The “Big” Big Loop

June 5, I still choose to hike locally, especially since I’d rather sleep in a tad, til about 7 am, then sit around drinking my two cups of coffee with stevia and heavy whipping cream. Of course that gets prolonged because I need to pack my stuff and do a walkabout on my property to look at things like the blackberries and wildflower seeds planted beneath the Orange tree. By the time I head out, it’s already at least 10 am!

June 5 was hazy and gloomy and even rainy in the early morning. We call that June gloom on the coast in southern California. It’s this way every year. Sometimes it seems we barely see a day of sunshine in June. It rained, in fact, the day I gave birth to my oldest son, more than 20 years ago, June 3, 1999.

June 5, 2020, I decided to go for The Big Loop, V. 2, as I have often called it, which is a longer extension of The Big Loop. I parked in the church lot across the street because the parking lot at Aliso/Woods ranger station was closed (although the park was open). That didn’t seem so odd to me since we live in weird times right now, and parking lots are constantly being closed. Then as I was climbing out of my truck, at least 50 motorcycle policemen (& women too, I’m sure)  road down the road toward the boulevard. And that’s when I suddenly heard the shouts and cheering from afar. And amazingly, from my viewpoint, I could see protestors out near the federal building in Aliso Viejo. There have been protests daily in my area. All have been peaceful, so I was not necessarily alarmed. But the event felt a little surreal.

The Big Loop (the first version), is actually a lollipop loop, going up Cholla Trail, going down Meadows (or vice-versa), just under 12 miles. The Big Loop, V. 2, on the other hand, is just under 13 miles, replacing Meadows above with Mentally Sensitive Trail. Of late, I’ve been calling V. 2, the “Big” Big Loop. I think I like that name better. But that’s neither here nor there. What’s is here and there is this (despite all the depressing news out there – in the U.S. and even in the world, you know what I mean):

Spring is still out there on the southern California coast!

And this:

The forest is spooky and awesome

And this:

The California Riviera

 

 

Big Loop Solitude

Starting off June with much needed time on trails. June 2nd, I was out once again on The Big Loop @ Aliso/Woods (plus some little detours): 12.41 miles, 1,404' elevation gain. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I nearly burst into tears a few times so happy was I to be on the trails. I got a cool breeze on the ridge and lots of spring flowers. The second best part: he crowds have thinned. Solitude has once again returned on The Big Loop

The Big Loop:

Aliso Cyn – Wood Cyn – Cholla Trail – West Ridge – Top of the World – Meadows – Wood Cyn – Aliso Cyn

 

 

Un-named trail off of West Ridge

Another trail off of West Ridge, I believe it’s called Canyon Acres

Movement

May 27, 2020, it was Thursday last week that I set out pretty late in the morning for local trails once again. FINALLY. What a glorious day for a person stricken with wanderlust. The Shelter-in-Place has certainly accentuated something that I already knew. And that is: “getting out” is important. I like movement. I like scenery passing by and ground moving beneath my feet. I’ve often called it my medicine, but it’s also sort of an addiction.

There are some people who are “home bodies” and I know and love many of them. My father is a home body – he is perfectly content staying home most of the time. My husband too is a home body, and so are many other people that I know. That’s not to say that they don’t like to get out and travel – they do. But home bodies like to spend most of their time at home.  I am not a home body. Don’t get me wrong.  I love to be home. I enjoy being home. But overall, I am more content planning for an adventure (a mild adventure, nothing too wild!). What it really comes down to though is movement, on putting miles beneath my feet.

So, on Thursday, I tied a face mask on my pack and paid $3 to park at the Aliso/Woods Cyns parking lot. The crowds have thinned out now that restrictions have been lifted. I barely saw a dozen people the entire trip. It was a warm day and a tough hike for me. I wasn’t quite up for 10+ miles, but I gleefully did it and enjoyed the muscle fatigue the next day.

All this time away from the trails and I did not miss all the spring flowers. There’s still flowers throughout the canyons as we come closer to summer. I recall we got lots of rain at the beginning of Shelter-in-Place. In fact, it was pouring rain on the last day I worked on campus. Anyway, I digress. It was a gorgeous spring day in Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach, California last Thursday (thanks to all that rain in March, April and even May!)

