Back to the Future

Many years ago, Universal Studios opened the Back to the Future ride at their theme park in California.  I loved the original movie; George McFly confronting the bully (funny how life imitates art,) a stainless steel DeLorean, and time travel.  Time travel was right after invisibility as the super power I most often dreamt of as a kid.  My brother had a music gig at the park when I was out visiting and got me into the park for free. BTTF had just opened and I stood in a three hour line to hang with Marty.  I finally got to the door and the intercom announced the ride was malfunctioning and was shut down.  Sheisse!

Flash forward 18 years later, and I was back in California several hundred miles north in San Francisco's (South) Bay Area.  As I often do, I polled my virtual friends on Facebook, DailyMile, and Twitter looking for a good run route.  I stayed in San Mateo this week and got a number of interesting options and narrowed it down to the Bay Trail in Foster City and Sawyer Camp Trail in the Half Moon Bay area.  I'd run a segment of the Bay Trail (closer to Redwood City) before, and while crushed pebble path and water views were tempting, the Sawyer Camp Trail was touted as a "favorite" from one of the locals; Run in Syn.  Sold!

I got to bed early the night before and got up at o'dark thirty to take the short drive west to the trailhead.  Single lane windy roads that suddenly turned hilly surrounded by vegetation hidden by skies as dark as expresso had my runner geek amping up for a great run with nature--no ipod required.

As my GPS informed me that I was nearing my destination, several cars lined the road.  Hmmm...pretty busy for a weekday, but they were wearing orange vests, not runner reflective vests, but construction vests.  I pulled up to the gate and my headlights saw an omonous closure sign.  Was this closed like my favorite Waterton Canyon back home?  Today my adult amusement park (trail) was indeed closed.  I pondered for a moment and thought about ducking under the padlocked gate.  I knew I could outrun the 40 workers, but on an out-and-back they'd be waiting for me on the return armed with shovels.

I turned my DeLorean around and headed back to the hotel.  With not enough time to hit the Bay Trail and still make my 8:30 AM appointment, I settled for the treadmill accompanied by ESPN.  I have dealt with many an obstacle to my training but this was another first.  Damn you Biff!  I will however return back in the future because in the dark it looked like an awesome run.

Do you pack your run gear if you travel for work?  What cool runs have you discovered?