What a Relief!

Day 28 of my '”Fitness Streak,” I thought I’d merely put in the minimum.  I just had too much to do.  To make time even tighter, today was late-in day (for school) for one boy, and early-out day for the two others.  Why are school schedules so complicated nowadays? 

Eventually, I decided to squeeze in a local run between chores. drop-offs, and pick-ups.  This of course meant A ROAD RUN.  Yes!  Another road run.  I really do need road runs more often because I run faster on the road.  You see, I have inadvertently trained myself to run slowly by running high elevation gain trail runs pretty much all the time.  Because of this my legs aren’t used to a quick turnaround.

Thing is, my heel has chronic pain now which I haven’t written much about.  And I only have a little left of the tape that works.  So, I used the “professional” tape I purchased recently at a sporting goods store.  And after wrapping my foot, it did nothing to ease the pain.  NOTHING.  Big waste of $4.  On the good side, the pain forced me to focus more on a mid food strike.  (Right now I’m sitting with my foot elevated taped in the “good” tape, and I have some relief).

SO, I ran down to Doheny Beach and ran the straight away alongside the shore all the way to Capo (Capistrano Beach).  These are rocky beaches, with tons of wet rocks and pebbles that glistened beneath the warm sun.  The birds seemed to like the wet rocks too.  Hundreds of seagulls meandered about undisturbed (until I decided to pay them a visit for a photo-op). 

I stopped running where the sidewalk ends, and turned around headed for the wharf.  The wharf was lovely as usual.  No crowds this afternoon.  I photographed some more elephants from our “Elephant Parade,” and made it back home with seven miles logged.  What a relief to get in a run!

Gateway to the Past – the entryway into Doheny Beach up until the 1930’s.  I think they should still use it:

Birdies:
Elephant Parade:

Test Run

I did not take a new pair of shoes out for a test run today.  Unfortunately, no.  I took my feet out for a test run today, more specifically, my right ankle.  I’m done wearing the boot.  But still, I wore one of those stretchy braces beneath my socks.  (I got it filthy with dirt.)

My ankle felt fine running the uphills and flats.  It was those downhills, especially on the way back that added a bit of pain.  My ankle may or may not have been ready for today (I’m going to be optimistic and say it was).  But dang it, I missed the trails badly.  I was actually having dreams that I could not run trails anymore, that I had to turn back on certain trails (that I’ve never seen in my waking life) because they were too hard.  Too hard!!! 

Aside from testing out the ankle, I also worked on a bit of form today as I ran the rolling ridge overlooking Laguna Beach.  One problem with my form has been that I lean my shoulders forward and look to the ground when running up hill.  This posture makes for tense sore shoulders and a reduction in speed.  During this afternoon’s run, I focused on keeping my head up, even with my hips.  And though I occasionally found myself looking down, I was convinced to keep looking forward when doing so I spotted my first rattler of the season.  She was a beauty.

Ready to run myself back into tip-top shape!

It seemed that I actually made eye contact with this rattler as I ran toward her to snap this photo.  She appeared annoyed. (On the way off this single track, I came upon two lovely young, very young ladies, making their way up.  I warned them to be aware, “I just saw a rattler.”  Upon hearing this, they both SCREAMED, and ran back down the single-track.  I felt badly for scaring them and gave the ladies a quick lesson in rattlers, ie, keep aware, give them their space, etc.  I was glad to see the two turn around and make their way back up.

West Ridge:

Top of the World:

The Profile:

My Comedy of Errors

As I approach Twin Peaks, it seems to me that I’ve been playing a part in A Comedy of Errors.  This comedy didn’t begin when I accidently threw my camera off the mountain, and the ground gave away for me to slide down the rocky slope.  The comedy didn’t begin when I took that tremendous fall running down Upper Holy Jim that my arm still bares scars from today.  No, my comedy of errors began some weeks ago when I took an unmarked trail that dumped me into a ravine, of which I had to climb a tree to exit, only to find myself tightly entangled in a thorn thicket.  I escaped demoralized, bleeding and covered with welts.  And I cut my run short.

The day after that, I thought I broke my foot, then blamed my sandals.  Finally ended up that I had plantar fasciitis.  That pretty much put my running to a halt (except for one last excruciating 22 mile mountain run).  THEN, while applying intensive home physical therapy, I stood on a chair in the kitchen, lost my balance and fell to the floor, bruising my butt and back.  THEN, just as my plantar fasciitis took a turn for the better, I caught a flu-like bug.  For two whole days I slept.  On the third day, I sipped wine in the evening while taking flu medication, which I’m sure made my illness last longer.  Hubby scolded me, “Don’t you know you should not drink wine while taking flu medication???”  Like George Castanza (the Jerry Seinfield character), I asked “Is that wrong?”  And I giggled myself to sleep. 

