It is impossible to run that trail off of Mulholland and not be happy you got out of bed. There’s something mysterious and almost conspiratorial about getting out of your car in the dark, huddling around at the bottom of the trail, greeting each other in hushed voices, and making the first climb together as a team before you can really even see who’s there yet. Once we get halfway up the trail and throw down our water bottles we’re in our own little wonderland, free to holler, cheer, jam out to Rihanna, fly up and down those steep hills, and take a breath to gaze out over the city lights. Then we scatter off into the rest of our day with a little glow inside us because we already did something wonderful so does the rest of the day really have any choice except to follow suit?
After being part of NP for awhile, it’s easy to take it for granted. Getting a great workout while surrounded by awesome people is just part of the routine. A lot of us are exhausted before, during, and after the workout, so it goes by in a haze…maybe you didn’t get a good sleep so you’re a little grouchy (happens to the best of us) or you have a lot of work to do later and your mind is preoccupied, or your legs feel heavy and why am I so damn slow this morning?? keeps running through your head. But it takes a special kind of weirdo to climb out of bed and climb trails and hug strangers. It takes a special weirdo to cheer for someone else when your lungs are screaming and to hold that cheer tunnel high when your arms want to drop off.
Sometimes it takes talking to a newbie and seeing that look of awe in their eyes to remember, “Oh yeah, this isn’t normal. This is actually really, really, really fucking crazy and amazing.” It’s like a child’s eyes on Christmas morning. Or Min’s face when new buffs come in. You can also take my method of screaming in someone’s face, “ISN’T THIS AWESOME?!????” as a way to force yourself to remember the same thing.
Try not to take for granted how easy it is for us to #justshowup somewhere twice a week and be enveloped in love (literally or physically if you’re in the middle of a mush pot). So many people in this world feel alone and yet we have each other. That is always, always worth getting out of bed for.
My heart is full. Do good LA!!!
NEWS
ECSCA
- November 18 in San Fran
- #NFECSCA aka North Face Endurance Challenge Series California. This is always an awesome time. This is part of the race series that Summit is always a part of. Consider this to be like a mini-NP Summit. Marathon relay is the most popular choice and you can race it with 3 other friends. Check it out, get a crew together, and sign up!
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