Snake Run

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!

The Easter Bunny has ALREADY Arrived!

Okay, now I'm totally screwed (excuse my language).  The day that I commit, once again, to get on the straight and narrow with my dietary intake (so that I can be healthier, plus drop some pounds) happens to be the day that Easter candy hits the shelves.  Oh the humanity!  What is going on the in the world????

I am a candy fiend.  Easter candy is my favorite candy.  Nothing compares in my mind. 

But Valentines hasn’t even arrived yet.  Yup.  That’s right.  The aisles have both Valentines and Easter Candy. 

I like to know how candy got associated with Easter anyway.

I already had set Saturday (tomorrow), the day before my long run to get my diet straight.  So today, after an Italian birthday dinner (my son’s and mine – his birthday is today, mine in a few days), I bought a whole bag of Easter candy. 

I won’t say what happened next.  But it wasn’t pretty.

So, if dropping some pounds and eating a healthier diet is so important, why haven’t I done it?  I have to answer, sadly, that it must not be that important.  If it was, I would do it. 

In my defense (yes, one of my excuses) is my work schedule.  I leave for work well before dinner and arrive home after dinner time, starved.  But I should count my blessings.  I love my job.  It’s actually too good to be true (just need a tad more hours).  So, I refuse to blame my job.  I have to blame myself!

I’ll just close my eyes when I walk past the candy aisle.  And I’ll take it day by day.  And because 90% of the day my want to get healthier is not that important, I believe I must resolve again to record calories.  And I will drink more water, especially when I first get home from work (so that I don’t clean out the fridge : ) and I will celebrate Easter (when it finally arrives) happily without loads of sugar.

Happy Easter Valentines Day.

So, SO, SO, SO Close (but yet so far)

Today I ran my 9.5 mile timed loop.  The race against myself.  To recap:  this is the loop --

To additionally recap, my goal is two hours.  My best time before today was 2 hours 11 minutes.  In order to make goal, I figure I gotta make it to the top of Meadows Trail in ONE hour.  That’s at about the 5 mile mark on the elevation graph above.   Last week, I made the top of Meadows in 1 hour, 7 minutes.

I wasn’t sure how to improve getting to the top of Meadows.  Do I run like heck to the base, therefore tiring myself beforehand? Or do I conserve energy a bit so that I have more energy running up the beast?

I decided, run my a** off and try to make time on the easy parts.  I will say, that I got off to a slow start.  Needed to make a pit stop.  Then I had to retie both shoes, since I tied them too tight originally. 

I made great time on Wood Canyon.  By the time I reached Meadows’ climb, I was dead-dog-tired, and about a quarter of the way up, I started with that nasty negative talk.  “I’ll never do it!  I can’t, I can’t, I can’t . . . “

With that kind of talk, I’m surprised that I made it to the top of Meadows Trail three minutes faster than last week!

I ran across the Top of the World (most of it paved) a little sluggish, speeding up on the flat and downhill portions.  When I entered the park again at West Ridge Trail, my motto was “Run like the Wind, Bullseye!”

To my utter surprise, I made the outhouse at the bottom of Canyon Vistas Park in two hours!  With one tiny little hill to go, I told myself, just do it in FIVE minutes.  You can do it in FIVE MINUTES!!!  Thing was, I felt like falling flat on my face.  I had really run myself into the ground this time. 

But I was so close to smashing my record by several minutes.  Ends up I made my best time in this race against myself with 2 hours, 4 minutes.  I really couldn’t hope for anything better than a 7 minute improvement from last week.  I’m shocked.

The pressure’s on . . .

Now to spice things up a bit – I had such a blast looking through old team pictures last week, that I thought I’d post another one (30+ years old – not me, the picture, I’m much older)

Another blast from the past.  This is one of the several softball teams that I played for in my youth.  The Flintstones from 1980, the Bobbi Sox league.  I played in two leagues, the other was Little Miss, where we wore those skirt-like shorts and no sliding allowed, stealing home, or even leading-off.  Bobbi Sox was tough – sliding allowed, leading off and stealing home too!  I slid maybe once.  And I don’t recall ever being asked to steal a base (I was too slow : )  My Dad is in the picture too, and I was so, so young, but I’m sure with that youth, I could have never run today’s loop anywhere close to 2 hours 4 minutes!

Thanks for reading.

