TALES FROM THE TRAIL (AND SOMETIMES THE ROAD TOO)

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Off Plan (Again)

How much do runners adhere to their training plans?  I actually have no idea.  I have never followed a training plan before now.  And I’m finding it very difficult to follow it precisely.  Life gets in the way.  And sometimes it (life) drags me down so much that I wake up  in the morning just too dang tired to follow the plan.  That’s what I did this morning.  Woke at 5 AM, walked out to the living room and lay back down.  I knew that I couldn’t sleep in too much longer because today was my scheduled long run. 

But I just couldn’t do it.  I could not get myself up before everyone else in the house, and disappear for 7 hours.  It would have probably done me good, helped to free my mind.  But fatigue was too much this morning.  So, I moved things around in my brain-calendar, came up with a better plan of postponing my long run and running a shorter run this afternoon, then fell back asleep.  Eventually my boys kicked me out of the living room and I went back to my bed.  My comfy, comfy bed.

My feet finally hit dirt at 2:30 PM in Aliso/Wood Canyons.  And of course the trails were a scorcher this afternoon.  I was pretty dang miserable and the thought crossed my mind on many occasions to turn back and go home.  But I’m a loopy girl, don’t really get into running out-and-back courses.  There’s got to be a special reason for me to run an out-and-back course.  Misery just isn’t a good enough reason. 

So, I ran up Wood Canyon and Cholla Trail to the ridge.  I spotted a coyote along the way eating something in the grass.  Several hikers mingled about the canyon, mountain bikers rode up and down it.  Reaching the ridge took a great deal of my fleeting strength.  It was pretty lonely up there.  Lonely and lovely. 

I connected the loop with Car Wreck Trail, an old favorite that I don’t hit often.  I looked forward to the shade at the end of this trail.  What I got were two doe standing in the middle of the trail.  They stood close together as I skidded to a stop.  It had not yet registered in my brain what I was seeing.  I had only gotten to “tall animal, tan fur.”  Then we made eye contact.  I snapped a picture, and they were off speeding through the forest to almost instantly disappear. 

Ended up with 10.54 very slow and difficult miles today.  And I have to say, perhaps someone can relate – I enjoyed the misery of it.  I really did.

West Ridge:

Car Wreck Trail:

Elevation Profile:Running Up Wood down Car Wreck 9-1-2012, Elevation - Distance

2 comments:

  1. I really think that one problem is people stick to their training plan *too* much. We strengthen through recovery, not by pounding the crap out of our bodies for weeks on end.

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    1. You are probably right Glenn. Thing is, my training plan has "rest weeks" and I still can't keep up with it. Especially in this heat!! Thanks for commenting.

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