Monday (yesterday) came along and though I felt much better, I still didn’t feel well enough to run.  THEN as I watched television, flossing my teeth (I know, TMI), I broke a crown.  I’m waiting for the pain.  Hasn’t happened.  But I cannot leave the hole in my teeth alone.  It feels like a 3 inch gaping hole.  Of course it’s not that large, but with my neurotic personality, a hole in my teeth is NOT GOOD.  There’s no way I can fit in a dentist appointment before Saturday at this point.  Hubby says expect the pain to arrive Saturday. 

Hopefully not.

The great news is, today I got a run in . . . FINALLY.  It was a short run.  A lovely run.  A run with no foot pain (though I still taped my foot).  I had no goals in mind, except to run trails and enjoy.  To deal with my gaping tooth hole, I chewed a piece of gum and formed it around that tooth.  That worked pretty good some of the time.  But then I would forget and start chewing the gum, and that messed up my breathing.  Despite this, my run was lovely.  And seriously, I didn’t panic at all over Twin Peaks fast approaching.  Though I have visualized myself finishing the race many times, while I ran today, I ran through in my mind being pulled or dropping from Twin Peaks.  I told myself that I won’t cry, I won’t yell at anyone; I will act dignified, turn in my bib and get out of the way for the other runners still in the race. 

Rain is expected tomorrow.  Therefore, today’s run will probably be the last before Twin Peaks. 

Today’s lovely run to the Top of the World in Laguna Beach:

Fearful Gait

After diligent self-therapy and constant taping and re-taping my foot, I set out this morning for my first run since last Thursday (and that was my only run last week).  I taped my foot of course, and I am so, so very pleased to report that I felt no pain whatsoever on my nearly eleven mile run.  I took it easy, ran pretty slowly in fact.  It felt like my gait had changed, almost like I ran too carefully, as if my feet were afraid.  I was afraid.  I did not, could not feel the pain once again with just about a week out of Twin Peaks. 

I’m okay with the fearful gait.  The important thing is that I got out there and I ran trails today.  The feeling was so completely joyful, it felt like I had been released from prison or perhaps a psych-ward – as if I were suddenly free.  Not a thing bothered me during today’s run, not my slowness nor the treacherous climb up Mentally Sensitive.  It’s almost like every runner needs an injury so that they can have this feeling of getting back something they had lost.  Of course, I don’t want anyone injured.  But with all my training, I think I was beginning to lose some joy of trails. 

10.75 miles run this morning.  Back at home, I took off the tape, iced and rolled.  And I felt great.

Turning onto my old friend Meadows Trail:

Running up Mentally Sensitive – There’s Saddleback Mountains!:

A quick stop for some swing time:

Goats!:

Back at Top of the World:

View from Top of the World:

Profile:

Trial Run

Recently, I purchased two new pair of running shoes (I got steal deals).  I can’t wear my running shoes out to the utmost like I have been.  Assuredly, I have learned my lesson.

I purchased my regular mountain running shoes, New Balance 876.  And I purchased the next generation of my New Balance 101’s, the New Balance 110’s.  It’s a low rise, lightweight shoe that I usually wear running the coastal hills because the terrain isn’t so brutal.  Now I have 3 perfectly good shoes to run in.  All the rest I should throw away.  (I already threw away my NB 101’s and it was such a sad occasion, I had my husband do it, because I couldn’t myself). 

Anyway, the New Balance 110 is virtually the same as the 101’s, except for two things.  The material is more rubbery than cloth-like, and the colors are WILD.  Now, I’m not one to go for wild colored running shoes.  But heck, the 101’s were my favorite shoes, so I might as well get the next generation.

I went ahead and took the plunge late this morning.  No, I didn’t go for a swim (I wish!).  I went for a run.  With a taped up arch and heal I took off running trails for an out-and-back to Top of the World in Laguna Beach. 

(Oh, and I also got my new camera.)

I felt fine on the trip out.  My feet felt good, though I could tell there was something “there,” I didn’t feel any pain.  The way out was mainly uphill.  I made decent time and didn’t feel like I had lost anything after 5 days off (which I’m terrified of doing).  I stopped once to talk with a hiker who wanted directions to Dripping Cave from the Ridge down Rock It.  The instructions were rather detailed involving 4 or 5 different trails.  He wrote them down and we departed both hoping for a grand adventure on his hike. 

