OCTR December New Member Run / Arroyo Trabuco

No “new” members showed this morning for the OCTR “new member” run.  The founder, Jessica Deline, (& her lovely pup), Sherree, and myself showed for this brisk, cool morning run (might I add, gorgeous as well with blue-skies-and-big-white-puffy-clouds run). 

Jessica lead the way, navigating with her Smart Phone.  We made our way down to Trabuco Arroyo Trail in the foothills of the Saddleback Mountains.  And several creek crossings we made.  Since I knew about the creek crossings ahead of time, I wore an old pair of shoes and tramped right through the water.  It was ice cold, delightfully cool splashing against my legs. Running in wet shoes and socks is something you just have to get used to.  Once you do, you don’t even notice discomfort.  (I just didn’t want to put my newer shoes through the shock : )

Trabuco Arroyo Trail creek crossings:

From Trabuco Arroyo Jessica lead us across the highway up another trail that I’ve never run.  She showed us the elevation profile (on her phone) that we’d run so far and it was hard to believe we had already climbed so much.  Sherree laughed and exclaimed, “That’s our elevation profile!!!  I thought that was the stock market!” 

The views of Saddleback Mountains were crystal clear.  The valley views were immense and lush green.  There was more climbing also, which made me a very, very happy gal.  I have become, it seems oddly,  an elevation junkie.  Jessica’s dog ran along side me for much of this climb.  I couldn’t believe what a great trail dog she is!  And a beautiful chocolate brown coat she has!  (I bonded with this pup faster than I have my own new puppy : ( (I still haven’t gotten over the loss of Daisy).

The complete loop back to our cars totaled a little over seven miles.  I headed off for some more miles as these wonderful trail ladies drove off.  I thought that I’d put in about five additional miles, so I headed back to Trabuco Arroyo  for more trails and some more pictures. 

Trabuco Arroyo in its glorious autumn color:

When I hit the sandy trail beneath the toll road, I decided to head back earlier than planned.  As today’s our youngest son’s birthday.  And it’s also my oldest son’s taekwondo long day.  I thought I’d give my husband a break in not having to drive all the boys to taekwondo, and I wanted to say Happy Birthday to our now seven-year-old.

What a joyful run on this cool autumn day.

Happy Birthday Baby!

I’m Back

The Santa Ana winds arrived early this morning, furiously.  Trees swooshing, leaves rustling, and the sound of our washer/dryer enclosure door slamming into the backyard porch woke me over and over as I tried to squeeze in the last few hours of sleep. 

I couldn’t wait to get out and run.  I felt completely well, even with poor sleep.  I made it to the trails as soon as I could, hitting dirt at 9:00 AM.  I decided on Mentally Sensitive (Psycho-Path, which by the way, I altered the sign, but only in the picture). 

Aliso Canyon was still, seriously, not a single leaf stirred.  Though, I could tell that the Santa Anas were lurking because the weather had warmed significantly since yesterday.

Running up Mentally Sensitive:

I never weakened on this run, even when I reached Top of the World and the wind blew hard against my body.  The sound of the trees dancing in the wind was so loud it drowned out the music from my earphones.  I simply stood in the middle of it all to take in the wind’s majestic beauty, then took off running for the big loop, down Park Avenue Nature Trail with its Pacific Ocean view, then West Ridge toward Cholla Trail for a steepish descent. 

View of Saddleback Mountains from Park Avenue Nature Trail:

I figured that the wind would calm when I reached the bottom of Wood Canyon.  Though it was not as fierce, it still rustled the trees.  I took some single tracks off the main trail, up and down rolling hills.  I didn’t think about much, just keeping my footing and the feeling of gratitude for being well. 

I am back!

Running up to Wood Creek Trail for some technical single-track:

Coyote Run:

I made one last stop at Dripping Cave, my official goofing off spot.  Here I thought I’d “feel my oats” and prove that all my strength did not in fact drain from me during my illness.  I did some push-ups on the bridge into the cave, for the camera of course.  I’m glad no one else stopped by the cave to witness my theatrics which I topped off with some side planks, because they take better pictures than regular planks (yet I post the pictures on the world wide web!)  Then I jumped up and enjoyed the final stretch of 2.5 miles back to my truck. 

