under the bridge and continue running east along the River Trail on the other side. (Note: After a hard rain the San Diego "River" smells like San Diego doo-doo.) Continue until the river trail dead ends into Friars Road (2.5 miles). Turn left onto Friars and cross Sea World Drive at the light. Continue running east on Sea World Drive (there is a dirt trail off the main road) to the next light. Turn left onto E. Mission Bay Drive/Fiesta Island Drive (1 mile). Stick to the left and run along the bay's run/bike path (3 miles). (To see a map click HERE.) **Side Route: If you want to tack on an extra 4 miles, when you turn left onto Fiesta Island Drive, follow that out onto Fiesta Island. It's a big loop--watch out for cars veering around blind corners and spitting bicyclists. There are outhouses on the island, but no drinking water.** This path will take you all the way around the bay--you'll get a good view of Fiesta Island. When the path ends run diagonally through the parking lot to the Rose Creek Trail. This winds behind a small golf course and a boat yard and spits you out at Grand Ave. Hang a left on Grand. Continue about .5 mile then turn left on Olney St. This will wind it's way through Crown Point. Go right (at Campland on the Bay) onto Pacific Beach Dr. Veer left onto Crown Point Dr. and keep an eye out for the footpath that runs nearest the water. (When in doubt in Crown Point always turn toward the water.) After about a mile, you'll see the Ingraham Street bridge-- you'll veer off the footpath and run up a small hillside to get this bridge--you want to run across it and head south on Ingraham. Go over two bridges (2-3 miles) (spectacular views!) and cross to the west side of the road. Take the (small and slightly precarious) foot path at the Sunset Cliffs Blvd exit. When possible cross all the way over to Quivera Lane (the western most road you will see after you run under the overpass). You'll be on Quivera for maybe .5 miles and then look for the Sea World Drive footbridge entrance on your left. Cross the Sea World Drive bridge and hang a right onto the San Diego River Trail. Continue west to your car parked about a mile away at Dog Beach.

**Tack on more miles and see more bay: Continue running under the Ingraham Street bridge, rather than going up the hill and crossing the bridge. If you continue on the footpath, you will enter the Sail Bay in Pacific Beach. You will follow this around and into Mission Beach, where you will meet up with Quivera Way mentioned above. (Adds approx. 3 more miles)

There are drinking fountains and bathroom facilities along this route at the skate park in OB near the Sea World Drive bridge, at the Mission Bay Visitors Center and in the park at Crown Point.