Got out late this morning, but ever so grateful because I’ve been working more than usual, leaving little time for morning runs.
The stats:
Miles run: 10.03 (16.14 km)
Elevation gained: 1,253 ft (382 m)
The pics:
Entering Meadows: 
My “Everything’s-Everything’s-Gonna-Be-Alright-Bridge (because if I make it to here, chances are very good that I’m surviving the run 
):
Top of the World:
Robber’s Cave:
I’ve added three more days to my Easter streak, but time is so short, I’ve had little time to contemplate on them.
Day 19: I got out late, though I did manage to get in a beloved mountain run. I drove to Silverado Canyon, and then Maple Springs Road to where the asphalt ends. It’s a single lane road, that is, not one lane each way. No, it’s one lane period. Carefully I drove that road even as eager as I was to finally hit dirt. And hit dirt I finally did. I ran up hill on Maple Springs for 4.5 miles. A mountain biker passed me as he rode downhill and exclaimed, “You’re Awesome.” Wow. I never feel awesome. I should re-state that. I feel awesome, meaning, I immensely enjoy where I’m at and what I’m doing. But as a person, measuring my accomplishments, I don’t think I’m awesome one bit. In fact, I constantly fall miles short. I am a classic low self-esteem person. So, when this cyclist hollered this out to me, I felt blessed. I thought, “How nice he is, and how neat that I am a recipient of his niceness.”
From “Four Corners,” I turned the bend in the rocky road and headed up toward Modjeska peak for 1.5 additional uphill miles. I only made it to the point however, as time ran out for Saturday’s run. At the point, I took in the hazy view, ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then turned back for a glorious 6 mile downhill run. With about 4.5 miles remaining, two dirt bikers flagged me down to tell me this: “We admire you. We really do!!” Wow. I hope that I am a stranger that makes someone’s day once in a while. 
Total miles run 12.02. (19.34 km).
Day 21 (Easter Day): I planned on getting a run in during the morning hours of Easter. The morning flew by however, so I was left throwing my shoes and garmin into the car as we rushed off to my parents home in Fallbrook. After an Easter lunch and way, way too many sweets (as my no- sweets-during-lent had ended), I headed out the door for a minimum run just to keep up my Easter streak. I ran Dinwiddie Preserve for a grand total of 1.28 miles (2.06 km). And I was happy to do it. Note to to self: Don’t forget to pack a sports bra!!!
Day 21: This was not a good day. To begin, I dreamt in great detail that I was Jewish and in a Jewish concentration camp. The dream was heavy, too heavy and too detailed. A couple things that I explicitly recall are: 1) I said to myself again and again as I registered as Jew and checked myself into the camp, “This has already been endured. You just must endure it again,” and 2) the utter filth in the bedding that we were forced to lay in (though I brought my own clean bedding along with me, which was promptly thrown out when I arrived).
Among other things on this day, which I will not categorize here, I jumped off my front porch, catching my hand on a rose bush. A thorn tore, and I mean TORE through my ring and middle fingers, leaving a bloody mess that would not relent. Besides that and other things (like I broke my husband’s windshield!) and one of my baby brothers went into emergency surgery last night, I was worn out mentally. (My baby brother’s fine now, but I witnessed him in a great deal of pain yesterday, Easter Sunday. I am so thankful that he has such a terrific wife. She got him to the hospital despite preliminary doctor’s findings that they would “monitor,” his pain. Turns out he was diagnosed wrong and had a ruptured appendix all along, that he suffered with for EIGHT days.) Anyway, I’m off subject. The point of this blog is that I did manage to streak day twenty-one. I took a short drive and ran up Aliso Creek Trail into Wood Canyon. From there I turned off on a single track for one of my happy places, “Dripping Cave.” I spent a little time relaxing in the cool and shady Dripping Cave, then headed back out to Wood Canyon where I finished up my run with 6.11 miles (9.83 km). I’m not sure if this made the day better, but I know I’m better for it. And I did get a bit of tranquil thoughtlessness. That’s always a good thing.