I ran this 13.32 mile (21.44 km) clockwise loop feeling strong the entire trip.  I reached the truck crusted in salt and extremely happy for these trails and the Santa Ana winds today (and the fact that they occurred in December when it’s cooler which meant less chance for fires).

Elevation Profile:

Happy Trails!

I Am A Bad Girl I Am

Last Friday I put in some hard time at the gym.  I really pushed it.  Back at home, I felt a little weak and merely thought I was low on calories from my workout.  After a glass of carrot juice and some Campbell’s soup, I felt worse.  That was the beginning of the end.

I suffered with the stomach flu for more than three days (thankfully, our youngest son only suffered less than 12 hours – that got me optimistic, but no such luck for me).  I was weak, lacking calories (as anything that went in came out, so I gave up on calories early on).  My muscles ached, I shivered with chills, I burned up with fever.  I slept.   My stomach was so torn up, I agonized in pain.  My legs throbbed, I mean throbbed similar to contractions when I birthed our first son.  My calves felt like frozen stone, like if you were to take a board to them they would shatter to pieces. 

Did I mention that I was miserable? 

Yet each night I hoped by morning I’d feel good enough to run. 

Monday came along, and I felt much, much better.  Lacking calories for so long, I drank a glass of carrot juice and then the big mistake, a glass of orange juice.  Talk about pain.  I refrained from food the remainder of the day with hopes of running dashed upon the rocks.  By Monday afternoon, I felt  much better.  But my temperament hadn’t returned (that is my calm, patient self – ha, ha).  And when our middle son “threw a fit” after school on the playgrounds and ran off, I let him get a good distance, then took off at my fastest speed and ran him down.  Yes, I caught him, but I was breathless.  And as he tried to squirm away from me, I gripped his arm while chatting with a girlfriend and stood on his foot.  Well, he squirmed out of his shoe and I about lost my mind.  Like a child, I picked up his shoe, threw it across the schoolyard and walked away and chatted with my friend until my husband arrived. 

A PAINFUL RELAPSE (that I probably well deserved) attacked as I drove off to an afternoon sub-position.  The evening was practically unbearable.  Though I smiled.  Really, I did.  When I arrived home I went straight to bed, shameful over my lack of patience with my son and moping over the fact that I was still ill.

This morning I woke pretty much pain free.  I had no fever and I was careful what I consumed.   With one piece of toast and a glass of carrot juice I got the boys off to school with much patience, and packed for a run.  When my oldest saw me packing, he exclaimed, “Oh My G**!!  I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE RUNNING WHEN YOU’RE SICK.”

“I’m not sick,” I insisted as he ran off hollering, “Dad!  Dad!  MOM’S RUNNING!” 

I tell no lie.

Thankfully, my husband is very good to never stand in my way.  He’ll give me his advice, but he never forbids his wife anything.  With worry in his voice, he said, “Please don’t over do it.”

So, today, glory be to God, I finally hit the trails!!!  I tired easily however, I was unsure whether it was the illness or the fact that I hadn’t run since Thanksgiving.  I decided on a “shorter” loop than usual, but still wanted a climb to Top of the World.  I chose Meadows Trail. 

Sweating more than usual, I gave myself permission to rest when I felt like it, that is STOP and rest.  Still, I found it difficult to do.  I did stop and rest twice on the way up Meadows Trail.  I honestly can’t tell you if I was sick, but in my heart I knew that I probably should have rested in bed today.  I can also honestly say that I didn’t care.  I wanted to run!

About to make the run up Meadows Trail:

View climbing Meadows of lower Meadows and Aliso Creek Trail:

By the time I reached the top of Meadows, I felt pretty dang warm.  It was time to layer down.   I needed to make my decision now.  If I was sick, I needed to turn around, make this run an out-and-back for about six miles total.  If I was well, I would continue on for a nine plus mile run. 

