Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon Race Report

On Saturday, the Green Girl ran the Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon with fellow Sole Runners, Isabelle and Kathleen, Sole Runners couple, Brian and Stacey, and her friend, Janey.

The course looped through Griffith Park and included turnarounds at the Bronson Caves (the 'Bat Cave' from the classic Batman television series) and the Griffith Observatory.

Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon Goodie Bag and Shirt

The morning was cold and crisp with a 40% chance of rain forecasted.

After putting in way too many hours at the office and not working out in days, my left calf started hurting on Friday.

The pain was so bad that even after extensive self-massage, I could hardly put any weight on it Saturday morning. I told myself I'd listen to my body and drop out if necessary.

The Green Girl with fellow Sole Runners, Brian and Stacey

Janey and I carpooled. We arrived early to pick up our bibs. We received a red reusable shopping bag along with our INKnBURN branded technical race shirt.

I finally gave in and popped a couple ibuprofen before I limped back up the hill to the Starting Line.

By the time we crossed the Start, the ibuprofen had kicked in and my calf felt good. I was able to maintain a brisk walk as we hiked up the first incline.

Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon Starting Line

When we reached the downhill, I felt confident enough to start running.

I focused on engaging my core and silently thanked my friend, Hector, as we flew down the trail at an 8:30 pace.

I relished the feel of the dirt underfoot and delighted in the sensation of the cold breeze hitting my body.

Another one of my runner friends, Jessica, joined Janey and me for awhile. We chatted about our training and upcoming race schedules.

View from the Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon course

The views from the course were spectacular. The sky was clear and the visibility reached out to the ocean.

Even though my calf was no longer bothering me, I still made an effort to walk the uphills and only run on the flats or downhills.

The race was well organized so it was no surprise that the course was well marked and there were also lots of cheerful, energetic volunteers directing runners at all the trail intersections.

Well stocked Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon aid station

The aid stations were very thoughtfully stocked with water, sports drink, and both sweet and savory snacks.

They also offered some amenities such as anti-bacterial gel and pre-moistened wipes.

As we were running another downhill, the toes on my right foot started cramping. I immediately knew that was an indication I was dehydrated. It suddenly dawned on me that I'd been waking up with pangs of thirst the night before.

The Green Girl and Janey

I realized I'd been so consumed by meetings all week that I'd refrained from drinking enough water. My calf pain was most likely caused by dehydration.

I popped a couple Succeed! S Caps electrolyte pills and made an effort to drink as much as possible the rest of the race.

As Janey and I were coming around a bend, Jessica was heading in the opposite direction. She told us to go through the caves at the next turnaround and check out the view of the Hollywood Sign.

Janey at the Bronson Caves aka the 'Bat Cave' from the classic Batman television series

Janey and I stopped to pose for pictures at both ends of the Bronson Caves. It was a little creepy to walk through them because of the way the darkness would envelope you.

When we got to the other side of the caves, we spotted the Hollywood Sign. We all snapped multiple shots of the famous landmark before we headed back to the course.

The Green Girl, Kathleen, and Isabelle with the Hollywood Sign

The trail continued on to Griffith Observatory before we looped back to the start.

The course was satisfyingly challenging and I cherished every minute I was out there.

We crossed the Finish Line with an official time of 03:29:29.

The First Los Angeles Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk Was A Success

Chalk Angel at the Los Angeles Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk

The Green Girl is thrilled to report that the first Los Angeles Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk was a success.

Preliminary walk figures show a total of more than $874,000 was raised nationwide for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation.

The final numbers have not yet been tallied but we had over 250 participants and 50 student volunteers.

Los Angeles Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk Registration Table

As I mentioned back in January when we first started planning this event, we chose Shane's Inspiration Universally Accessible Playground as the location.

There were a total of two volunteers who undertook the task of organizing this event, a father of an child with Angelman Syndrome, Pankaj, and me.

Los Angeles Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk participant goodie bags

Neither one of us had any prior experience with event coordination but we are both passionate about the cause and we were determined to make it happen.

