Saturday, I needed to take care of a residual from my face plant a month ago (Big Baz WTRS 15k). Whereas my eye actually improved a great deal initially, this week it took a turn for the worse. It was red and painful.
Turns out, something went into my eye during the fall. Though whatever it was is no longer there, my eye didn’t react well to the intrusion. A cyst formed in response, which in turn began irritating blood vessels. “Thank God you didn’t damage the cornea,” the optometrist said. And then she went on to say, in not so many words, that women “our age” shouldn’t be taking falls like that. In my defense, I told her, “Well, I normally don’t fall like that; I was trying to avoid the cliff, so I fell awkwardly. Usually, I fall much better.”
I’m sure that convinced her that women “our age” are okay to take falls like that. She sent me off with an eye-drop prescription. And already, my eye has greatly improved.
Saturday night, I went to bed at 9PM. I could still hear the boys roughing up the place and didn’t fall asleep until after 9:30. Up at 5:20 AM, I sat on the couch fooling around on the computer, avoiding getting dressed. Not that I didn’t want to run. I greatly looked forward to my long run this morning. I was just too dang cold (we are so spoiled weather-wise in California – I’m guessing it was 40/45 F). 6:30 AM I was finally out the door and in the car to drive to my local trails (why, Aliso/Wood Canyons, of course). My plan today was to run every trail up to the ridge and every trail down. In other words, I ran up the first one (Cholla), ran along the ridge to the next trail into the canyon (Lynx), ran down it, ran up the next one, etc., etc. The last trip down was Meadows (the beast!) which after running I turned around and ran up it to make the trip back. Technically, I suppose this 19+ mile run was an out-and-back, but not exactly. I made a few alterations on the back trip. It was more like a snake route, back and forth, back and forth.
“Before” (I had planned to take an “After” shot, but forgot), standing in Canyon Vistas Park, layered and ready to take off.
The weather remained cool my entire run, though I stripped those layers pretty quickly. Running through spider webs on the single tracks, I found myself smiling instead letting out yelps like I used to. My thought was, “Ahhh, I’m the first one on this trail this morning.” I would wave my hand in front of my face when running through spider-like areas. Once a web broke on my upper lip. I didn’t utter a peep.
Later, I found myself semi-frequently dodging mountain bikers. Guided groups of hikers also roamed the hillsides. I ran past one such group struggling up Mathis. They smiled and shook their heads in amusement as I snaked my way up the mini-beast. I have avoided Mathis for a while now, because it is so painful. Surprisingly and happily, I found Mathis Trail quite comfortable to run. Not at all saying that it was easy. Just that all those runs up Meadows Trail have miniaturized other trails like Mathis.
Hours later, after running back up Meadows Trail on my way to West Ridge, I met that same hiking group while I ran across Top of the World. One of the guys exclaimed, “It’s you again, I can’t believe you’re still running!”
“You’re still hiking!” It was like meeting old friends. Turns out I set off this morning at the same time as this hiking group (7 AM).
Running down Lynx Trail in the cool morning shade, spring flowers already dot the hillsides. (Running back up this at about mile 18 was a bear – no shade!!)
Spring flowers Along Rock It Trail
Dodging Mountain Bikers on Rock It 
Car Wreck Trail
Finishing Up Car Wreck
Posing with 2-Headed Dragon I Found on the Trail
Top of the World View of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island & Laguna Beach
A Little Detour on Park Avenue Trail (Trip Back)
19.29 Miles: +4,031/-4033 SUPER FUN SNAKE RUN!
(10.20 km)