Honestly, I couldn’t truly tell.  I wasn’t sick-sick.  But I was more tired than I would have normally been after such a trek.  And so, I continued onward to TOP OF THE WORLD.

View of Saddleback Mountains from top of Meadows Trail:

Standing at top of Meadows, Pacific Ocean in background:

In the park at Top of the World, I took out my phone to check for messages and noticed the time was one hour later than I thought.  That’s when it dawned on me that TODAY WAS LATE-IN DAY FOR MY OLDEST SON.  I dropped him off an hour later than usual, which meant that I hit the trails an hour later than I thought, which meant that I had only an hour to make it from Top of the World to my car.  I had never done that.  I have never even made it from Mathis (a good mile away) to my car in an hour. 

Last thing I wanted to do was cause any trouble over this run.  I didn’t want to arrive late picking up our youngest sons.  I didn’t want to phone my husband or anyone else for help.  And so I ran my butt off.  On the day that I really shouldn’t have pushed, I PUSHED the last 4 1/2 miles. 

And then toward the very end, I saw this and I had to stop to take a photo (a blue heron on Aliso Creek Trail):

I was so wiped out, I thought to myself that I’d just drive like a mad woman to make it in time to pick up the boys.  Turns out, surprise of all surprises, I made it in less than an hour to my truck.  I ran from Top of the World to my truck in about 52 minutes.  And after working this afternoon, I still feel pretty good.  Not perfectly well.  But I can eat and I don’t ache. 

All is well in the world right now for this trail runner, because today, she finally got to run!

Miles run:  9.21

Thanksgiving Loop with Thoughts of Gratitude

One of my Thanksgiving traditions is to run.  I bet you would have never guessed.    And so that is exactly what I did today.  I woke at 5:30 AM and hit the dirt about 6:40 on a cold Thanksgiving morning.  Usually, I try to not think when I run.  Today however, I dedicated my run to thinking about all that I am thankful for.  And there is so much – too much to put in a couple of pages.  First and foremost, I am thankful for being born.  And I am thankful for my husband and three wonderful sons.  I am thankful for my health.  And I am thankful for my mom and dad.  They taught me so much – one of the most important being to never give up, and also the importance of family – that we are here to help one another. 

As I ran down an empty Aliso Creek Trail bundled in gloves and beanie, I thought about how lucky I was to grow up with one sister, and now I have 5 sisters!  And they are all top-notch women.  In addition to my 3 great brothers, I gained 3 more – as well as another mother and father who also are quality, loving people.  For these people I am truly thankful.

I am thankful for my friends as well:  my writing friends, my running friends, and my friend friends.  I am especially thankful for one of most wonderful people that I have met on this earth, my friend, Bernadine Fraser.  Though we haven’t seen each other face-to-face in a few years, I still am affected by her overwhelming love and sweetness and great humor.  And to think, we met at a job that I was laid-off from many, many years ago (after putting in 9 years there).  Though I was devastated over losing that job, I could never say or feel that I wish that I never worked there.  I met many great friends at this company, one of them, Bernadine.  We laughed together, we cried together, we read great, great books together.  For these friends I am thankful for.  (I wish I could list them out, but I fear to do so because I am bound to forget to type a few names). 

I am also  thankful for my students.  They have taught me so much.  They taught me to smile even when I don’t feel like it.  They taught me the importance of kindness.  And they taught me that people learn in many ways.  (After getting laid-off from the job mentioned above I became a teacher – so I have to say that I am thankful also for getting laid-off from a long held job). 

When I turned down Wood Canyon this morning the ground was muddy and I was still alone.  The run felt effortless as I thought about my children – and though it’s tough, tough, tough being a mom, I appreciate each of their special gifts and especially their love.  I am also thankful for our middle son’s surgeries – not grateful that he had to go through them so much, but in a way, I suppose so, because they have made him who he is.  But I am more grateful that doctors could do something to save his life.  I am especially thankful for Dr. Louden.   And I am so thankful my boy has been seizure free as well, for more than a year.  But more than that, I’m thankful that if he does have another seizure or even surgery, we can get through it.  He is a strong boy.  We are strong, despite our weakness.

