Bulldog? What’s She Talking About?

I’ve mentioned Bulldog quite a bit lately without any explanation what I mean.  Most Southern California trail runners know exactly what I’m talking about.   For me, Bulldog is my nemesis.  Specifically the Bulldog 50k trail race in late August. 

To begin, Bulldog is a dirt road that is a little over 3 miles in Malibu Creek State Park, Calabasas California.  It’s a nice wide fire road, not technical at all, except there’s pretty much NO relief going up.  There’s little shade, and it’s STEEP as it takes you up into the Santa Monica Mountains.

Several races throughout the year go up or down Bulldog to complete a loop with awesome mountain and ocean views.  Once you get to the top of Bulldog, there’s still more climbing.  There’s hornets and bees during the summer time.  And it’s HOT.  Especially during August.

The official “Bulldog Race” takes place at the end of August, usually the hottest month in Southern California.  Trail Run Events hold a 25k and 50k.  I’ve run the 25k at least twice and DNF’d the 50k last year due to heat exhaustion.  This year is the 20th anniversary of Bulldog 25k/50k.

Xterra also puts on a 22k that goes up Bulldog.  I run that race in the spring, which means the weather is somewhat cooler.  But the race is still tough.  I’ve run Xterra’s “Bulldog” Malibu Creek race 3 times. 

Coastal Trail Runs also puts on a 25k and 50k in Malibu State Creek Park during the fall.  This race reverses the loop, meaning you run down Bulldog.  The race is much more pleasurable running up the Santa Monica Mountains.  HOWEVER, running down Bulldog is quite the quad killer.  I ran this race last year (and was stung by the same hornet twice going up “Backbone Trail”.) 

As I mentioned in previous blogs, after my 50k drop, I was so sick both physically and (somewhat emotionally) that I thought, or rather swore, that I would never attempt Bulldog 50k again (I’m too chicken!).  But semi-recently I’ve begun heat training with the hopes of perhaps attempting the 50k this August once again.  As of now, I’m not so sure what I’m going to do.  Even if I can get used to running in the heat, the cut-offs are tough for me.  Those of you who know me, know that I’m not that quick.

I’ll probably wait until the last minute to decide whether to register.  Hopefully by then, it won’t be sold out. 

ps.  the 50k is 2 loops of the 25k, giving the 50k about 5,000 feet of elevation gain.

Perhaps I’ll see you there.

Gorgeous Texas Country / Heat Training Take 3

One of the few problems I have with running (besides running in the heat) is running on vacation.  For some reason I find motivating myself to run, and finding the energy to run while on vacation very difficult.  This morning I  took 45 minutes to get ready.  Back home I get ready in about 5. 

On my way out the door this morning, at 7:10 AM, I noticed that it was 78 degrees F in the shade (25.5C), and I thought to myself, “WOO-HOO, it’s gonna be a cool day.”  I took on the front pasture first, then ran back into my tranquil cedar elm grove.  By then I knew, it’s NOT gonna be a cool one.  I felt sluggish and was already drenched from sweat from the high humidity.

Standing in the cedar elm grove grove:

With a heavy pack (I didn’t want to run out of fluids) and a calve with a dozen cactus thorns poking in the skin, I headed off the ranch.  I was unable to pull out all of the nearly invisible thorns, and in doing so, got one stuck in my finger.  That finger prick irritated me for a few miles.  Occasionally a breeze would blow, not a cool breeze, but at this point, any breeze was a good breeze.  My body temperature the first 4 or so miles fluctuated between .5 and 1.5 above normal.  I didn’t feel like someone was holding torches to my calves, but my breathing was labored, the air felt thick.  Grasshoppers were out in lesser numbers, though occasionally one would thump into my chest.

Texas country:

Hmmm.  I wonder the story behind this:

About mile 6, I knew it was time to to take out my handkerchief which I had filled with ice.  Running blogger Rachel (Running Girl Hits the Trails) had commented on my blog once that she wears a handkerchief filled with ice around her neck to cool down on hot runs.  I thought I’d try the ice thing as a multi-purpose trick.  I wore the hanky tied around my neck so that the ice that remained wouldn’t fall out.  And then once it melted completely, I took the now cool drenched hanky and put it over my head.  The plan worked beautifully, cooling me down between .3 to .5 above normal body temperature. 

Eventually, another breeze came and completely dried out my hanky.  Not good.  I didn’t want to waste water to re-wet, so I kept on running, neglecting to take my temperature for a while. 

The sun bared down hard, and I was starting to really suffer from the heat.  I felt heavy.  I felt hot.  I felt drained of all energy.

