I am incredibly lucky for the training environment in which I live. Within the city limits of San Francisco, there is never a shortage of amazing paths to run on, and the breathtaking landmarks across the city make it easy to get lost in the beauty of my surroundings and be less focused on the pain that I am in. Additionally, the Marina District is right next to the Golden Gate, which means I never have to drive to get to my favorite trails in Marin. I just run. I’m not going to lie, one of the major reasons I made the move back home to Northern California, and San Francisco in particular was the endless amounts of amazing places to run or workout. All while staying in city limits. As an outdoorsy California city girl, it’s truly the most amazing place on earth to live. (This will probably be one of millions of tangents I go off on about how awesome I think my city is, so brace yourself)
Yesterday’s workout needed to be a long one. I have been missing my long runs lately due to work and other commitments, which has left me with a scattering of my usual 6 mile loop runs from my apartment to the start of the Golden Gate. Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous, and I wasted no time after work getting out the door and on the road. To break up the mileage as I eased into my longer runs, I came up with the following plan:
5 mile loop around the Marina
10 sets of stairs at the Lyon Street steps
Cross the Golden Gate and back home (a little over 5 or so miles)
All of these sections incorporate some of the most breathtaking views of the neighborhood, which made it easy to stay positive and push myself. I get totally inspired by nature and my surroundings, so if I am needing motivation to power through a tough workout, I make sure its a beautiful course!
Gold star for me for having the fortitude to finish this one. It wasn’t easy, but I feel like a million bucks today, and finally like I am getting back on track to the old lifestyle I used to have.
Additionally, I have less of an inclination to snap at people at work and around town, so there’s another plus.
