Changing it up

I hardly recall shutting off my 6:00 AM alarm this morning.  I do remember waking at 7:00 AM, turning to my husband and gruffly saying, “I’ll run this afternoon.”  To this he sighed and said something like, “Please no complaints when you don’t do it.” 

Why wouldn’t I do it?  Because it’s DAMN HOT, that’s why!!  But I did do it.  Why?  Because I have to.  I need to. 

I checked on-line for the temperatures at my nearest trails: 97 F (36 C).  The temperatures in my beach town were 85 F (approx. 29 C).  So . . . I ran a 15 mile suburban, tourist-city-run this afternoon, beginning at 1 PM.  And the 85 degree temperatures did not feel cool.  Not one bit.

The beginning of today’s run was a struggle, first off, because it was on pavement, and secondly, because I ran inland, mainly uphill, away from the shore (which means HEAT).  Pavement is such a chore for me because I’m not used to the constant stride, the same exact movement over and over.  There were no rocks to hop onto, no logs to walk, just cement for miles.  Eventually though, I made my way back to the Pacific (and I got a bit of variation).

Making my way beneath the highway to the grand ole’ Pacific Ocean:

When I finally made it down to the seaside, I was drenched in sweat.  Yet, I was giddy.  Though the weather was still hot for these parts, a cool ocean breeze blew here and there.  Children ran about, literally screaming with glee.  Innumerable surfers road coca-cola-bottle-colored waves into the slanted shore.  Families spread out on their blankets.  Mothers paced the shore anxiously watching the waves.  As a runner, this was all great “eye candy.”

I was a tad out of place because I was the only person wearing shoes.  The only runner I saw, ran barefoot.  And she blew me away.  I studied her footprint in the sand and noticed she had a heavy forefoot strike.  That would kill me.  A forefront strike that is.  Can’t do it. 

The Difficulty of getting a self portrait:

Sand running was a chore, but not because of strenuous difficulty.  I ran the wet sand which as always, was a delight.  The chore was avoiding the waves, as tide was rising.  Frequently I ran up the sand to avoid a wave rushing up to my legs.  Then it happened.  A wave drenched my right foot.  For a mili-second my wet shoe bummed me out.  Then I remembered that I run through creeks all the time and have frequently run with drenched feet.  For some reason, I guess, it seemed (at first) that suburban running should be with dry feet. 

Since I don’t know the mileage anymore of running locally, I played a little game – a guessing game to get me through the heat.  I’d pick a point far off and guess what mileage I’d be at when I reached it.  Amazingly, I was usually right on. 

After the sand running, I ran up a tortuous amount of stair steps to the headlands where I did some “trail” running, sand trail running.  The views of the deep blue sea were awesome.

Running The Headlands:

After the headlands, I sat for a moment to empty what I thought would be two pounds of sand from my shoes.  Ended up, I only had a small pile of sand to account for.  But it felt great to get that stuff out of my shoes. 

From there, I ran down to the marina for the grand finale of this run.  It was a long grand finale.  And it was still warm.  But I found this portion lovely with plenty of shade and lots of happy people. 

Though I didn’t get the elevation in today (but this wasn’t a “flat” run by any means), I’m super glad I chose to give myself a break from the extreme heat.  And I’m super glad that I slept in.  I hardly ever do that.  I need to do that every so often.

Running down to the Marina:

A Popular Look-Out Spot:

Crossing the Bridge over to the Marina Island, which I ran 1 1/2 times, weary, but wanting to get to as close to 15 miles as possible:

It’s always good to change it up once in a while!

Surviving Zombieland

When I was a kid zombies chased people about as quickly as a clumsy tortoise.  That’s not very fast.  In fact that’s extremely slow.  In my day, the only way to actually get caught by a zombie was to stumble upon one in the basement, frolic through a graveyard (at night), skinny dip in a lake (at night), or stand directly next to a window (because zombies could easily punch through glass windows and yank you right out.)