Ice-filled handkerchief around neck, thermometer in pack pocket, time for a sports drink:

Delicious shade:

Suffering, but still happily, I go off road for some shade in dry riverbed:

By mile 9, I remembered to take my temperature and it was 2.5 above normal!  I felt completely exhausted, heat exhausted and worked at cooling myself down.  I knew that I was running short on fluids, but kept on drinking.  I ate a few salty nuts.  I walked some.  But there was very, very little shade available. Unfortunately, I had to use some of my water to wet down the handkerchief.  I took a gamble, a good gamble.   I was able to get my temperature down between .5 and 1.5 above normal after that.  Still, I never felt the same.  I opened up the second sports drink well before making the cemetery.  I dreamt about the cemetery and couldn’t get there fast enough – it had shade, and a spot to sit!

One of the many varieties of grasshoppers:

I really could have collapsed at the cemetery.  Sitting at the edge of the Benson family plot, I finished up my sports drink, ate my apple, then phoned my husband.  “I’m going to stay here until I cool down, so expect me a little late.”  He offered to pick me up, but I declined, thinking I would cool down and had just enough water to run the approximate remaining two miles.

Resting in cemetery: 

I shut the cemetery gate and took to the county road with little confidence.  Probably .75 miles in, I completely ran out of water.  That’s when I knew it was time.  I WAS DONE.  I put in a call to hubby and he picked me up in an air-conditioned car with nice cold water waiting.  Upon returning to the ranch, it was 95F in the shade (35C), so it could have 100F (38C) or more on parts of my run since I found little shade. 

Miles logged today:  12.88 (20.73 km)

5:00 PM, I’m finally feeling good. 

ps.  At this point, I am seriously reconsidering my desire to run Bulldog this year.

Country Run / Heat Training Part 2

To begin, I would like to let it be known that I prefer “psycho” over “crazy.”

Having settled that, Friday I put in 2 hours at the gym in town.  It was delightful, though I couldn’t quite figure out some of the weight machines.  They are all drastically different than my gym’s back home.  The hamstring machine here felt just plain ole’ wrong to me (I’m sure I was using it incorrectly.) 

Saturday morning, I woke with terrible pain in my left knee (after much thought, I believe weight training day prior was the culprit.)  We drove all over town in search of a foam roller.  Even the sporting goods store had no idea what I was talking about, which surprised me, since Stephenville is a college town, and there’s lots of athletes here.  Well, I resorted to a canister of tennis balls and a knee brace.  Wore the brace all day, did all my floor exercises, ab work, then rolled on a tennis ball.  OUCH.  OUCH.  OUCH.  The knee pain almost instantly disappeared. 

I didn’t get out the door for my HEAT TRAINING TAKE 2 today until 7:30 AM, and it was already 85 F (29.4C).  Having filled my pack to the brim with half ice and half water, I carried with me two cold bottles of Gatorade, which after running the front pasture of the Miertschin ranch, set them down before the gate I would exit on my way off the ranch.  Then I commenced to put in a couple miles running the pastures and various trails on my in-laws’ property.  Hard miles.  The ice in my pack seemed to melt right away.

From the front pasture, I ran to my favorite cedar elm grove.  There in the shade stood the burro that our children have named Dunkus.  As soon as I got my camera out, he was gone.

Grasshoppers jumped all about me as I ran into the next pasture.  They mainly crashed into my legs.  But the bigger bizarre creatures, they sometimes smacked into my chest which was needless to say, alarming.  The worst of the grasshopper attack was when one would crash into my palm, and then flutter there for a second against my skin before flying away.

My concern wasn’t grasshoppers so much as rattlesnakes and ticks.  Wasps were a problem too, but I can take them pretty well.  Sure, I don’t want to get stung.  But I’ve been stung by a wasp before, and I can handle it.  Ticks – they just plain ole’ gross me out.  And rattlesnakes, well, I don’t consider them a problem at home, but here where the grass is tall and there is no trail, my fear was a rattler seeing me before I saw him!

Cedar elm grove

Some semi-trail running

Then the grass got to be waist high.  I couldn’t see the ground, which made for a difficult run, unable to see the ruts and rocks and such.  With that heat bearing down, I couldn’t wait to get off the ranch and out onto the country roads.  I noticed vultures flying above as I ran along the scorching-hot fence line.  By the time I made the bone-dry creek bed, I felt relief because of the shade it offered.  But the run was so difficult through this portion and I was growing warmer and warmer, that I began to grow nauseated.  Just calm down, I told myself, take it slowly and get the heck out of this hard stuff.  One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other . . .  

Running through tall grass

Creekbed

Finally, after an entire hour of running, I approached the gate to the front pasture.  I picked up my 2 bottles of Gatorade, put one in my backpack.  The other, I opened and began drinking as I ran along the pasture’s front fence line, grasshoppers slapping at my legs.  Even with the scorching heat I couldn’t have been happier to meet the country road, the land of little shade.  Once I hit that country road, a breeze came in.  I felt good.  So far, my body temperature had only fluctuated .5 degrees. 