Aside from these very important aspects of my life, I am so, so thankful that I became a runner.  I hated running.  IN A MILLION YEARS, I would have never thought that I would HAVE TO RUN.  More than that – I am grateful that I stumbled, and I mean stumbled upon trail running.

I am thankful for Meadows Trail:

I am thankful for green meadows and ridiculously steep trails (like Mentally Sensitive):

I am even thankful for snails, because I know they have some purpose (I just don’t know what it is):

I am thankful for the skies and mountain views:

I am thankful that I learned the patience to run long distances:

I am thankful for reaching the top of a climb, and taking the time to take goofy, sweaty pictures, because I sometimes still can’t believe that I did it!

I am thankful for ocean views:

I am thankful for Cholla cactus on Cholla Trail:

I am thankful for breaking through countless spider webs on isolated trails like Wood Creek Trail:

I am thankful for creek side runs:

I am thankful for spotting deer in a grove of trees (and many, many other wildlife):

I am thankful for the final stretches, and also seeing that there are other psychos out there doing the same thing:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

13 miles (20.92 km) run this morning:  Aliso Creek Trail, Wood Canyon, Meadows, Mentally Sensitive, Top of the World, West Ridge,  Cholla Trail, Wood Creek, Wood Canyon, Aliso Creek – this was my Thanksgiving 2011 loop.

Maple Springs to Four Corners

I finally went back to speed training this week.  That was my rest/recovery after the Saddleback Trail Marathon – no speed training.  Why?  Because I hate speed training.  I spit on speed training. 

So, yesterday, I forced myself to do 25 minutes of speed work.  I even added 15 seconds to my bursts.

This morning was time for fun.  Forget all about that speed stuff.  I hopped into the truck before sunrise and drove off to Silverado Canyon for a run up Maple Springs to the Main Divide.  The first and only time, before today, that I ran Maple Springs, I remember I kept asking my friend, “Are we there yet?  Are we almost there?”  I must have hiked at least 50% of the route up. 

Today, I ran ALL OF IT.  All of its awesomeness.  Autumn is definitely here.  And this trail runner isn’t missing it.  The run started off cold, with frost along the trail’s edge.  The small puddles were frozen over all the way up. 

I ran without music on the way through the canyon amazed how loud nature was this morning.  Have you ever listened to the sound of a bird’s wings flapping above your head?  It makes an eerie swooshing sound.  Added to nature’s music on this autumn day, squirrels chirped their high-pitched rhythmic tone in the brush.  Birds sang in the trees and water crashed down onto boulders. 

Sound alone did not overwhelm me this morning.  The utter beauty of the mountainside was immeasurable.  Bright yellow leaves covered the maple trees.  Lovely green ferns and moss lined the mountain walls. 

I didn’t see a single other person on my run up.  Nothing like complete solitude in the wilderness for a major brain dump.  I let it all drain out, fighting against the urge to think about everything I need to do, etc., etc.  But I did meet a friendly cyclist at the top (4 Corners).  Running down I came across several mountain bikers, one runner and two hikers. 

I ran fast (that is my fast) on the way down.  I didn’t fall.  Didn’t trip once.  I don’t remember even feeling tired.  Perhaps the beauty overwhelmed any fatigue.

What a difference a year makes!

Heading up Maple Springs (pepper spray in hand) and it’s pretty dang cold:

Scenes from the run up Maple Springs:

View from Four Corners:

Thumbs up to a fantastic run up (& time to layer down).  I’m getting warm on this cold day:

Goofing around a bit before the run back:

From the run down:  fire remnants

Just one more picture of those gorgeous maples:

The final stretch:

15.17  lovely miles (24.41 km) run this morning