I reached Top of the World ready to refill my handheld.  The day was hot and sunny.  I stopped to take in the view, even sat for a second.  The tape above my socks was coming undone due to dirt getting in between my skin and the adhesive. 

The run back was a different story for this trial run.  Starting off on a downhill, I felt pain right away.  Eventually the pain grew to a point that I found myself actually limping as I ran!  I thought I may have to walk back to my truck.  But as soon as the uphills began, my foot’s pain decreased.  I had some pain the entire trip back, always less on the uphills.  I sadly thought to myself, “I’m never going to be able to put 50 miles on these feet.”  What a defeatist! 

Back at the car, I did some math in my head however, and realized that I needed to make this morning’s run a little less than 9 times to equal Twin Peaks total Mileage (52 miles).  “Humph!”  I laughed to myself when I decided, “I could run that 8 more times. Yes siree, I can.”

Two more weeks.  TWO MORE WEEKS.  (The red star is above Santiago Peak):

Today’s bizarre looking profile (6.42 miles run):

Injured?

Something is definitely going on.  Injured?  I am not gonna say it.  I believe that I do not have a repetitive-use injury, which to me is a good thing.  It does not hurt to run.  I feel no pain walking on level ground.  But I feel severe and sudden pain in the center and left side of my left knee when I walk up steps, stepping up first with the left leg.  When I step up first with the right leg, I have no pain when I follow with the left leg.  Weird.  I feel that same pain when I release the emergency brake in my truck.  And I feel that pain when I bend or straighten my left leg.  I also feel it when I lift my left leg from a sitting position.  Yet, as I already mentioned, I can run fine (which rules out IT band syndrome – plus I’ve dealt with that so many times, I’d know if I were dealing with it again). 

I ran this morning in fact, a short run as scheduled per my training plan. I had no pain before this run.  I pretty much rushed it, because today was the last day of school for our two youngest boys.  I wanted to get back to school in time for the last day festivities.  I worked on my up hill speed, as usual.  I really pushed it on the downhill, often having to bank off the trail’s slanted side to keep my speed up.  Perhaps my leg was at the wrong angle when I pounded down on Cholla. 

I’m not calling myself injured YET.  Yes, I’m wearing a knee brace.  And yes, I have iced.  No, I have not taken any pain relievers (except for wine).  And yes, I have foam rolled.  I felt a bit of tightness in the lower quads of both legs, a little more so in the left leg.  Time will tell.  Tomorrow is a rest day, though I’m taking our boys skateboarding and biking.   But overall, it’s a rest day.

Dainty white flowers that lined the single tracks along West Ridge this morning:

Running the back on this out-and-back to Top of the World (& I really think that I look like a boy here, but I didn’t have any pictures from today’s run where I looked less like a boy and more like a girl : ( )

May your runs be merry this weekend!!

Not Injured I Say!

I’m pretty sure I got this knee thing figured out.  Actually it was both knees at the end of my hundred mile week (the outside of my knees).  I kept it secret because 1) I so wanted an injury-free 2011 and 2) I didn’t want to get any flack about running. 

It is definitely an IT band thing, and I wouldn’t really call it an injury.  Therefore, I’m still calling this an “injury-free 2011”.  The right knee is perfect now, but the left knee was pretty tight and swollen for a while there.  I’ve been stretching (a stretch I always do, but making sure to stretch it nice a long).  I’ve been icing.  Though I tend to lean more toward heat for injuries – oops did I say injuries?  I meant muscle tightness and swelling.  Anyway, I find it much more convenient to ice since I have an icepack with velcro straps and I can walk around while icing.  With the heating pad however, I must stay in one place.  The action that has made the most difference in my knee is foam rolling.  I admit I’ve been slacking on the foam rolling WHEN I KNOW BETTER.  The past couple days I’ve been rolling whenever I can, and I put no weight on the ground except my forearm.  For you foam rollers out there, you know that this means I’ve got good concentrated heavy rolling going on.

And thus, my left knee has VASTLY improved. 

And thus, I went for a run this hot, hot morning.  Just guessing here, but it had to be at least 85F at 10:30 this morning! 

My goal for today’s run was again form.  I’m unsure when to start working on speed again.  I feel I should wait until my new Chi-form is near-perfected.  What do you think?

Again I ran Wood Canyon in Aliso/Wood Canyons Park.  This time I decided to do a bit of climbing.  I didn’t have much time, so I chose to start on a downhill through Wood Canyon then hop up onto that magical trail, Wood Creek, for a dose of shade.  I continued on for a bit more shade on Coyote Run Trail until I hit Rock-It, which I took to West Ridge and ran on up to Top of the World.  I chose Rock-It because the climb is 1.25 miles.  It’s not as steep as Meadows Trail.  But the climbing portion on Meadows is a little less than a mile. 

