I awoke with the sun and ran a few miles, down a bike path I had run in training and with a friend a couple of times, to a group of stores and restaurants that were just opening. Google Maps told me there was a Starbucks less than half a mile away so I made a short detour. I saw no Starbucks, but there was another coffee shop, so I stopped to put up my feet, charge my phone, and have breakfast -- two large soy lattes, bananas, and packaged vegan protein cookies.
I looked for a jacket at a nearby store but couldn't find what I wanted. An employee told me about an outdoor store up ahead and I planned to look for it in Long Beach.
I ran a few miles further to Bolsa Chica State Beach and stopped at The Secret Spot for a large salad with vegan faux chicken. I used to come here with my trail and ultra running buddy Isaiah, I had to stop in. When I told the owners what I was doing they said my meal was free!! I was overjoyed.
I ran on toward Long Beach. I was listening to music and in the zone, running. I didn't notice that I made a wrong turn. I ended up running two miles out of the way, and had to run the same two miles to get back to the trail. I half considered this my karmic payback for something that had happened in Long Beach a few years ago. The outdoor store appeared to have been shut down. I did find an REI not too far out of the way in Santa Monica and planned to stop there. The Vitamin Shoppe was on my way back from the detour and I stopped to buy some vegan protein bars. As I was checking out I told the woman behind the counter about my run. She gave me a handful of free womens' vitamin packets.
I made it to a section of bike path I remembered well -- I had won a half marathon there. It was also where an ultrarunner friend used to live, we had run there together a few times. And it was the site of an all night training walk/jog I had done with Ed Ettinghausen "The Jester," and friends. Ed holds multiple world records in ultrarunning, including "Most 100 mile races in a year." He lives in a neighboring town and I see him frequently at races, he was at the first 100 mile race I ever ran and he and has been a great mentor, he and his wife great friends and supporters. I had Thanksgiving with them one year, and Christmas another, when I couldn't get home for the holidays. Ed was training a group to run their first 100 mile race, the EC100. I vividly remembered that training run because I had been looking at artwork at the Getty Museum and drove over when I heard about the run. All I had were sandals, but friend Andy lent me his oversized shoes and socks. Maureen and Andy and I talked about the angelic experiences she had while running, a man who pointed her to the trail in a blizzard and another who gave her ice water in a desert.
I ran on through a portion of bike path I had never run before, past a few homeless and a few people on bikes, as the sun was setting. The trail took me into the city of Los Angeles, across freeway entrance/exit ramps. The CCT is definitely diverse! I stopped at a gas station to buy sunflower seeds and gum, my walking staples at home, and a mexican peanutbutter candy that I assumed was vegan. As I was looking for my money the man in line behind me told me just to go, that he would pay my bill! He had no idea what I was doing, I can only speculate that he knew I was on some kind of quest by the way I was dressed, thought I could be homeless, or was frustrated that I was taking too long to find my money. In any case, I was grateful, and went on my way...
I used a port-o-potty at a late night Mexican restaurant and ran through an industrial section that looked like a cityscape by itself.
I ran on, knowing that the Sunset Hotel awaited me, if I could just make it there... it was a long mileage day (41 after my 4 mile mistake), and my legs hadn't yet adjusted to daily high mileage. I got to the hotel late that night and felt like I had just run a fifty mile race. I bought a few items from the vending machine, cheese puffs -- I realized too late that they weren't vegan. After running through downtown LA at night I was so relieved to be here, taking a shower, watching TV (I don't own a TV). I laid down and put my legs in the air, resting my feet on a wall to let the blood drain out of them while I reveled in a mindless gameshow.
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