Loop Girl

Today was one of those days that I didn’t feel like running.  The skies were cool and gray.  It even drizzled here and there in the morning.  But I forced myself to the trails.  I forced myself because I want to be able to run when I feel like running.  Do you know what I mean?

Lately, I’ve changed my runs to include: 1) what I call my lackadaisical run, where I can run where I want, as fast as I want (or as slow as I want), take as many pictures as I want and just kind of escape into dreamland while running 2) a fast timed loop (9.5 miles), and 3) my long run.  Three days I reserve for cross and weight training.  And one day I rest.  (That’s the plan anyway.  Sometimes two days I rest.)

Today was my lackadaisical run.  I had planned for an out-and-back through Wood Canyon.  But you know what?  I hate out-and-backs.  There.  I said it!They bore me.  I’m a loop girl.   I love running loops (not track and field loops), but trail loops.  They don’t have to be elliptical in shape.  Simply start and beginning in the same location, a trail loop only has a different route out than it does back.

So I switched gears this morning.  I didn’t plan any route, except for the fact that I wanted some kind of loop.  Instead, I just ran one magical loop in dreamland, including some of my favorite lower trails in Aliso/Wood Canyons, like Cave Rock, Dripping Cave, Oak Grove and Mathis.  Then I sped it up just a bit, because I felt strong to return via Wood Canyon Trail. 

Miles logged:  7.15

Cave Rock Trail (on my way to THE rock)

Posing on Cave Rock (THE rock.)

Inside Dripping Cave (AKA Robbers Cave)

Some Scenery Along Dripping Cave Trail

Finishing Up Dripping Cave Trail

Poison Oak (it’s so pretty and green – trickery!)

Moss Covered Boulders on Oak Grove Trail

Big Baz Winter Trail Series / 18k

I arrived to Blue Jay Campground, bundled up, an hour before today’s Big Baz’s WTS race.  After picking up my bib, I chatted briefly with a some runners I know, others that I don’t know.  Then I stood in the outhouse line.  Noticing one of the doors slightly ajar, I opened it to witness a woman stand up from the pot and lurch forward toward the door.  Apologizing profusely, I decided to go for a walk to warm these old bones and find an outhouse far, far away.

The wind blew strong.  I noticed almost all the runners arriving were bundled up or dressed in cold weather running attire.  Finally I found my nice and secluded outhouse about a half mile away.  It was clean, lonely.  Without being too personal, I just have to relay what happened.  It wasn’t another female runner who pulled the door wide open.  No, he was a big, burley, lumberjack type who flung my outhouse door open.  LOL.  I knew not to stand up like that runner had when I did the same thing to her.  She provided a full frontal shot by doing so.  Instead, I let out a little scream, then looking down noticed that I was fully covered by my coat.  He slammed the door and I laughed out loud, exclaiming, “I thought I had locked it."

Those were my exciting pre-race events this morning.  Oh one more thing.  One runner proposed to his girlfriend in front of the pre-race crowd.  That was cute.

Eager to Start 

Sheila & her husband Marcus

Me & Sheila

Girl accepts ring after proposal as Baz stands off to side

I got rid of the warm clothes before the race started.  I knew only a matter of minutes would pass before I wished that I left them behind.  I certainly didn’t want to deal with tugging off the shirt during the race.  My plan was to really race.  I mean – run as fast as I could, only hiking in the extreme cases, and hiking FAST.

Turns out, that’s just what I did.  Wait.  The first thing I did, or didn’t do, was start the garmin.  I believe we were about a half mile in, maybe less when I finally started it.  Heck with that, I felt strong.  I jumped over gulleys and up onto boulders.  I eyed the ground suspiciously for anything that would send my flying.  I flew down the descents, but I never fell. 

For miles, I tried to catch a woman ahead of me.  She ran in sweats and long sleeves.  “She’s got to burning up,” I thought.  I gained on her some.  I don’t know if she knew that I had targeted her.  She wasn’t looking over her shoulder.  But then suddenly, she wiped out.  She didn’t just fall, she FELL, landing sprawled out on her back.  I screamed (for the second time today).  “Oh my gosh.  Are you all right???”  I ran up and hovering over her asked if she was alright, did she need help up?

“Not right now,” she said.  She wanted to sit there and recover.  She was kind of half sitting in the gulley, her eyes clear, but dazed.  I knew the feeling.  Oh, how I knew the feeling.   And I knew the annoyed look she gave me too. 

“Do you want me to leave?” I asked. 

“Yes,” she responded, waving me on.

