May 2025 – kristilynk

May 16th I packed up and headed to San Diego. Before I checked in to the hotel, I made a pit stop at ASAP IV for a basic hydration, it was called the athletic drip, (their online description) “fluid with ASAP Total B Blend (Vitamin B Complex and B12), to get you rehydrated and ready to crush your next activity”. I’ve never done this before, I’m not sure if it worked but I can tell you it didn’t hurt. Well except me, I was left with a gnarly bruise that lasted over a week.

Feeling rough after a 5 hour drive and another five hours to find parking in La Jolla.

After 30 minutes I was done and headed to check in to the hotel.

While waiting for my running buddy and her son to arrive, I unpacked and organized my gear for the morning.

I was pretty early so I had some time to hit the grocery store to pickup some bagels, boiled eggs, banana ( for the morning) and a gallon of water.

I ate a light lunch at Mediterranean Grille, filet mignon over herbal rice.

Back at the hotel, I just read and relaxed. I was reading, Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea.

A few hours later my running buddy, her son and I headed to the park in La Jolla to pick up our race packets. Tomorrow…. race day ! La Jolla half.

We took a Lyft there because I knew parking would be super limited or impossible all together. I was right , the place was packed. I think they had like 7-8 thousand people this year. I tried to find the exact number online but failed.

We found a restaurant (easy to do, there are tons of options) I scarfed down a bowl of pasta with pesto and shrimp. Nothing special about this place and I don’t even remember the name. It kind of had a pub vibe to it but we ate outside, which was straight up lovely. Cloudy evening, a little breeze & good. Happy girl.

Back to the hotel, I got a decent night sleep and met my friend in the lobby at 530. We tried to get a Lyft and after 2 dropped drives, ended up using Uber (reluctantly but necessarily) we were running out of time. The race was to start at 630.

We ended up getting to the race just in time! Backwards! The first wave of runners were coming at us like the running of the bulls! Honestly, I preferred getting there at the last minute. No time for nerves or playing the waiting game.

This course is so beautiful and the morning was overcast. It was a really great day for a run.

I finished the race, my friend was faster than me so finished first but I ended up beating last years time. Last year was 13:31 per mile average and this year was 11:59 per mile. I’m quite happy and really feel like I could have done faster. Maybe next year 🙂

After the race it took sooooo long to get back to the Del Mar race track (starting line) using the shuttle but it felt great to sit and relax 🙂

We got to the hotel with time for me pack up, rinse off and sit in the hot tub.

I even checked out early and headed to my friends house to get ready for some baseball.

We watched the Mariners beat the Padres (which would end up in a sweep the following day)

I forgot to take pics of me and my friends and I’m bummed about that but we had a good time.

We ate at Pacifico Market in the park and oh my lanta, we had a lob dog, it was grilled lobster tails, mixed in garlic lemon aioli and chives, on top of a chorizo sausage on a brioche bun. SO good 🤤

We didnt even mind the rain when it started.

After the loss, we headed home.

All in all it was a great day!

The day started at 345am. I ate a boiled egg and a banana. Built my pocket burritos out of precooked, shredded chicken and avocado smashed up. Next up, filling hydration packs. I had brought one 2 liter and one 3 liter bladder bag plus 2 12 oz collapsible water bottles for my from ouches on my day pack. The collapsible bottles I filled with water and electrolytes, I use LMNT sooooo salty.

Time to go! We left the hotel a little after 430am. I called the taxi on the way to the visitor center, packing lot 4, so they could scoop us up to take us the south Kaibab trail. The shuttle service doesn’t start until 6am at this time of year and we wanted to start the hike earlier to make sure we were out of the canyon by 2pm. Rain was predicted to roll in around that time.

When I called the taxi they actually told me the taxis were so busy they would need to call me back in an hour! This was 430 in the morning 🤯

At the parking lot we waited, got out of the car and actually were a me to sneak on to someone else’s taxi ride. Score! From the parking lot, south kaibab trail is 2 miles so we were there in no time.

My second time to the Grand Canyon. 1st time going IN the GC.

I was a little nervous going in but once we got going my confidence soared. I thought, I got this. The downhill is pretty steep, and it’s a long way down. I would recommend prepping with a LOT of front lunges.

From Kaibab, we headed west to the Tonto Trail

The farther west we went it was cool to see green lush tree lines, you know what that means! Water! 😍

This is around the time I realized… I forgot my pocket burritos!! Not good.

Super rookie move. Remember, I had only eaten one boiled egg and a banana. Luckily my hiking crew member was a hero and thoughtful and brought 2 bagels, so I gratefully scarfed it down.

Just after this rare shade finding, there was a little creek I didn’t take any pictures of because there were too many people rest here and I wanted to keep trekking. I did dip a plastic sandwich bag in the creek to fill it up with water to soak my neck cooler in for 30 minutes, it was getting hot .

There was very little shade in this trail. Having a hat is very important. Anytime I found shade it felt so great to take the hat off to let my brain breath.

I’m really not a fan of hats, glasses or things – like neck coolers – around my neck. I wore them when needed but as soon as I could those items were OFF.

Around this time we stopped and I collapsed my trekking poles. I like to have my hands free and I was tired of carrying them.

The old water line busted so they just replaced it. I think the construction is fairly new. I really hope they bury the line or cover it with something more aesthetically pleasing because this is not what I want to see.

Off to Havasupai Gardens

Another stop around here to sunblock and dip the neck cooler in the stream again.

Next up! Off to bright angel.

But first, I met Phantom, he’s a canyon mule and so sweet

Not gonna lie. I was scared. I’d never met a mule

We LUCKED out. Just before the over 3500 foot ascent, the clouds starting rolling in so the sun was GONE! I could not have been more thankful.

I ate an RX bar, 200 calories.

It didn’t last long.

This is about where I started to question my judgement. I was losing steam and fast.

Pitt stop for a peanut butter and jelly snack. Only 170 calories. Up up we go.

This was – what they said to be 1.5 miles left of the trail. It was miserable.

Wow, I made it.

The walk to the shuttle was painful. The rise in the shuttle bus was amazing. It felt great to sit after 7 hours of walking.

Back at the car, we grabbed a fresh stash of clothes, socks, shoes and some body wipes to clean up before the ride home.

Pit stop in Flagstaff for a burger and fries and Diablo Burger. I had the Blake and it was sooooo good.

In 3 weeks we plan to hike the south rim to the north rim. Lessons I learned that will be applied to the next trip.

I must drink a shit ton of water the week before and especially the day before the 25 mile hike. I will need to pack way more calories for this next trip and NOT forget the pocket burritos. I’ll need to eat more frequently. I’m positive I can do the rim to rim. I know the hike up was so hard was because I did not fuel my body enough to make it and this made the ascent more difficult than it needed to be.

Until next time! Happy trails 😁

La Jolla half n’ stuff

Grand Canyon – part one