Next week is the Emerald Nuts Across The Bay 12-K Run. http://www.rhodyco.com/across12k.html
When I first started running this event was the Houlihans to Houlihans and it's evolved over the years with various sponsors. The route has stayed the same and it's killer. It starts in Sausalito and involves a very gnarly hill up to the Golden Gate Bridge, then you go over the Bridge and through the Presidio back to Aquatic. If you're actually running it seriously, that kill is brutal. Since my only goal is to finish, I'm planning to walk the hill, along with my general pattern of walking one song running one song.
Anyway, I went out yesterday planning on a 8 mile run/walk. My usual route goes over Potrero Hill, through the bowels of Mission Bay and toward the ballpark currenly known as AT&T. At about 8:00AM, I could not figure out why on earth, there was so much traffic near the ballpark. Cars and busses. Lots of busses. I run with my headset on and my head down so I wasn't really looking at he busses, until one went by me and a bunch of teenagers started screaming "Jesus Loves You" at me, and I remembered that THIS was going on this weekend in San Francisco to much controversy and counter-protesting. At this point I was at about the 3 and 3/4 point of my route which as an out and back, so I turned around and headed home. I just didn't want to deal with the cars and busses and screaming kids there-in.
I have some experience with being a lonely "weird" teenage and thinking that an over-emotional religious conversion experience is the answer to feeling like I'm fat and miserable and nobody loves me. It's a long story and I may type it up later and post it. Or maybe not. It's kind of embarassing and you've already got the gist.
MORE LATER