Atascadero means "No Exit"

Went running at my parent's house where I grew up in Forest Acres tonight with my wife. Stopped by the folks place for dinner, and decided to get my 3rd run for the week in before it got too late. This was my first run in week 8 of my training program, and I was set for a solid 28 minute run. Knowing the area quit well from my childhood, I knew I had to confront an old nemisis.

Atascadero Hill!

Don't know if you have ever been there, but the word literally translates to: mire, muddy place, area of swampy land; stumbling block; dead end, street which has no exit. Crazy! That's just how I've always felt about it.

Stumbling Block. Dead End. No exit. Mire.

Riding my old banana seat bike as a kid, I never once made it over the top without getting off the bike. In fact, my friends and I always searched and plotted ways to get around that hill, and still make it to our destination. Of course, once I learned to drive, this was never an issue using good ol' fossil fuel.

However, in today's run, I knew I had to face my enemy on a level paying field. Plugging in my iPod headphones, and turning on my training podcast of Week 8, I began the assault on "No Exit" hill.

Starting from my parents house, I headed to Trenhom Park, looped around the soccer field, dodged behind the tennis courts, across Ivy Hall, down to Sylan Road, up to Covenant Road, up the hill near Brockman School, and down to Gill's Creek at the bottom of Atascadero Road from the direction of The Other Store (Great Chili Dog's). I purposely planned a route that would end with a run up "Dead End" Hill.

The little dude prattling on in my ear was telling me over the background music of my iPod to "Push harder! Last Minute!" Perfect timing. I took off.

For those that may not know. The hill I was looking at is a least a quarter mile uphill. God has almost perfectly planned this piece of land to torture leg muscles. A soft steady climb, a turn in the road that leads to steaper ground, a brief levelling off, and then "Whamo!" This "Stumbling Block" of hill goes vertical the last 100 yards, and I loose the view of the sky. Only a smidgen of sidewalk and road mark the top, but wait, what you see is only a false summit, there's more to go.

Of course, I could not make the hill in the minute I had left to my run, and my iPod friend was telling me to begin my cooldown walk with at least half the hill left. In just about the exact spot I used to jump off and walk my banana seat bike to the top. No way! I ignored my podcast instructions, and struggled on. Heaving, sucking and slobbering, I crested the false summit and burned on past the mailbox that mentally marked the real top of Atascadero. Just like that, my childhood enemy was crushed. Yes! Score one for the good guys.

Next Goal: Riverfest 5k on May 3 under 30 minutes

Current Staus: Sore Legs, Tight back, Big Smile Week 8 Run 1 down.

Upcoming: Ride the Lost Creek at Harbison with Jason on Saturday at 7:30 am; then some rest on Sunday

Update: Here's a map of the Route