The remainder of this run (about 9 miles / 14.48 km) was pure scorching heat.  When I’d see a cluster of trees in the distance, I ran toward it with the feeling that I was going to pick me up a pot of gold.  By now my body temperature had increased by one degree.  Drinking and running through the shade, quickly brought it down, but not down to normal, just about .2 to .5 above normal.

I draped the handkerchief over my head, but only wet it down once.  I just couldn’t waste my water after that.  I fought against the urge to conserve fluids and continued drinking little amounts frequently.  Believe it or not, for a good while during this HOT run I was having fun despite the torture.  It felt great to work against the heat AND CONQUER IT.

My feet felt particularly hot.  I felt an urge to tear off my socks.  But what felt hottest were my calves.  It felt like someone was holding torches just inches away from them as I ran.  Running in pants, I actually felt would have been better today. 

I wasn’t exactly sure on my water supply because my pack was heavy with the sports drink and a giant apple.  Ten miles, I told myself, when you reach ten miles, you can have the other Gatorade.  But at 9 1/2 miles, my body temperature had increased 1.5 over normal.  What’s a half a mile?  So I opened up the drink and ran it on in slowly, very slowly to the old cemetery where I could see its shady trees at least a mile away.

One of the few places where I exclaimed, “Shade ahead!”

Posing on bridge over dry riverbed.

I rested in the cemetery, walking about sort of melancholy over the youth buried there.  Then I sat at the age of the Benson Family plot and ate my apple and finished off my sports drink.  While sitting there, I noticed the distinct smell of men’s cologne.  It was faint, but didn’t fade my entire stay.  I thought to myself the following scenarios to explain the cologne: 

1.  A nearby plant smells like men’s cologne.

2.  Someone wearing this cologne had just recently visited the cemetery.

3. Theodore Benson, the patriarch of this family plot who was buried in 1912, had come from beyond to see who was sitting on the edge of his family plot! (No disrespect intended). 

After relishing my apple, I walked up to Theodore’s grave and noticed a handful of change, mainly quarters, some newish, others old and tarnished in a pile on top of his gravestone.  He had also a wife buried next to him who outlived him by twenty-six years.  And they had 3 sons, 1 daughter all living into adulthood (but not old-age), except 1 son who lived only 11 months.. 

Pink Lady, my favorite apple.

Acknowledging one of the many children buried here, Bennett Sageser (7 years old)

My temperature returned to normal, I took off running again for the last 1.75 miles or so.  With very little shade, I was quite fatigued.  My body temperature though remained only about a 1/2 degree higher than normal.  With about .75 of a mile remaining, I ran out of all fluids.  At one point, I abruptly stopped beneath the sun that seemed to be concentrating on only me, and I walked half a dozen steps.  Then I picked it up again, and slowly ran it on in finishing off just under 12 miles (19.31 km). 

The temperature (in the shade) upon my return

Miles run today:  11.75

Elevation Profile:  +935/-969

Heat Training Begins

We did not travel to Texas for heat training.  We came out to visit family.  But just simply standing, or sitting outdoors, I breakout in a sweat it’s so dang hot out here.  When I wake at about 7:00 AM, it’s already over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27C). By late morning, it’s triple digits until about 8 PM.  Then it’s in the 90’s for the rest of the night.  See.  Perfect for heat training.

I know for many runners that running in 83 degree weather is not much.  But for me, a heat sensitive gal who runs mainly in the coastal hills of California, heat is a big problem.  I never begin a run in 80 plus degree temperatures back home, and one with little shade at that.

I took it nice and easy today, running through the ranch fields first.  Thousands, I mean literally thousands of grasshoppers flew and hopped out of my way as I made through the grass and virtually everywhere else that I ran.  There were little ones, yellow ones, brown and red-striped ones, giant brown ones.  And they’d fly into my legs, sometimes my arms.  And when the big ones hit my hand, I’d have a little “freak-out” moment.  The big grasshoppers were about four inches, the smallest about an inch.  A truly amazing sight.  The only way to avoid the critters was to run directly in the middle of the country roads.  (Which I did not do often)

Heading off the ranch 

I started off slow and ended slow today (slower than usual).  I also carried a thermometer and took my temperature regularly.  Through out the 8 miles, my temperature increased a maximum of 1 degree, but only for a short while.  It mainly increased from .2 to .5 degrees in this heat.  And I was able to quickly bring it back down by drinking fluids.  I also noticed that my temp came down quickly when I ran through shade.  I plan to take my temperature regularly as I train in the heat while I’m here.  I’m not sure what I’ll discover.  Mainly, I just want to be aware of my body and know what if feels like when its overheating so I don’t do a repeat of my little heat exhaustion drop out from Bulldog last year.

Pretty flowers everywhere, even though this part of Texas is in a terrible drought.