Well, I’ll tell you!!  The climb in that heat seemed NEVER-ENDING.

Just beginning my run up Rock-It

And the climbing continues . . .

And at the bend in the road, more climbing . . .

And at the next bend, EVEN MORE climbing . . .

Finally at the top of Rock-It (And yes, I did run the whole way – so I can’t be injured )

Yet another trip to Top of the World

7.86 Miles run today.

 

Cave Rock

Tuesday I added an event to my calendar, and when I do that, it’s like a domino affect.  Everything had to shift.  And so, I couldn’t run Tuesday (that got moved to Wednesday).  Instead I went to the gym Tuesday, put in an hour plus on the elliptical, stretched, did weights (but no arms!), abs, foam rolled and felt absolutely great afterward.    

But then the night came.  Night time is pretty miserable for me with this piriformis glute issue going on.  It’s when I sit or worst yet, when I lay down to sleep that the pain comes.  (According to my research, it’s because I “shorten” this muscle with my sleep position).  After tossing and turning all night, I woke this morning earlier that usual – I just couldn’t stand the pain of laying down.  After standing for a while, the pain gradually subsided.  I foam rolled, I stretched, and I dropped all three sons off at school, one by one.

On the spur of the moment I decided on a relatively flat run, a 9 mile out-and-back through Wood Canyon at Aliso/Wood Canyons Park.  I packed on the water (I do that nowadays, bring in more water than necessary) and headed down Aliso Canyon, my glutes causing a great deal of pain. 

I should note that my running about 10 miles today was a bit of an inconvenience on the family, having only one car.  This is partly why I chose a flatish :) run.  I figured I’d get the car back home sooner.  Besides that, I consider myself still in recovery from my last marathon.  A “flat” run, I thought, was a good idea, a chance for my body to rest.

 Sightings Board / Notice upper left corner, lost computer!  Does anyone else find this a bit odd? 

Well, I about had it by the end of Aliso Creek Trail.  Now, I’m not one to give up easily (good and bad point about me), so I kept it going and turned onto Wood Canyon Trail.  I stopped at the bench there, got up on the table and stretched the suspect muscles, took two ibuprofen. 

I ran only a half mile more before I finally gave up and turned around.  What the heck?  Listen to my body, right?  I phoned my husband to tell him that he could have the car because I was coming back.  I refrained from crying.  I wanted to cry.  But I was kinda feeling that my spouse wasn’t going to think kindly about me crying because I couldn’t run.  I’ve cried too many times over not being able to run.  And I’ve also cried tears of joy for being able to run.  I’d guess it’s getting old.

The Silver Lining : )

On the way back down Wood Canyon Trail, moping, trying so hard not to go to that pitty party, I passed a trail that I have passed over and over again, Cave Rock Trail.  It is one of the very few trails that I have not explored in this park.  I thought it was just this tiny thing that went around the giant boulder with a small cave in it that you can see from Wood Canyon Trail.

Boy was I wrong.  As soon as I ventured in, I knew that this was my silver lining today.  First off, it was a shady single track that quickly began to ascend (oddly, my glute issue disappears on the uphills).  There were wooden steps built into the slopes, moss alongside the trail, even some acorns to gather for my youngest son.  The trail winded up onto that giant boulder with the cave that I could always see from Wood Canyon.  I ran on top of it for an awesome view of Wood Canyon Trail.  The rock never looked that high from the ground.  I was amazed.

I took this trail (about 1/4 mile) until it dumped me back onto Wood Canyon, and though my glutes still ached (only slightly), I ran it all the way into the ranger station and past for a run totaling 4.5 miles. 

Now, if I didn’t have this glute problem, I may have never ventured onto this trail.  How sad would that have been?  Pretty sad.

One of the very few trails at Aliso/Woods I have not wandered

My Kind of Trail!!

 

Admiring View on the Top Backside of Cave Rock

More of Cave Rock Trail, Naturally Landscaped with Stepping Stones

 

Lots of Rock on Cave Rock (all part of the same rock)

 

Heading off of Cave Rock, back toward Wood Canyon Trail

Yup; I was there.

Despite my complaining, and maybe it was stupid, (I was hoping the antibiotics would protect me) but I grabbed me some of that fortitude this afternoon and headed out for a trail run.  I just had to do it.  It wasn’t that a short hilly run was gonna suddenly train me for the following weekend.  I just needed the release, the escape.

