Tapering (& checking trails)

Saturday I set my alarm early for a paved run.  I woke so tired and cold, I decided to sleep in.  I mean way, way in!  I’ll call it tapering.  Later that afternoon, I took a drive to Aliso/Wood Canyons park, just to check.  Just to check how bad the trails were, and if there was a way I could sneak in.  I drove over Amwa bridge which was reinforced and posted with warnings against stopping and auto weight limits (no cars over 16,000 pounds – like I know how much our truck weighs).  Needless say, I drove across the short bridge very quickly. 

Gates were locked up tight, and the station looked empty of rangers.  I took a public upper dead-end road that leads to about the halfway mark on Aliso Creek Trail.  I could see from above that the creek was within its normal banks and the trail looked pretty clean.  And then at the cul-de-sac, the service entrance into the park was a ranger sitting in his truck : ))))

I got of my truck, he got out of his, and we walked toward each other, meeting at the gate.  We talked.  Apparently the trails aren’t going to open until next week.  Feeling a bit needy for trails, I asked about the unmarked ones on the other side of Top of the World, the trails that lead down to Laguna Canyon – they don’t seem to be part of any official trail system.  He smiled with a sly look and said that they weren’t monitoring them, and that if there’s no sign, well, that I could give it a try. 

“Are the slopes stable?”  I asked.  “Oh sure,” he said.  “Thing is, they’re awfully muddy.” 

And so I decided against driving all the way around (probably 10-15 miles) for a tromp in the mud.  Instead, I set my running gear by the door then set my alarm early once again for a run on the pavement Sunday morning (today).  Then after a movie with my oldest son, I snuggled into bed fairly early.  I woke, turned on the wall heater full-blast, surfed the internet, drank TWO cups of coffee.  Then I fell promptly back asleep on the couch.  When my middle boy woke, he covered me with more blankets, and I snuggled in deeper to sleep (hearing occasionally the ohhs and ahhs of Dragon Ball Z on the t.v.).  I didn’t wake until 10:30 AM!!

What is the matter with me?

Tapering.  That’s it.  I’m tapering.

I did manage to get in some speed training before heading out with our boys to visit my folks.  I felt like I had to get in SOME running.  So I used the local paved hills.  And I beat my fastest speed work pace of 6.44 with a pace of 6.23!  Of course, that’s not for a whole mile, just the speed burst.  And I have to say that I felt like I was going to fall flat on my face.

But I didn’t.  (Unbelievable.) 

One more week!  Just one more week . . .