Nowadays, zombies are still clumsy (and strong as usual), but they have taken some running lessons.  Modern zombies run fast, clumsily still yes, but fast.  I don’t know how well they’d do running uphill, but I suspect they’d catch the average non-runner.  It’s understandable then how they quickly took over the country in the “B” movie, Zombieland.  This also explains why the main character, Columbus (who has a list of thirty-something rules) names his number one rule to surviving Zombieland as CARDIO.

Today, I got in my cardio during my second of 2 back-to-back “hard” weeks.  Nothing like getting my cardio in during scorching hot temperatures.  The trails were desolate which was understandable.  No one’s thinking about zombies in this heat.  Then I met another trail running friend, Steve, as he worked on his cardio in this forsaken heat. 

At least we will stand a chance against zombies.   Plus, I don’t have to out-run the zombies, all I have to do is out-run Steve. (kiddin’)

Miles ran this morning:  13.41 (21.58 km)

Comment

I love, love, love readers who comment on my posts.  That’s not to say I don’t love all readers.  But I REALLY love the comments.  I can tell web-surfers visit my page, and some spend many minutes, enough to read something that I’ve written, which is a big treat for me.  Even “invisible” readers delight me to no end.   

Why do I like comments?  Because I like knowing who you are.  Stats don’t tell me that.  They just tell me what part of the world you’re in, how long you stopped by, and how you got here.   

SO, in an effort to get some comments, please tell me something.  Do you run?  If not, why do you find my blog worth reading?  If so, do you have a long run, how many miles is it?  And is it on the road or the trail?

Thanks for reading!!!

Photo used:  Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

7 Deer, 2 Coyotes and a Squashed Stink Bug

Today The Plan dictated ten miles.  And I put THAT off as long as I could.  After yesterday’s wild mountain run, I would have never chosen to run ten miles today.  2:30 PM, my feet finally hit the dirt in torrential heat and rather warm winds. 

My calves were tight.  I ran slowly.  Slower than usual!  If I would have thought about it, I would have thought, “I’m never going to be able to do this.”  But I didn’t allow myself to think anything except, “One foot in front of the other . . . one foot in front of the other.” 

Taking on Aliso Creek Trail, One Foot in Front of the Other:

Feeling a bit like the squashed stink bug that I ran past on Aliso Creek Trail, I stopped at Wood Canyon to stretch my calves.  Except for a few bunnies and lots of lizards scampering about, I felt pretty lonely on that dry, hot, windy trail. 

At three miles into the run, I cheered, “Only 7 miles to go!” 

Soon after that, I ran up on several hikers, and as I passed them I saw a coyote prance through the dry grass alongside the trail.  I ran on some more along Wood Canyon Trail and very quickly spotted another coyote making his way through the grass.  Two coyotes within a couple minutes?  Now, THAT was a little different. 

The heat waged on as I eagerly ran toward the woods for some shade and beauty.  But before then, four deer grazing in the dry grass grabbed my attention.  I caught a picture of three of them here: 

By the time I made it to the woods, I felt pretty dang good.  Soreness went with the wind.  Suddenly a large doe jotted across the trail just a few feet in front of me.  I noted that when she reached the wooded area, she didn’t move.  Normally she would have raced off.  This only meant one thing.  There were others.  So, the inquisitiveness in me won over, and I stopped to investigate.  I spotted two baby deer on the side she came from.  Stepping away, I waited briefly for them to cross so that I could snap a picture.  After a minute or so, I figured I needed to run.  And so I ran on, continuing my way to the end of Wood Canyon.

At the end of Wood Canyon, I ran up Cholla, a pretty steep climb, especially in this heat.  But it was short.  Short makes all the difference.  Then I ran the rolling hills of West Ridge, glancing back at Santiago Peak wistfully.  At the top of Mathis Trail, I ran down hill for approximately 2 miles with glee, surprised that I was going to actually do this today – run ten miles. 

With 1 mile remaining, I picked up my speed and ran in disbelief.  “Thank God,” I said out loud . . . “Thank YOU God!”  I am so fortunate. 

Today’s elevation profile / 10.61 miles.  I came up 7 miles short for this week’s plan.  I was scheduled for 62 miles, ran 55 miles due to an injured shoulder and my pity party (& I have to attend my own pity party   What would people say???)