Cave Rock

Aliso Cyn – Wood Cyn – Cholla Trail – West Ridge – Mathis – Wood Cyn – Cave Rock – Wood Cyn – Aliso Cyn

10.64 miles, 1,209’ elevation gain

Looking Forward to Getting My Act Together (Dirty Paws Virtual Run & Other COVID19 Shelter-in-Place Stuff)

Spring semester officially ended for me yesterday (Sunday, May 24). I have submitted all my grades. All "paperwork" has been completed. It is finished. Which means of course, it's now once again time to get my act together. Not that I've fallen totally apart during this COVID19 shelter-in-place era of our lives. I got my plank up to two minutes (though it has been a week since I've done a plank). I began doing burpees out on the back lawn with my husband and sons (though it's been three days -- Doh! This is what I mean by get my act together! I'm not consistent.)  

Now that Billy Goat 1/2 Marathon is for sure postponed (was planned for June), I've got a little more time on my hands. I have time to continue running with my graduating high school senior. He is trying to increase his speed on the same two mile route that we take through the neighborhood -- a one mile loop with Pacific Ocean views that we reverse at the house. My son is more consistent than I. He runs this two mile loop daily, resting only Sundays. This of course means that he easily "laps" me. I on the other hand, take a couple of days off here and there to work on the plantar fasciitis. But I do occasionally get in longer runs -- my longest this month, 5 miles, an out-and-back out my front door and down the coast.  

Also, on the COVID19 front, being the multi-tasker that I am (chronic, my multi-tasking is sometimes so bad, it's debilitating), I decided to take along my dog Millie and registered for a DirtyFeet Race, Dirty Paws Virtual Race (the 5k). Millie's a squeamish girl and she'll bite you if you try to trim her nails. I thought running her on the sidewalk might file down her nails (no such luck!). Anyway, even if I didn't get those nails filed down, it was time to bond with Millie. I never did because I was so heartbroken over the loss of Daisy, the dog-love of my life. Millie has always been the kids' dog. I half expected that she wouldn't have me because of this. 

What a delight it was to take Millie out on her first few runs. She seemed thrilled, wagging her tail the entire way. She didn't seem to tire, and I did very little coercing. I had trouble at one corner where she is used to turning after years of walks with the boys. Other than that, she was a good girl. I also dropped her off after the first mile and did the second lap solo. She's a little dog, and also not so young anymore (kind of like myself!). 

About the third or 4th run, Millie seemed hesitant. After that she grew even more hesitant. She didn't whine, she didn't act like she was in any pain. All off a sudden she would just sit and refuse to go. I had to pick her up a few times and walk with her in my arms. The last run I ended up cutting her portion short by running her back after only about a 1/4 mile. I haven't been out since. But as I mentioned, school is out for summer (and I'm only teaching one online class), so I have more time to get my act together. First, I am going to stay in on this Memorial Day, the day thousands journey to my town for waves and barbecues. Then after the Memorial Day crowds go home I will get out and put some more lovely miles on my feet. Our beaches are now open in the OC, but face masks are required in public when you cannot keep 6 feet distance. Once those crowds are gone (or at least thinned) I'll get back out there. And once it starts to heat up, the crowds in the coastal hills and mountains will thin out too. YOU WILL SEE ME THERE.

Look for more news on Billy Goat 1/2 Marathon. If all goes well with the state's re-opening phases, we'll be able to have this race in October. Live sports events are Phase 4, which is the last category to re-open. I've heard estimates of August. That sounds good to me. 

Pics from my 5 mile run down the coast:

My Friday Hike when "They" Closed OC Beaches (5/1/20)

About a month into Shelter-In-Place (#COVID19) I began experiencing some arch pain, first in my right foot, then in my left. I ignored it at first. Why? Because I'm 55 years old and I suppose I'm bound to have some aches and pains. Besides that, ever since Shelter-In-Place, I'm not really paying too much attention to taking of myself. After some persistence, I finally decided to "Google" arch pain because that has never really been my pain (I'm more a heal, hip, knee or nerves near toes pain sort of girl). Well, as soon as I saw Plantar Fasciitis pop up at the top of the list of arch pain, I knew. Plantar Fasciitis is my nemesis. It is the chronic injury that I have suffered most in my trail adventures. For the longest time I thought that ear infections would be the death of me -- big problems as a kid, and even into adulthood, especially during my swimming years. But now I have changed my mind . . . it will be Plantar Fasciitis!! Like I said, as soon as I saw Plantar Fasciitis at the top of the list of arch pain, I knew. I don't know why this condition didn't manifest in heel pain this time. Anyway, this pain has been quite painful, and the condition eventually overcame my left foot as well.

