Guy Fleming Trail, Torrey Pines

I seriously think whoever decides where the group runs will be for Team in Training must be on the San Diego tourism committee. Another spectacular run, this time from the Torrey Pines Golf course to the Guy Fleming Trail, which was the Rave Run in March's Runner's World magazine.

We started from the gorgeous golf course which has rolling hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean- which was in and of itself spectacular. I would have been happy just staying there. We ran along the fence alongside the road, which went into a paved bike route and unpaved trails going off from there. I was tempted to do the beach trail, but I read that it was a steep hill down to the ocean- umm, no thanks. The Guy Fleming trail was recommended for me, which is about a mile long about halfway down the hill. Let me preface the Torrey Pines run to it being known as the dreaded hill run, and if you can make it up that run successfully, you can make it through any race.

As I was running down the hill to the trail, I was just amazed by the view- I was next to the cliffs, with the ocean to my left and high above the highways of San Diego to my right. When I got to the trail, it was a sandy trail roped off for one person at a time along the edge of a cliff, in the woods with Torrey Pines and cactuses and blue and yellow wild flowers all around. Then the forest cleared and there was the Pacific Ocean. Oh my god. I started hyperventilating and almost puked, I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of it. Such a strange reaction to puke by beauty! The rest of the run was on the side of a cliff, with the cliff and wild flowers above and beside me to the left, and the Pacific Ocean on a sharp drop below me to the right. I had to stop several times just to catch my breath and I admit it, I started crying because it was probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It was exactly what I imagine heaven to look like- sort of like what was filmed in "What Dreams May Come."

The hill back up was rough, but well worth it for the amazing trail. I can't wait for people to come in from out of town so I can show them this place- and heard it was even more spectacular with the sunset. I can't even imagine.

Distance: 3 miles