Today’s single digit run was a bear. A real bear! I began at the top of Mentally Sensitive (the closest steepest trail I know) and “ran” up and down it not three times, but FOUR times. I had a miserable time of it on the uphills. I practiced the fancy feet, quick technical running on the downhills. It took complete focus not to fall or trip. The 4th trip up was brutal. Down right excruciating.
I think that’s enough of that. For today anyway. 
I cannot wait to lay my head down and sleep.
This morning I thought it was about that time again – time again for hill repeats. The San Juan 50k is just about 3 weeks off and I’m ALMOST freaking out. That race climbs more than 6,400 feet in 50 kilometers (Aren’t we Americans funny, mixing measuring systems – that’s about 1,950 meters in around 31 miles 
).
I chose Meadows Trail in Aliso Canyon today to run my repeats because it’s close to the home and it’s steep. The portion of the trail that I repeat is about 1 mile and climbs more than 700 feet (that’s more than 213 meters of a climb over 1.6 kilometers.)
So, I hit Aliso Creek Trail (which starts off paved) and raced this critter to Wood Canyon:
I met a lovely woman (Lorraine) at Wood Canyon. She wanted a nice walk and asked me for suggestions. Well, Wood Canyon is okay, a nice walk because it’s relatively flat. BUT it gets boring, and for a while there the trail is quite exposed. I told her this and that if she really wanted a “nice” walk and didn’t mind a tough climb, she should take Meadows Trail. She was sold when I told her she’d be able to see the ocean once she reached the top. After I showed her the trailhead, I headed off for my crazy repeats. Then I worried that the woman I suggested Meadows to would hate me for directing her this way. But as I looked around at the view, I felt satisfied that she too would enjoy the beauty, even if it was difficult. I mean, great things rarely come easy, right? RIGHT?
Running up Meadows, red-faced (wash those glasses lady!):
I met Lorraine again as I ran back down Meadows to finish off my first trip. She thanked me profusely for telling her about the trail. She found it gorgeous. Imagine how thrilled I was! AND she was climbing that monster like a champ. I don’t know if she realized, but she closed the gap tremendously between her and the two hikers ahead of her.
On my way back down, I passed two mountain bikers making their way up. Then on my second trip up, I passed them near the top as one of the guys stood off to the side hunched over vomiting. His buddy chuckled and said something about pushing too hard. (This of course brought back memories of my first time up Meadows – I ran VERY little, practically none of it, and wanted to literally fall to the ground and cry. But I was with two other runners and didn’t want to make a spectacle).
The view running down Meadows:
Running up Meadows on repeat number two, I met Lorraine on her way down the trail. And she thanked me again for leading her to such lovely ocean views. She told me that she got great pictures and that she was the only one in her family crazy enough to do this. And I thought to myself, we are so much alike. I too am the only one crazy enough in my family to do this, and I too take lots of pictures on my adventures.
View of Pacific Ocean from top of Meadows Trail:
Running up repeat number three, I got to thinking about the chores I needed to do before heading off to work. (I really shouldn’t think). Plus, my left arch has been irritated lately, so I decided to make repeat number three my last. That gave me excuse to goof off at the top, which of course I did with the camera. You should see the ones I didn’t post. LOL.
Kiosk at top of Meadows:
Ready to head back down, Modjeska and Santiago Peaks in background:
Oh, what a lovely downhill, switchback run it is:
The profile:
I headed back to Meadows Trail this morning in Aliso/Wood Canyons. I had my heart content on hill repeats today, but got to thinking how much I’d enjoy running the “big” loop. Then at the very last minute, as I snapped on my gear, I changed my mind. If I ran the big loop, I’d end up playing – I’d put in some swing time, maybe climb a tree, pose for too many pictures. Yes, my main goal is to have fun running trails. But with next month’s race (the one that I foolishly registered for because I had birthday money burning a hole in my pocket), I felt I needed to train, not play.
So, I ran 3/4 miles of Aliso Creek Trail and hopped onto the single track to finish off the 1.5 opening miles to Wood Canyon. I only visited Wood Canyon for a short stint, as a left onto Meadows came quickly. After another mile of mildly rolling hills, I arrived to my destination – the point where I would begin and end my Meadows hill repeats, where the trail really begins to climb, just a few feet past Mentally Sensitive.
The day was warm, though I wore a light cotton shirt, which never dried. It provided a nice coolant when the wind blew. I felt strong on my first and second trips up that steep switch-back. Mountain bikers made their way up, some riding, others walking. A few runners also made their way down. On my third trip up, I noticed one of the runners was doing repeats as well (he ran it twice, that I saw, and appeared much stronger than I). Hikers also made their way up and down Meadows Trail, in lesser numbers.
The fourth trip running up Meadows was the most difficult of today’s repeats, both mentally and physically. I could feel by the weight in my pack that my fluids were low. I conserved on my 4th trip down (which I swear against, conserving fluids that is) so that I’d have some for trip number five up the hill.
My fifth run up Meadows was most difficult physically, yet I found it not as challenging mentally. Why? Because I knew that it was my last trip to the top. I made it to the top with fluids still and couldn’t help myself from guzzling down. Well . . .
I ran out of fluids with about 3 miles remaining to my truck. It was a bitch of a run from that point on. I took a slightly different route back, opting for the pavement for all of Aliso Creek Trail, because it’s slightly shorter. Without fluids, I could barely run. I’d pick out a tree or spot of shade and tell myself, “run to that.” Using this method again and again, I finally arrived to my truck, and without even stretching, grabbed for a nice large bottle of cold Gatorade from the back seat.
Dehydration is not good. I felt ill for much of today. Stupid mistake. I was running repeats and could have easily stashed extra water at the bottom of the hill. Live and learn. 
Top of Meadows #1:
Top of Meadows #2:
Top of Meadows #3:
Top of Meadows #4:
Top of Meadows #5:
And . . . oh yes! It’s snake season again. More importantly, rattlesnake season. Here’s my first sighting of the year, a cute little baby. Do not fear. Be alert, turn down the music so that you can hear rattlers, and just remember to give them their space. Though they can coil up in a split second, their striking distance is probably only half their body length, if even that. : )
With little time and little gasoline, a mountain run was not “in the cards.” I needed to make this morning’s miles COUNT. By “count,” I mean difficult.
I decided on hill repeats up Meadows – yup, the trail that used to give me great anxiety, the trail that I feared! I’ll tell you one thing that running up West Horsethief does. It dwarfs even the toughest hills on my coastal trails. Even Meadows. I ran up and down it three times this morning. I could have done more. But I had to get back home for chores and get ready for work.
After about a 2 mile warm-up, I arrived at Meadows:
A Magical Entrance to Meadows:
Heading toward the first climb up – this is why they call it Meadows:
First Arrival to the Top of Meadows (Overlooking Laguna Beach):
First trip down Meadows (Saddleback Mountains in background):
Running UP Meadows #2:
Arrival to Top of Meadows #2:
Going down #2:
Going up #3:
Arrival to Top of Meadows #3:
Heading back to Wood Canyon:
Profile: