Choose Strong
For Tim.
Yesterday's 10-mile jog and strength exercises tired me and
this morning I lingered in bed for one hour before getting
up. The plan was a double Mission Peak to test my Z-Trail
but I decided to do only one. The exuse was that one week
before the race, I needed to taper down. The air felt chilly,
the wind was strong and clouds were gathering on the hills.
I caught some drizzle on my way to Ohlone.
The trail was hard-packed and dustless thanks to the
recent rainfall. In light traffic, the ascending was smooth.
People were either out of town for the long weekend or
deterred by the weather. On the way up, twice it showered
with light hails, which made me thankful for the sturdy
polyester jacket. Cattles sometimes took the center of the
path, but I found them less jumpy than geese. I explained as
an equal that I would like to pass in front of them and they
would back off. Even the calves had good manners.
On the last stretch, I passed a hiker, carrying a backpack
similar to those used in rucking. His load seemed non-trivial
and his strength was impressive.
On the top, instead of young kids posing on the pole for
pictures, I saw an American flag fastened on it. Someone
must have come early and put it there. It might be a
Memorial Day tribute and the thought struck me that I owed
to the land and people what the flag symbolized to me:
strength, equality and freedom.
I didn't stay long on the summit as I didn't bring anything
to eat. I took a few pics and headed back.
Downhill was much more fun! I took off the eyeglasses as
they were almost useless covered with sweat and rain stains.
The Z-Trail's 10mm soles allowed me to stride on gravels.
With the foot-pain out of the way, my quads were strong to
bear the downward pressure. As the wind were passing
through my hairs, it was as if I were flying. I was able to enjoy
all the way to the car. 9.1 miles. What a bless!
