M.O.R.E.: Onions, Poop, Smog, and Mulch

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Onions, Poop, Smog, and Mulch

The C.O.C. cross country course is a plethora of smells. When it's hot out (and it was hot out tonight) COC always has an unusual mix of odor. Tonight as C, Patty, Marisol, and I ran the dirt course, I was first overcome by the stale smell of mulch. Then as we went further along, Patty kept saying she smelled poop (there were a lot of dog poop on the trail). Then there's the good old onion smell, which smells like B.O. Every year as I run the summer series, I always get a nice whiff of the onions and it just makes me want to gag. Then as you crest the top of Killer Hill, there's the smell of smog, which makes me start wheezing. I guess we have either weak stomaches or strong noses because a fellow SCR lady had no problem with the odor and was running the course 6 times at a very fast pace. We managed 2 circuits at a very slow pace. Patty was feeling out of sorts from a day at jury duty, C was at a new job, Marisol has been home alone with the kids for the whole week, and me. . . .well I've been busy sitting all day scrapbooking. Nevertheless, we ran the course pretty hard by our standards and managed a 10.24 pace for 3.4 miles and at the end none of us had poop on our shoes.

3 comments:

Patty said...: Thanks for posting, you put our experience tonight perfectly. I felt really out of sorts and I can't quite figure out why. My feet are really hurting, and I am afraid I am going to have to get to the doctor, or stop complaining. Jury duty is really not so bad, except the sitting and waiting, knowing that they aren't going to pick me, and that if they would just ask me the questions, that I could have been out of there already. I am glad I don't have to go back until later in the day tomorrow, and can sleep in tomorrow!; June 24, 2010 at 10:42 PM
marathon mom said...: We may need to change our plans for Saturday. It's 8.5 miles from Peet's if we run the train bridge, which may be iffy. I don't like to run by there if they are doing a lot of work on it. It will also be hot on that side of the river. We could start at Peet's and run toward Lowes and behind the baseball field, then into So. Fork. Then return on the trail behind the car dealers.; June 24, 2010 at 11:22 PM
Patty said...: I vote for the route with the most shade! I have really been enjoying the sleeping in, but I will sacrifice for some cooler temps. Cross you fingers that I will be released from my civic duty today.; June 25, 2010 at 8:54 AM

Post a Comment

Favorite Trails

South Fork 3.1: Start from dirt parking lot on Magic Mtn Pkway and run to the loop at Wiley Bridge and return the same way.

Tesoro 3.25: Start in Albertson parking lot and take sidewalk/trail until it ends and then enter the water tower road to the top two towers where the ends. Return the same way.

Chesebrough 3.25/4.60: From Chesebrough Park, N. to Copperhill, So. on Bike Trail, turn around at Decoro, back up trail to power lines to bridge at park. Turn around at Heritage will give you 4.6 miles.

Chesebrough 3.5: Chesebrough Park down to McBean, south to Northpark Dr., the paseo trailhead. Take the paseo to Helmers and back. Very hilly.

Bridgeport 4.0: Fairly flat, run toward Lowes and under Bouquet bridge to RiverPark community until you reach the closed gates and return. For a hilly run, go north into Helmers and run up the paseo switchbacks into Northpark where the paseo ends and return the same way.

Chesebrough 4.0: N. to Copperhill to west side of river trail, run S. on Bike Trail past Decoro bridge, across Decoro to the east side of river trail, up back to power lines trail, back to park.

Chesebrough 4.0: From park down power line trail to Heritage Park and back same way.

Bridgeport 4.0: From School, cross McBean via bridge or street and head into industrial center on Ave. Scott Bridge and enter bike trail going south toward the train bridge. Turn around at train bridge and return same way or cross the bridge and head toward Peet's after crossing train bridge and back onto the Lowes Trail.

Heritage 4.0: From park, run up bike trail to Decoro, over McBean Bridge into Helmers, and into Bridgeport through lake trail back to park. Can be done in reverse. Moderately hilly.

Chesebrough 4.25: Chesebrough north to Copperhill, left to Albertson side of bike trail. Run south on trail to Decoro and cross over bridge and head north all the way to Copperhill on east side of river trail and back to the park the same way as started.

Cheese/Decoro/Helmers 4.25: From the park, down dirt trail to bike path, south to Decoro. Leave bike path at Decoro and cross paseo bridge at McBean. Stay on paseo up hill towards Helmers. Run up water tower trail once then continue on to switchbacks and paseos back to park.

Heritage/Bridgeport 3.3: Heritage Park south to McBean Bridge @ Panera. Cross and head toward Lowes bike trail and head east toward Bridgeport Park. Halfway mark is at park bathroom, head back by entering trail along the lake and back onto the bridge.

Lowes 4.25: Lowe's parking lot to McBean, cross the bridge and to South Fork. At Valencia Bridge, enter trail behind Hart Baseball diamonds. Continue on trail to Bouquet and across the bridge on the east side and back under the bridge again towards Lowes.

Peet's & Decoro 5.2: Peet's Coffee to train bridge path; to Decoro and across bridge; back down McBean side of bike trail back to Peete's.

Peet's & Wiley 6.0: Start at Peet's Coffee and head east toward South Fork trail and past the Wiley Bridge. Keep running another 200 yards to where the trail forks left and right. Turn back same way.

Peet's & Copperhill 6.0: From Peet's to bike trail heading north to Copperhill and back.

Albertson 7.0: From the Albertson parking lot on Copperhill, enter the westside bike trail and head south until the train bridge. Return the same way.

Peet's 8.5: Run to Copperhill on east side of river trail and return via train bridge on other side.

Lowes 10: Start in the Lowes parking lot. Enter the bike trail heading west. At McBean, cross the bridge and head east toward SouthFork trail. Continue on trail until you come to the Wiley bridge and head back the same way.

McBean 14: This route can be done from anywhere along the trail route. Starting from McDonald's across the post office, run to the end of the South Fork trail and return the same way, cross the McBean bridge and run on the Lowes trail until you hit Bridgeport Elementary and then cross Newhall Ranch via the bridge or street and run back towards McBean. Continue north on McBean until you hit Copperhill. At Copperhill, cross McBean and enter San Francisquito bike trail and run south on the trail until you are back at McDonalds.