The amazement of covering just 5 miles of San Francisco

Thursday's run: 10 miles of General Aerobic at 8:21 pace

I realized on my way back from a 5 miles out (and 5 miles back) run from the office that San Francisco is truly an incredible place. In just 5 miles, you can see a lot. And at the far end of yesterday's run, I saw this:


Well, not exactly like this picture, which I took mid-day in Fall. But it is a great thing, that bridge, and to approach it on foot is an amazing visual reward. It looked a bit more romantic today, largely in shadow as the evening sun retreated to the West. I was also facing a hard wind for the previous two miles, so maybe I was a little delirious. On my way back, right about when I reached Fisherman's Warf again, I realized just how great a place this is. The run had a variety of distinctly different regions, each with a different feel. Here's the route:

click to enlarge

• Downtown Office Canyons: from Howard Street to the Embarcadero, it's basically tall buildings on either side. Running those blocks is sort of annoying because of the narrow sidewalks and the stoplights, and visibility is limited by the buildings.
  
• The Embarcadero: which features views of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island, the newly redone Ferry Building, and lots of pedestrians, cyclists and other runners. Running there is pleasant: the wide road and sidewalks provide an open feel, and there's always something to see or notice.
  
• Pier 39 / Fisherman's Warf: a.k.a. tourist central. On the Pier 39 side, there are wide sidewalks and tons of hawkers and gawkers. Yesterday there were two men painted in silver performing for the crowd. On the Warf side, particularly on Jefferson Street, it is lots of restaurants, trinket shops, and crowded, narrow sidewalks. Particularly on the way back through this gauntlet of congestion, I felt the contrasts of the different areas I was running through.
  
• Aquatic Park & Fort Mason: while adjacent to the hub-bub, a completely different feel. Tranquil, despite some walkers, cyclists, and yesterday, swimmers (in wetsuits). There was even a party on the deck above at the Maritime Park Museum. Running past is all too brief, as is the short hill up through Fort Mason. Back down the hill to the street and in a moment, it is the:
  
• Marina Green: here's where the wind started blasting me in the face. Very open feeling, as the Green is wide, there are sailboats in the docks, and on the way back, I caught a clear view of Alcatraz, lit up by the evening sun.
  
• Crissy Field: still fighting the wind, it was hard to do anything except admire the bridge. There's a marsh, and a beach, and a field, and it is even more tranquil than the Green. If I had been going longer than 10 miles, I could have reached the bridge! (What a diverse path to get there.) On my way back, I noticed the top of the dome of the Palace of Fine Arts (which houses the Exploritorium). I also crossed paths with Thomas, who was running into the wind. I wonder how many miles he was covering yesterday.
  

All that in just one run!

Though I was tired afterwards, the run felt good, especially after I had the wind on my back instead of in my face. I felt like this was a pretty good pace: not too fast, not too slow. Glad to be learning to slow down. Of course, I'm sure it helps to slow me down that I put in 13 miles across the previous two days.