"Why aren’t you signed up for the 401K?"
"I’d never be able to run that far!"
~Scott Adams, Dilbert
"I don't think jogging is healthy, especially morning jogging. If morning joggers knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups." ~ Rita Rudner
"No matter how slow you go,
You are still lapping everyone on the couch."
An important item on my Updated Bucket List was to continue running for exercise until I'm 80 or so years old, and as I begin running less, to continue exercise by riding a bicycle, hiking, and walking. I chose to participate in the Monrovia Fountain to The Falls Run/Walk during my YEAR 77, but clearly I'm doing less running and more walking these days than in recent years.
The course for the event begins at the Fountain at Library Park in Monrovia's business district, and goes north into the foothills to Monrovia Canyon Park where the route moves onto a trail that goes to the waterfall in the Park. The out and back course is all uphill on the way out, and obviously downhill on the way back, for a round trip of seven miles. This year's Fountain to The Falls Run/Walk was held on Saturday, May 12th. This is the eighth time I have signed up for this event (every year since the run began in 2011). I still enjoy getting out and participating in this local event. There are always a lot of Monrovia residents along the route cheering the runners on, and many Park Service employees on the Canyon Park trails making sure the runners are safe.
When I arrived at the Start Area at 6:30 am this morning (the race began at 7:00 am) it was a cool 55 degrees and drizzling - it had been raining lightly all night. The temperature was actually perfect for a running event, but the rain made the trails in Canyon Park muddy, which could be a little dangerous. I did not train well for the event this year. I've been quite busy, but I think the best excuse is that my hips have just realized how old they are. By the time I run four miles or so my hips are begging me to stop - so I do. I walked a good part of the distance this year and my time was 1 hour, 41 minutes; 14 minutes slower than last year, and continuing the trend of slower each year. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the event, saw a number of people I know, enjoyed the booths at Library Park, and think the event was a success for the City again this year. There have usually been about 300 runners at this event. This year there were about 200, possibly because of the rain.
The first photo below on the left is the race registration area on Library Park. I had a friend take the second photo of me at the Finish Line before the race began in case I got lost in Canyon Park and never made it back to the Finish. The third photo was taken by a Park Service employee at Canyon Falls - the turn-around point of the course. And I did make it back to the Finish .
Click Photo to Enlarge - Use Arrows for Next Photo
The first photo below is my race bib number - appropriate for my age and for my YEAR 77 activities. The second photo is the race T-shirt, a new attractive design this year, and the Finishers Medal.
Click Photo to Enlarge - Use Arrows for Next Photo
A Little History: The City of Monrovia held the first Fountain to the Falls Run/Walk in May 2011. The course begins on Myrtle Avenue at the Monrovia Library (i.e. at the the Fountain) and works it's way north on asphalt streets to Monrovia Canyon Park where it moves onto a dirt trail that ends at the Canyon Park Waterfall for a round-trip of seven miles.
I participated in the first run in 2011 when I was 70 years old, and have ran all seven years from 2011 through 2017. As I've grown older I have continued to run slower each year, as might be expected (I guess). My time in 2011 was 1 hour, 12 minutes; in 2012 was 1:15, 2013 was 1:16, 2014 was 1:17, 2015 was 1:19, 2016 was 1:21, and 2017 was 1:27.
See photos below: In 2014, when I was running a little better than now, the City used a photo of me on their flyer advertising the event. The second photo was taken in 2017 by one of the Canyon Park Rangers at the Canyon Park Falls -- the turn-around point of the run.
Click Photo to Enlarge - Use Arrows for Next Photo