Just before my realization that my nemesis was back, I had planned a nice long beach hike out my front door for Friday, May 1 I figured with all the beach parking lots closed I could set out for quite a few lonely miles along the coast, keeping all social distancing guidelines intact. I thought that I might record a "Friday Hike" video -- I had never done one for my hometown. Then the night before I read reports that the Governor of California closed all beaches. I didn't think much of the order until the next morning when it was clarified. The clarification: Only Orange County (my county) beaches were closed. 

I think that I've had just too much inside time. Don't get me wrong. I love it at home. All things are getting cleaned. I get to spend time with my family and I'm getting everything organized. But something just snapped in me that Friday morning after realizing that my county's beaches had been singled out for closure. This is my neighborhood. The beach is about a quarter mile away. I can't drive to my trails for a mountain hike or even one in the coastal hills. And now, I can't even walk along the coast in my home town. I was not pleased. And so, I took a hike anyway, a nice long one.

First, I walked down to Doheny State Beach which was shut up tight with law enforcement blocking the entrances. Eventually after taking on a bit of the jetty, then the marina and island, I ended up at the Marine Institute. From there, I took a hike that I haven't taken in about 7 years -- a hike around The Headlands. What a beautiful spot of beach right here in my home town. There's tunnels and rock climbing and a secluded private beach. Very, very easy to social distance here. In all, I did 8.5 miles on this Friday hike. I also did some Facebook Live video during the portion around the Headlands and connected some of those clips with some video I took on the way down PCH to document my crime of civil disobedience (Here). In all, I did find some beach (Marine Institute and Dana Strands) and had a lovely Friday hike. 

It was great to get out for something longish. I miss wandering.

Ps. I didn't come within 6 feet of another single person (and it was actually probably more like 20')

It's Been That Long

My middle son (the oldest still at home) took up running a few weeks into this shelter-in-place. He runs a couple of miles around the neighborhood and every day had been asking me if I wanted to run. I declined. So depressing. How many years have I asked my children to run with me? I have lots of hikes, but runs with my boys, not so much. Anyway, it is so difficult to run when I feel so utterly out of shape running-wise. Heck, I don't even feel confident about a hike nowadays. It's been that long!

This is not to say that I'm not tending to lots of things that need tending to (like organizing my office, books, and such, not to mention the tender loving ongoing deep cleaning of the house). Keeping myself physically fit though is something that has flown out the window during COVID19. And I'm not eating that healthy either (though I am fasting 18 hours a day, so at least that's something). I'm not saying that I'm a couch potato. I'm down on my hands and knees weeding our gardens. I've been working upper body cleaning walls, windows and floors. Overall, I'm keeping myself rather busy. But my strength sucks and I have no running stamina. So, back to my middle son, who has been bugging me for weeks to get back into it. He convinced me to do a daily plank, increasing 5 seconds each day. I'm up to 65 seconds, and though I hate this part of my new daily routine, it's not as miserable as it was on the first day (which I believe was 30 seconds and I wailed like a baby!) I can't remember the last time that I worked on my core. Oh, I have neglected so many things!

Somehow, my middle son has convinced me to get back to a little bit of running, miserable though it is right now (he just never gave up asking). I so much hate starting over. So, the miles are short, but they are nearly daily. I put it off to the very last moment of the morning before I absolutely must get to work. I always go out too fast because I just want to get it over with. A half mile later I suffer on an incline because of it, and then I go out too fast again on the next run, not even looking forward to the absolute wonderful feeling that comes with a run's completion. I know all this. (My son has been trying to convince me the benefits, about how great it makes you feel. I know, I know all that. It's not an instant thing though son, and I'm tired. I'm finally just plain ole tired!)

But not that tired. It's just been a while and I needed some pushing. I have much gratitude for my middle son in getting me out the door for these 2 mile runs around the neighborhood. The views are pretty good, even on these gray and dreary days, and the company's not bad either (though he pretty much leaves me in the dust). 😄