I used my project management skills to put together a project plan using free project management software from huddle.com and Pankaj and I tried our best to whittle away at the seemingly endless list of tasks.

I reached out to a friend who had event planning experience and leaned heavily on her for support throughout the process.

The Los Angeles Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk

Every time a family approached me on Saturday and told me how happy they were that there was finally a walk right here in Los Angeles, I had to choke back tears.

The Green Girl and her niece, Jade, with some of the Los Angeles Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk volunteers

My niece, Jade, and I made the rounds, thanking all the participants. Jade signed ::thank you:: as I expressed my gratitude for their support of our walk.

I was filled with so many emotions as my niece and I walked hand in hand up and down the 0.2 mile sidewalk course.

Team Pirate Isaac 2011

My heart burst with happiness when my niece signed ::pirate:: when we walked by Team Pirate Isaac 2011.

There was something about seeing the Team Pirate Isaac 2011 family proudly carrying that banner made all the hours of hard work worth it.

Pankaj, we did it!

The Green Girl's Griffith Park Coyote Run

The Green Girl went trail running at Griffith Park this morning.

Griffith Park resides in the eastern Santa Monica Mountain range. The park covers more than 4,107 acres and features over 50 miles of trails.

At the base of the trail, there was a coyote. I gingerly walked by and started my ascent up Fern Canyon Nature Trail.

I passed a natural amphitheatre built by Boy Scouts. The secluded path was narrow and the ground was uneven. The trail appeared to branch off frequently.

Since this was my first time running at Griffith Park and I was alone, I didn't feel comfortable continuing on this path so I retraced my steps. I had concerns I would end up getting lost.

I was thrilled to discover a much more well worn Fern Canyon Trail branched off of Fern Canyon Nature Trail.

Fern Canyon took me to Old Zoo Trail behind the former zoo. From there, I turned onto the Bill Eckert Trail.

In 1.75 miles, the Bill Eckert Trail increases in elevation by 900 feet. The view at 935 feet was well worth the climb.



A peacefulness came over me as I gazed out over the city. I stared at the majestic snow capped mountains in the distance and my eyes danced on the fluffy white clouds in the sky.

Standing there, I had an epiphany. I've always struggled with the whole meditation thing. I would try over and over again in vain to force myself to meditate. The more I was told to relax, the more my brain would go into overdrive.

Running is my meditation. Running is where I can find clarity of thought.

Shane's Inspiration Universally Accessible Playground

After the Green Girl's trail run yesterday, she headed up to Griffith Park to visit Shane's Inspiration Universally Accessible Playground.

I'm on the committee to organize the first Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk here in the Los Angeles area.

The Walk always takes place the third Saturday in May. This year, it will take place on May 21, 2011 in various locations across the nation.

The Los Angeles walk will take place at Shane's Inspiration at Griffith Park near the Merry-Go-Round between the Los Angeles Zoo and the Griffith Park Los Feliz park entrance.

This is my first experience with event coordination. Unlike the majority of races attend, the walk is not the focus.

I started off by jogging around the perimeter of the park to get an idea of the surrounding area. I liked how our section will be away from the main thoroughfare.

We had to take into consideration the characteristics of individuals diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome when choosing a location:

• Nearby parking
• Wheelchair accessible
• Convenient restroom facilities
• Shade because overheating often causes seizures
• Safe location (away from traffic, bicyclists)

Once I made my way around, I traced the path of the two mile walk.

The path was a lot hillier than I would have liked but the entire route was paved and there were lots of trees protecting me from the sun around the Merry-Go-Round. The section between the Starting/Finish Line and the Merry-Go-Round was along the parking lot and offered little to no shade.

The bathroom facilities were respectable for a public park. The stalls were well stocked with toilet paper and even had toilet seat covers.

Shane's Inspiration was a beautiful playground consisting of what appeared to be four separate play areas combined into one. As a universally accessible playground, all the segments featured wheelchair ramps and ample railings.

I snapped endless pictures of the park to help me paint a picture in my mind as I start putting together the plan before I headed back home.