I took 4 ibuprofen, 2 Sudafed, packed my hydro pack with plenty of water (let me tell ya I drank it all), and ran down Canyon Vistas park with my shoulder reeking of Icy Hot, and a pain jabbing my RIGHT glute.  (It switched sides – go figure :)

At the bottom of Cholla Trail I asked a mountain biker if he would grab the Icy Hot out of my pack.  He kindly obliged, then I hid behind a sign, and COATED that glute.  I powered up Cholla best that I could.  Passed a biker resting at the side along the way.

I focused on relaxing and not compensating by changing my gate.  Mid-foot strike (especially on the uphills), straight core, and most importantly I concentrated on relaxing.  Toward the end of West Ridge I found myself running alongside three male runners who were just at my pace – they had actually passed a ways back, but I caught them on the uphills.  Conversation with one of the gentlemen took my mind off the tough end of West Ridge.

 Me at Top of the World, Pacific Ocean/Laguna Beach in background (look!  My ipod matches my shirt)

I can’t express what a relief I felt to stand at the Top of the World.  The breeze was cool, the people smiling.  By then my arm felt no pain, my glute minimal pain.  The ocean was dark, the skies bright.  And I have to say that just standing there gave me a boost – a mental boost (I don’t think it did so much for me physically). 

After running into Alta Laguna Park and stocking up on toilet paper to blow my nose, I ran back up to West Ridge with gusto.  I stretched and took a few snap shots, then ran, not that swiftly, back up and down, up and down West Ridge to Cholla, and back to the car.  I arrived home to greet my parents who stopped by for a short visit.  Then I spent a pleasant evening feeling just fine, my with my youngest son’s friend and parents.  And we gathered entirely too much candy trick or treating on this Halloween night. 

Photo of a beetle (stink bug) as it crosses beneath me during glute/hamstring stretch at Top of the World

Elevation Profile

Miles logged on this Halloween:  6.24

It’s not just the same ole’ thing, it’s one of my favorite places

Tuesday, my usual run day, I woke with terrible lower back pain.  Not spasms, just pure pain, mainly on the right side.  I thought, “Oh no, the auto accident injury has returned.”  I racked my brain what I could have done to injure my back.  Monday I swam, and I’ve only ever slightly injured my shoulder swimming – and that was once, a long, long time ago.  Swimming’s just not an injury sport for me.  I did some weights also and core work too, but nothing different than I’ve ever done.

Didn’t matter so much how I did it; the pain was killer.  And when I walked off the back porch, that pain radiated down into my right leg.  So painful this was I grew nauseated.  Ibuprofen did nothing.  I stopped after taking FIVE (over about five hours) and went for the ice instead.  Ice pretty much did nothing.  Needless to say, I didn’t run Tuesday, I didn’t do much of anything, except what I had to do.  In between drop offs and pick ups, I napped on the couch, a heating pad wrapped around my back.

By Tuesday night (I taught one class), pain was minimal but still present.  I parked so that I didn’t have to take any steps, because any step down continued to shoot pain into my thigh.

So strange.  I went to bed uncomfortable, then finally fell asleep on my back (I am a side sleeper).  I woke throughout the night, anxious wondering if the pain was there.  I wasn’t moving to find out.  6:00 am, I finally got up and NOTHING.  Absolutely no pain in my back WHATSOEVER.  I was bewildered.  I certainly didn’t twist and turn to test it out.  There was, I noticed, some tightness in my right glute.

Anyway, I’ll cut to the chase – I fit in a run on a Wednesday (another rarity – change is good).  I did run my favorite park to Top of the World, and since I ran it a little faster than usual, I ran back down via Rock It.  I felt strong, just a slight ache, not even ache, more like a tiny discomfort in my right hip, I concentrated on the rock trail, picking up my pace some.  As customary these days, I hugged the side of the trail of this popular mountain biking portion, when WHAM!  I smacked head-on directly into a branch.  I didn’t even see it because of the dang hat on my head.  It whacked me good on the forehead, but not good enough to throw me to the ground. 

Talk about adventure!  I’ll tell you, there’s ALWAYS an adventure, whether good or bad, it’s there.  At the bottom of Rock It, I ran a lovely, shady Coyote Run Trail, then wood Canyon for, I’m serious when I say this, a fantastic run in Aliso/Wood Canyons.

At Top of the World (Via Cholla & West Ridge)

Heading back down West Ridge, toward Rock It

Rock It Trail

 

One of my favorite places in Aliso/Woods (on Rock It after running into branch)

Miles run today:  7.69