My love affair with Matt Davis

So for most people, running is a chore. Its something they do to get in shape, or train for an event, but there is no real joy in it. That has never been the case for me. And not so much since I had my knee surgery last year.

So since the surgery, I did some running on the Alter G, to take some of the pressure off my knees. But more recently, I've started to hit the solid ground again. Dana, Kara and I went out for a 50 minute run a few weeks ago, followed by a run with el Jefe a few days later. I did a run on the Alter G this week, then decided to hit Matt Davis this weekend.

Matt Davis is a most excellent trail - rolling, slightly uphill on the way out; the reverse on the way back. A constant change in environment the whole way - some heavily wooded, some mature trees, some new, bridges, waterfalls, views of the ocean, views down the mountain, scrambling up rock croppings...a little of everything. Some of the most beautiful terrain anywhere!

I first came to know this trail during my ironman training - sometimes solo, sometimes with my faithful training companion Sam. Either way, it was always a wonderful trail. My route on Saturday was only 55 minutes, from the Fire Station at Mt. Home to the picnic area. On our usual runs, we would go past the picnic ground, onto Pantol Station, then out Coastal Trail for the requisit time until we needed to turn around and head back. That being said, it never seemed like a chore...we always reveled in the views, the changing terrain, the solitude.

Saturday was a rather ominous day...I was doubting whether I would actually embark on my run while I drove to the trail head...it was foggy, drizzly, and it continued to get colder as I approached my destination. But once I parked, put on my trail shoes, and walked to the base of the fire station driveway, I decided it was the right thing to do.

I trudged up the first 3 minutes, a pretty steep uphill, and one that would normally bug my knees. Thanks to some recent exercises I've been doing to shore up my knee muscles, I was able to charge up it without any pain. That being said, my lungs certainly were hurting some. As I reached the top of the first hilll, I saw the stairs to the Matt Davis trail, and felt a certain sense of calm and excitement.

It was a most wonderful 55 minutes. In and out of fog and mist. Trees raining on me when the wind picked up. Sloshing through puddles, spraying mud everywhere. It was exhillerating. It was fantastic, and it made me a little sad at the same time. This is about all I can do for now, and possibly forever. I should just enjoy it for what it is, but if you know me at all, you know I want more. Some of my best girlfriends ran the Grand Canyon last weekend, and I wish I would have been there. But, it is not in the cards for me. I had accepted that for a while, but with my recent runs, it has stirred those ambitions that I had burried 2 years ago.

But not to fret, I simply enjoyed my run, and I will not begrudge what used to be...only revel in what I CAN have. Thank you, Matt Davis, for continuing to provide a wonderful running environment, and for reminding me of the joy of running. I'll be back again, soon!