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Short Version:
Incredible weather conditions.
Scenery that cannot be topped.
A group of 10 m2 athletes.
Run (scale, climb) time approximately 2.5hrs--my longest training run ever.
Who says I turned 44 that day!

Longer Version:
For those of you who watch the weather map, you will know that the Bay Area has
been enjoying an extraordinary streak of amazing March weather with temps in
the high 70s on the coast and 80s inland.  

Whereas I am from Boston I must say that I have never had the opportunity 
to run on my birthday with such stupendous conditions.  

Epic conditions require epic outings, and in the company of 10 other folks who 
I enjoy working with, we ran the Coastal Trail out of Tennessee Valley to
Muir Beach, Muir Woods, and then back.

Imagine a single track trail on a sheer ridge that plummets some 400 feet to
the crashing surf below.  Quite the climb to get up to this trail, and there 
were times when all four limbs were involved.  Once up, the Coastal trail winds
in and out along the rocky coast, and up and down before dropping you down
on to Muir Beach after about an hour of running.

The legs feel like they have been pounded on by Mike Tyson, or similar to what
IM legs feel like, and which is part of the purpose.  The next part of the run
involves terrain that is more akin to rhythmic running with moderate grades
and rollers that lend themselves to a tempo-paced effort (remember the 1st hour
terrain however).

Once again, the route is a single-track that winds its way this time through meadows 
and over salmon breeding streams for approximately 2 miles before you climb 800 feet
in about 16 minutes running time on a single-track through shaded glades and meadows 
at the summit.  Although a long climb the grade is moderate so assuming you 
have not imploded, you can execute this ascent with a decent stride.

My running is going extremely well, a function of the bike/run specific leg exercises
many of my athletes are doing, and also the hand Grips that I describe in my
article Get A Grip.  Certainly getting older and doing endurance sports are two
things that do not build strength, so it is fun to be doing my leg work of past and
seeing familiar sensations return. 

Might have to start looking for a race...might be that 3rd time is the charm in 
m2's IM comeback quest!  In the mean time, having fun with the training.