Since I don't really race and all I do is accomplish feats, yesterday I
thought I'd do just that. So I took a leisurely jaunt through the
streets of San Francisco in a feat called the Hunter S Thompson Fear &
Loathing 50K/50M. This was the 21st edition of said feat and the 6th
time I've done it, but alas, due to Hunter's demise this was the first
"memorial" edition. The course is pretty interesting in that it follows
the 49 Mile Scenic Drive which takes in all of San Francisco's scenic
and cultural sites. The route is marked with distinctive signs which
double as course markings but since they are also "collectors items,"
it's best to also carry a street map that has the 49M Drive on it. I did
the 50K version which lops off the trip to the ocean but still manages
to take in all of The City's famous hills.
We reflected on those who came before us as we passed Mission Delores,
the oldest building in SF (that's right Lance, 4 of us "jogged" together
at the slowest one's pace). We were stopped a few times by local
denizens as we made our way through the Mission District, curious as to
what we were doing so we'd explain it to them and to a person, they
thought it was really cool. But the ghost of HST was probably turning
over in his grave as I turned down hits of proffered herb on two
separate occasions. We felt for the outcasts of the China Basin
gentrification as we passed trough but at the same time marveled at
revitalization of such a vast area. We all agreed that hope does spring
eternal before spring training as we passed Pac Bell/ATT/whatever SF
Giant's baseball stadium.
We stopped at the farmer's market at the Ferry Building for a little
deluxe aid (there were also 5-6 roving aid stations). We yelled and
listened to our echoes as we had the canyons of the high-rise downtown
office buildings to ourselves on an early Saturday morning. We smiled
and said "good morning" to the wackos along Market St. because everybody
else just ignores them as they mumble aloud. We cracked wise about the
infamous foibles of many SF politicos as we went through the Civic
Center. We window shopped our way past the emporiums of Union Square and
lamented the closing of Gumps. We stopped for a few minutes at
Portsmouth Square in Chinatown to marvel at the ancient ones doing tai
chi. We ogled the mansions and swank digs of Nob Hill. We stopped in
North Beach at the Caffe Trieste for an espresso but unfortunately, the
Condor was closed :-( On our way up to Coit Tower we saw the Tour of
California cyclists practicing for today's time trial, including the
favored American team (whose name I don't remember).
We dodged tourists and had sample crab cups at Fisherman's Wharf. We
were greeted at the Marina Green aid station by a hot volunteer babe
wearing a hot pink wig with a table set up serving champaign, croissants
and strawberries. When we asked her if anyone had asked her what she was
doing, she said no, it's SF and she just fit right in :-) We watched the
swimmers off Fort Mason swim in the frigid waters without wet suits and
ran with the runners of all shapes and sizes out for thier morning run,
a few of whom figured out we weren't just out for a short jog and asked
us about what we were doing.
We offered thanks that over 30 years ago former congressman John Burton
of San Francisco attached an amendment to an obscure appropriations bill
that said if the Presidio was ever decommissioned, it would
automatically be folded into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area,
thus protecting it from becoming condoland. We stopped and watched the
light, fog and beginning rain play with our vistas of the Golden Gate
and it's unparalleled bridge. We revelled in the many different facets
of Golden Gate park (which is larger AND hillier than NY's Central park
:-))and it's newly rebuilt concourse with it's world class museums. And
then we "raced" the last 3 uphill miles back to the start/finish atop
Twin Peaks where the panorama of the City unfolded beneath us as the
rain let up and the sun poked through forming a rainbow that spanned the
whole City.
All in all a great way to spend a Saturday!
So while Lance might not get it, I'm sure HST would, and that's all that
really matters to me.
--
- The Trailrunner
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Trails of the Diablo Valley
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