Now that we are in the tapering phase of our Big Sur 21-miler and marathon training, I can get excited – officially and vocally! My apologies to those of you who are not going!

Several of us walked 16k out of High Park on Sunday morning and it was glorious. With the sun on our faces and the Lake Ontario shoreline to our sides, we could easily put our minds on the California coast. Those people who completed the Around the Bay 30k Road Race two weeks ago with little or no residual injuries are feeling confident that the challenges of the Big Sur coast are manageable.

With the glimpses of sun we’ve enjoyed over the past few weeks and no traces of snow to be found even in the shadiest corners of the shopping mall parking lots, I have been visualizing the early morning fog over the ranch just south of Andrew Molera Park and Point Sur Lighthouse, the excitement of listening for Taiko drummers as I round the corner into the foot of Hurricane Point, and the spirit soaring notes from the grand piano as I descend on to Bixby Bridge; steeling myself for the rolling hills that follow and the ever increasing cant in the road and heat in the air that makes my exhausted muscles scream for the last 15 kilometres; finally, the exultation of the last 3 kilometres from Los Lobos Park downhill to the finish.

Last year I found myself in the finishing area stretched out on the lawn with a halo of concerned faces hovering over me. This year my goal is a more upright and victorious posture!

If you’ve been to Big Sur before, please share your best memories right here.