This morning I was back in my stomping grounds, Aliso/Wood Canyons. I cut my 14.5 mile out-and-back 2 miles short by looping the route and taking a side trip to Dripping Cave. Downhills were just too much for the foot. THE FOOT. Any day now, I’m going to purchase one of those plantar fasciitis socks (for about 50 bucks). Regardless of the now quite bearable but annoying pain, I ran myself fatigued. And what a lovely day it was to come on in fatigued. After stretching my calves, I lay in the grass next to my truck. A cool breeze blew through the tree canopy above. And I got several minutes of thoughtless relaxation. If that doesn’t make a struggle worth it, I don’t know what does.
A regular photo – selfie from Top of the World:
View of Saddleback Mountains from Top of the World:
Hydrating on Mathis Trail:
Off to Dripping Cave for some cool shade:
This morning I went for a trail run for the fun of it. Yes, the fun it of it. My choices for today were to take in the little treats along nearest trails that I have discovered over the past years. Without using mental math, I estimated my loop would run between 8 and 10 miles. I was hoping for ten, but that’s me, I’m a distance and elevation junkie.
I ran down into Wood Canyon, which runs about 3 miles in length. Along Wood Canyon, there’s several opportunities to run up to the ridge that takes you to Top of the World. I ran the first opportunity to the ridge, Cholla Trail, a short trail, but a nasty incline. This way, I was able to run the entire ridge to Top of the World, which is a delightful rolling hill run.
Top of the World is a neighborhood in Laguna Beach that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It’s a particular, upper-upper class neighborhood. But laymen like myself, refer to all the neighborhoods at the top of the ridge as Top of the World, not just that exclusive neighborhood.
First Photographed Treat / Top of the World:
I turned around at Top of the World and ran back down West Ridge. Instead of continuing the downhill toward Cholla, I made a right onto Mathis Trail and took it to Car Wreck Trail – a steep, rocky single track leading down into a valley where an old car wreck rests on a slope. The run is tricky and at times treacherous with jumps steeper than I feel comfortable with. But I made it through okay. (At times, I admit that I slowed to a snail’s pace. Though, I never needed to scoot along on my behind).
2nd Treat / Car Wreck Trail:
Finally, I took a trip onto Dripping Cave Trail, which I haven’t run in ages. It’s slightly steep at first, but runnable. After all the climbing though, you arrive to one of the best treats in the park, Dripping Cave (AKA Robber’s Cave).
3rd Treat / Dripping Cave Trail:
Sitting on a bridge along Dripping Cave for the photo op / I’m a dirty, dirty girl (the scar on my right knee I got when I was 6 years old – it’s 42 years old!):
Labor Day has always marked the end of summer for us, even though it’s not the official end of summer. This day has always been the last holiday before school resumes. The boys go back to school on Wednesday. (I go back to work somewhere around then, depending on enrollment numbers). So, I suppose I can call today’s run the last run of summer. (Therefore, HEAT – go away!!)
Turns out that oh, a few hundred mountain bikers decided to take their last ride of the summer at the same place I chose for my last run – Aliso/Wood Canyons. I started off strong (though slowly) and chose to zig-zag my way through the wilderness, going up the hardest trail first: Mentally Sensitive. I didn’t mind so much running Meadows to get there, jumping out of the way for mountain bikers every few minutes or so.
No one else dared going up or down Mentally Sensitive on this sunny, hot, last-day-of-summer Labor Day. I had a enjoyable hard time of it myself. Toward the top, I opted on some bushwhacking for a trip into a local park. I came across a few other female runners in the park. They looked so nice and fresh with matching attire and shoes, whereas, dirt already caked my legs and clothing. I’m making up for all the dirt I didn’t play around in as a young girl. 
I took a quick run down Meadows back to Wood Canyon, completely annoyed by the twenty or so mountain bikers FLYING down that steep switch-back. Now, I don’t want to complain too much about mountain bikers. When I run in the mountains, I only meet polite riders. And in the coastal hills, I’ve met many wonderful cyclists. But today, the numbers were just too great, which meant those riders that ride as fast as they can inches away from hikers and runners, were out in greater numbers. Each time they flew by me, they left a spray of dirt in my face. Not fun, especially with temperatures rising.
Meadows Trail (going down):
Back in the canyon, I opted for trails where I rarely see mountain bikers. Cave Rock for example, does not even allow bikes. I did notice a multitude of tire tread prints, but enjoyed the trail alone.