The beautiful lonely roads of Texas countryside

One of the large grasshoppers

A quick pose before acres upon acres of fields, no people, no cars, no other sounds except my feet hitting the ground.

A stop at an old cemetery

8.02 miles (12.9 km) run today.  I drank my entire 64 fluid ounces of water and one small bottle of gatorade – this amount of fluids is unheard of for me back home for this distance of a run.  I barely drink this much on a 15 mile run back home.

Back at the ranch, I was giddy that I got in my first heat training run.  Then I crashed hard and fell asleep before heading off to the water park in town. 

My Bright Idea

Today (Tuesday), I left California, and being that I’m not a big fan of flying, I’m always coming up with ideas to help me sleep during the flight.  My hope is that I will sleep the entire flight and wake up upon landing.  (ha, ha!).

So I stayed up way, way past my bedtime, a little past 11:30 pm, and I woke at 5:00 AM.  Then I went for a road run.  I didn’t have time to put in miles on the trail, otherwise, I surely would have been asleep on this flight instead of writing this blog.

I was on the road in my local resort town at 6:00 AM.  The skies were very cloudy and absolutely empty.  Even the harbor, except for the one jammed packed fishing boat was dead.  I think people are catching onto June Gloom – no rush getting to this resort town. 

Backyard photo as I lace up shoes:

Dana Point Wharf

Marina

I didn’t put in many miles, thought that doesn’t mean I didn’t work up a sweat.  I remember when this exact route through the campgrounds, Doheny Beach and the wharf used to be my long run.

Though my lids are heavy, I still haven’t slept a wink on this flight.

Looking forward to some out of state running.

Miles run today: 5.77

So, so, so didn’t want to go!

Being that I will be travelling soon, I jumped out of bed at 6:00 AM, dug through my overfilled drawers for some running gear in a pitch black bedroom (we have “black-out” shades).  I ended up pulling out a tank that I never wear.  Then I sat on the couch and drank two cups of coffee, so much NOT wanting to the hit the trails this morning.  I just didn’t have the energy.  At the same time though, I knew this would probably be one of my last runs in California for a while.  And so I got into the truck at 6:45 AM and headed for Aliso/Wood Canyons.

The lot was full when I arrived, the street curb also filled with parked cars, all with adventurers unloading their mountain bikes. 

Fake smile before heading off onto Aliso Creek Trail

I really felt horrible to start.  Not sick, not necessarily sleepy, just tired.  But I kept on plugging away because I KNEW eventually, I would begin to feel better about this run and end up LOVING IT.  Really, I knew that.

Just before turning onto Meadows Trail four mountain bikers raced onto the trail.  I thought to myself, dang it – they’re probably gonna ride to the top and turn around to fly back down.  That meant I had to catch them!  Drag.

Entering Meadows Trail

The four bikers were long gone as I made my way on the rolling part of Meadows.  As I began the climb, I could see that they were a good half way up to the top.  Several other bikers made their way down Meadows at high speeds.  And that’s when I thought to myself, Sh*t!  I just remembered that last night as I lay down to sleep I had decided to go up Mathis instead of Meadows.  I know I sometimes say Mathis is harder.  And many times I’ve claimed that Meadows is the hardest way up.  To tell you the truth – it depends on my mood.  Meadows is a switchback, which I prefer mentally.  It is also mainly a single track, which I love.  But the grade is greater than Mathis and the climb is longer.  Mathis on the the other hand, obviously is shorter, and it levels off in places, and even has a few little downhills.  But it’s no single track and there’s no switchback about it.  Still about a quarter of the way up Meadows I wanted Mathis.

About here I began to feel better (I came from left through Aliso Canyon).

About here, climbing even higher, I felt good!

I finally caught the bikers at the top of Meadows.  We all stopped at the kiosk to adjust, drink up etc.  I took those dang long sleeves off.  And eavesdropping on one of the bikers telling his friends of a trail he would take them on in Stockholm, I had to laugh to myself when he said the trail was “flat.”  I couldn’t help think of my running buddy (I won’t mention any names!) who brought me on many “flat” trails.  LOL.  I added my two cents to the bikers, “I wouldn’t trust the word ‘flat’, it’s more a relative word.”  They laughed.  One of them particularly nervously. 

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, finally feeling GREAT, despite the fact that it appears that Meadows chewed me up and spit me out.  Perhaps it did.  If so, that was just what I needed:

I am so glad that I made it out to run trails this morning.  Bunnies were out in abundance.  No snakes, though as soon as it warmed up, they probably devoured some of those cute bunnies. 

I ran all the way in feeling strong, and happily waved to the ranger I spoke with before taking off on my run this morning.  I think she’s beginning to recognize me. 

Miles Run this morning:  11.73

Flashback Friday

 

I’m guessing 1977 / 1978