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, I just need to sit here.”

And so I took off, feeling a bit badly.  When my friend came up behind me some time later, I asked if that lady had gotten up.  I was relieved to find out that she had.  And I continued my strong run up and down hills.  And those steep inclines that I decided that I would make better time hiking, I hiked faster than I can ever remember hiking.  I kept those arms pumping, trying to catch the next lady up a ways.  Approaching her inch by inch, probably twenty feet separated us when she put her hands on her hips.  That’s when I knew my time had come to pass (ask me later about hands on hips, it’s against my rules : ) 

I really can’t remember running a stronger trail race than today.  It was a beautiful day in the forest.  And I have to say, that speed training and those timed loops have done some good.

Before I knew it, I was running pavement.  I was actually shocked that the race was almost over.  Fun, fun day.

After stretching, I hung out for a bit of the post race show (Big Baz’s raffle).  On my way out to the car, I was happy to see the woman who fell, running up the road toward the finish line.  She thanked me for stopping.  And I was oh so happy she said that. 

Runners stand around after race 

Elevation Profile (a bit short, because I forgot to turn it on at the start), plus don’t forget to scroll down for the movie.

Oh, What Fun!

Blast From The Past

I feel kind of free since my big race of the year is done in January.  Now, it's like I can do whatever I want.  I'm trying out Big Baz's Winter Trail Series now.  The next one is this weekend.  I altered my workout schedule a bit, so as to rest before the race.  And instead of Monday being my regular "rest" day, Friday is “rest” day this week.  Monday became gym day (elliptical and strength training).  Then I ran early in the week, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Today, Thursday, I had the joy of swimming.  After some strength training at the gym I swam 2200 yards (2011.68 m or 1.25 miles).   I feel great.  My skin is tight, my eyes a little droopy.  I really like my swim days.  Don't do them often enough.

Motivated by Johann's “Throwback Thursday,” here's a picture way back when I used to swim more.  High School Swim Team picture from my sophomore yearbook.  Can you figure out which one is me?  Looks like a motley crew if you ask me.

Timed Loop (beat by ONE minute)

The time had come to get out to Aliso / Wood Canyons for my 9.5 mile timed loop.  It’s my “regular” timed loop (regular, as in this is my 4th time), down Wood Canyon, up Meadows Trail (yikes!), across Top of the World to West Ridge, down Cholla Trail and up through Canyon Vistas Park to my car. 

My first timed loop, (early December) I ran it in 2:24.  The next timed loop brought big improvements with 2:12.  After that, I ran it in 2:13.   And then today finally, I beat my time with 2:11. 

With about 1,400 feet elevation gain, I figure the only way I can make this loop in two hours is to make it to the top of Meadows Trail (Top of the World) in one hour.  I thought I had a chance today.  But with so many of the shrubbery washed away, I wasn’t quite sure where I was in the ascent and ended up topping off Meadows in 1:07 (which isn’t too bad).  That wiped me out so much, that  I lost time later, reaching Cholla trail (my last descent) in 121 minutes – one minute later than last week.  But I made up that minute, plus another crossing the imaginary finish line, my clothing and skin crusted in salt.

I was happy that I came in one minute better than my best.  I would have liked more.  I told my husband, it was kind of like losing 1 pound.  You don’t really know if it’s just water weight.  He responded, “It’s better than gaining one pound.” 

That is true . . . that is true.  If I can beat my time by 1 minute every week.  I’ll have that 2 hour goal in 11 weeks.  I can deal with that.  (Now if I could just drop 1 pound also a week for those 11 weeks) 

Top of Meadows Trail (Top of the World) overlooking Laguna Beach and the Pacific Ocean

Elevation Profile

She’s a Two-Timer

That’s right.  I am!  Even though I broke up with the pavement some time ago.  I have been seen running around around with pavement a few times since.  One of them today.  But I have an excuse.  I had little time to run, and with the way my schedule’s working this week, I needed to run today.   To tell you the truth.  I was looking forward to meeting with my old friend pavement.  It’s kind of nice to run straight out the front door.

Firstly, I had to find some road shoes.  The first pair I pulled from the beneath the bed, though the same brand, were both for the left foot (apropos, I thought).  Searching more, I found a right and left shoe (of the same brand again underneath the head of my bed.  (I’d say it’s time to go through the shoes again )

Though I ran pavement today, I took to the inclines, which meant some fast long declines as well.  And I saw some new things, it’s been so long since I’ve run the streets of my seaside town.