Cave Rock:
Back in the canyon, I ran onto Dripping Cave. A group of 50 or so hikers made their way out as I ran in. I skipped the cave, as heat was increasing and I wanted to get as many miles in as possible. I got to pass a few mountain bikers who stopped to walk their bikes up the inclines of Dripping Cave. We all thoroughly enjoyed the shady downhill to Mathis Trail.
Dripping Cave Trail:
I ran up Mathis, the merciless trail toward the ridge with absolutely no shade. I met several pleasant cyclists and hikers struggling their way up as well. Those riding down left so much dirt in their wake that my mood began to waiver. I made West Ridge in one piece, but wanted to toss a handful of dirt at the cyclists as they rode down. I just wanted them to experience a fine mist of dirt thrown in their face while riding. Perhaps they didn’t know. I mean, would they ride so quickly down, so closely to other people, spraying dirt into runners’/hikers’ faces if they knew? I resolved to think they didn’t know, but decided not to throw dirt in their faces.
Good thing I didn’t act so severely, because I would have felt very badly when I ran toward Top of the World, past a fire truck on a rescue (probably a mountain biker). And then later as I ran along West Ridge, I stood with a group of bikers and hikers as we all watched a helicopter attempt to land for another rescue. We couldn’t see the hurt individual, the trails the helicopter hovered told me, the wounded had to be a biker.
Top of the World:
With a full pack after refilling at Top of the World, I ran along West Ridge with dread over the heat I’d encounter for the remaining run (as I was running away from the ranger station at this point). I felt extremely over-heated and the thought of running back down through the canyons for FIVE miles did not appeal to me. When I reached the end of West Ridge, I had all intentions of running back down into the canyon. But then I did something that I have never done. No. I didn’t phone my husband to come pick me up. I’ve done that before. I ran straight out of the park into the suburbs.
I simply couldn’t take running through that oven of a canyon full of speeding mountain bikers and opted for the streets instead. Yes, I willingly chose road running over trails – road running with shaded sidewalks and slight breezes, no dirt in the face. I wasn’t even exactly sure how to make it back to the ranger station using streets, but I had a notion.
I made it back just fine. And it turns out that my detour out of the wilderness ended up being the EXACT same mileage as if I were to have run back through the canyons – five miles, making today’s last-day-of-summer, Labor Day run 16 miles long.
Leaving the wilderness for a street run:
The Profile:
I can’t get my groove lately, and I’m experiencing a momentary lapse of progress in my training. For a while there, I felt stronger, I ran faster, I finished faster. I’m guessing about a week and a half ago fatigue hit me like a brick wall. Suddenly, I feel weak, I’m running slower and finishing even slower. I won’t even get started on the negative self-talk that’s been whirling around my head.
I kept Friday as scheduled, a rest day. Today, Saturday, was my scheduled long run. I woke at 4:30 AM, walked out to the living room and said to myself, “I. JUST. CANNOT. DO. IT.” Knowing that I will get my groove back, hopefully very soon, I nicely kicked my son off the couch (why was he sleeping on the couch?) and fell back asleep on the couch. I woke every hour, on the hour after that, when I finally awoke for good at 9:00 AM.
I decided to swap today’s training with tomorrow’s, and go for a ten mile run this afternoon. My feet hit dirt around 12:30 PM. Extremely hot out there, I felt sluggish at the start. A half mile in, I thought I just can’t do this. But I trudged on in the blistering heat anyway. After a mile and a half I decided, heck, just visit some of your favorite nearby places in Wood Canyon, chuck the training, simply run and enjoy the scenery.
And then the pressure was off. The next mile was still tough. But after a rest in a naturally air conditioned cave called Dripping Cave, the remaining miles were bearable, and there were even fleeting moments of enjoyment.
Who knows if I’ll get my long run in tomorrow. I am definitely burned-out. We shall see. : ) On the good side, I got some more pictures. LOL. Thanks for reading!
A Squished Scorpion:
Short-cut up Cave Rock:
Glorious shade on the way to Dripping Cave:
Dripping Cave:
Waiting for my groove (ha, ha) next to Wood Creek:
Running back (yay!) on Aliso Creek Trail:
Miles run this afternoon: 5.38