I ran over a new walkway above The Strands (a local beach) with these fish mosaics (dozens of them).

And I found new beach access down to The Strands (this once secluded beach now has three delightful access points, all beautifully landscaped.  But what goes down, must come up – I know the saying goes the other way, but with running, I’m always thinking as I run down, yikes, I gotta run back up!)

A View of the The Strands

After running up another set of stairs, I thought I’d investigate the road further, see if I found something else new.  And like a dog, I sniffed out a trail.  Well, kinda a trail.  Yes, it was a trail, more of the headlands trail system that the city has put in.  Notice the fence below that lines the entire trail system to keep runners and hikers in check.  The sight is way to gorgeous to complain.  I just think a more rustic looking fence might have fit better.

This trail meanders around the headlands overlooking the Pacific and comes out at a brand new building, some sort of headlands information building, where I promptly tripped on the pavement where it met the dirt.  I tripped hard too.  I thought surely I was going down.  My body was practically parallel with the earth.

No Worries.  I was able to add one fall to my fall count today nonetheless (LOL).  I came out overlooking the harbor and ran a path and bridge that travels along the cliff.  And while running UPSTAIRS.  Yup.  Upstairs.  I fell.  It was a soft fall.  No harm.  That’s ten to date though (3 for pavement, 7 for trails?).

I’m sure to visit pavement again.  Can you believe how lucky I am?  When probably a third of the country is covered in snow, I stand above in shorts (sweating) overlooking blues skies and the great Pacific.

Miles logged this morning: 6.53 + this afternoon, 1 mile with my son = 7.53

Dana Point Marina below

I Did Not Want To Run

I went to bed early (9PM).  Sleep would not visit.  I know that I saw 10:30 when my youngest yelled from his room, asking for a hug.  He’s only little once, so I walked down the hall, climbed up on his bunk and hugged.  Back in bed, sleep stayed at bay.  I imagined running (LOL) hoping to drift off.

I set my alarm for an early run, but when it rang out at 5 AM, I just could not wake.  The alarm off, I quickly fell back asleep.  I did not want to run.  I did not want to run.  I.  Did.  Not.  Want.  To.  Run.

I finally woke at 7:30.  I sat on the couch, draggy, depressed.  If you haven’t noticed, I did not want to go.  But I knew that I HAD to.  Why?  Because if I didn’t run, I would beat myself up all day and if I did run, I would be oh, so happy afterwards that I did.

My middle boy was awake, watching, Dragon Ball (not Dragon Ball Z, two different shows – I’m liking Dragon Ball better).  I made him breakfast, got ready.  Dragon Ball wasn’t good enough to keep me -- I DRAGGED myself out the door.  I dragged myself out the door for the sake of how I’d feel later.

9:00 AM I finally began my run with the anticipation that it would get better.  I wasn’t in pain.  I was just tired and unmotivated.  The skies were gray.  The air was cool and at times the wind blew pretty good.  It seemed like it blew mostly in my face.  Rain even visited me for a short stint (around mile 8 for about 2 minutes).

Mountain bikers covered Aliso / Woods, all trails, especially Meadows, which some of them flew down.  I didn’t see any bikers riding the uphill.  Hikers were out in droves too.  Groups hiked the high route (West Ridge) and others took the low route (Wood Canyon).  I saw 2 different Boy Scout troops.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the park so crowded.  Probably, Aliso / Wood Canyons got lots of press during the December rains.  Or perhaps, I’ve never run that late there on a Sunday.

The Face of an Unhappy Runner who Dragged herself out there for some Trail Running this Sunday Morning.

Aliso Creek Trail, running up Aliso Creek Canyon about 1/2 mile from Wood Canyon turn off.  Haven’t run Aliso Creek in ages.  Today I did, because I was too lazy to drive to Canyon Vistas Park (a good 10/15 minutes longer drive – woe is me, I could hardly even handle driving this morning)

Onto to Meadows Trail (so deceiving, but it gets ya later, big time : )

Almost to the top of Meadows Trail (I came from the lowest parts in the distance – if you click on picture, you can probably see the trail way far away – about mid photo).

Feeling a Little Better (Relieved to be up Meadows standing at Top of the World)

Happier (nearing the half way point, on my way to West Ridge)

Happiest (All done )

Miles logged:  11.94

Elevation Profile:  +1609 / -1590

My Loop