Hard Week’s Long Run

Today I ran 24+ miles in the Saddleback Mountains.  I began in the dark and ended in sweltering heat.  I began loaded down with fluids.  I ended with one handheld filled from a small spring on the way down the mountain.  I had no choice but to load myself down with fluids.  It’s unfortunate (possibly, maybe not) that the only months to train for an autumn ultra is during the hottest months in Southern California.  Even with all the water that I carried (around 110 fluid ounces), I knew that still wouldn’t be enough.  I planned on two re-fill points, one at a secret stash for trail runners, and the other at Holy Jim’s spring.  When refilling at the “secret” stash, another runner came into the deep brush.  I think that I startled him. I heard him approach and amusingly made a step to hide.  Hilarious.  Ended up he is an ultra-runner that I’ve seen countless times, but have never met.  What an apropos place for an official meeting.  We departed in opposite directions.  But I was oh so glad to learn that I wasn’t the only nut out running in the Saddleback Mountains today. 

If you’re returning you may recall that I’m running my weeks, “Hard, Hard, Easy.”  This is the first week of “Hard.”  You probably also know that I’m having a difficult time with “training.”  It is making me feel weak, and it’s putting fret into my heart.  Frankly, I don’t like it much. 

I went out today thinking, “Just do the miles, try not to think about training.”  Most of the time when I run, I don’t think.  I try to stay in the moment.  That’s when running is most comfortable for me.  Today, I succeeded somewhat in not fretting over THE BIG RACE come October.  And I did have some fun.   Tiring, hard fun.

As always on these crazy runs, I broke it into sections/segments.  Otherwise, I don’t think I could accomplish this type of run.  But I did, all six segments.  And oh yes, do purchase a protection plan for your cameras.  Because I did, and already have a new camera.  Yes!  (And that’s with even admitting that I dropped my camera, and pretty much every camera I’ve broken).

The Pictorial:

Pre Run / Holy Jim Parking lot after a dang bumpy half hour off-road drive – READY TO RUN!  Don’t worry, it’s not as lonely as it looks.  At least 7 hikers just took off ahead of me:

Section 1:  Segment Blissful.  Approximately 5 miles, Blissful, included Trabuco Trail (a lush beauty mixed with rocky desert) and my old friend, West Horse Thief, a delightful, STEEP switch-back, when taken in the cool morning air:

Section 2:  Segment Awesome Views, approximately 3 miles of rolling, ridgeline, truck-trail running along The Main Divide:

Section 3:  Segment Gnat-ville, 4 miles, 2 miles down Indian Truck Trail and 2 miles back up, with plenty of gnats flying up my nose and crawling on my face:

Section 4:  Segment Hell, approximately 5 miles up The Main Divide to Santiago Peak.  It got pretty tough for me during this segment.  Still, I was able to plow past the hikers starting up after their Holy Jim hike.  I am improving a bit:

Section 5: Segment Relief, 3 miles back down The Main Divide to Holy Jim Trail.  I met two young women resting in the shade on their way up.  They exclaimed, “We saw you FLYING up this earlier.  You are good!”  Flying?  I laughed at the word, but if they say so, okay, I was flying.  LOL.  I thanked the young ladies.  When they asked how often I did this, and I told them once a week, they both laughed and further exclaimed, “You’re crazy.”  Fun times:

Section 6: Segment Homeward Bound, 5 miles down Holy Jim in the sweltering heat, focusing on the moment, so that I didn’t fall:

The whole:

So tempted

I woke at 5:00 this morning, so, so tempted to go back to sleep.  I was strong enough this morning not to let that happen.  However, I did sit around until 6:30 AM, enjoying my coffee and alone time.  When my oldest son woke, I bid him good-bye and by 6:50 AM my feet were pounding dirt.

As weak as I’ve been feeling I took the toughest trail in Aliso/Wood Canyons, that is Mentally Sensitive.  This cracks me up that I would pick this trail .  I didn’t find much humor in my run though.  Overall, I ran way too seriously, missing out on all the fun.  I did get to pose at the Top of the World.  And I did get to beat my time for this 13.34 loop by about a half an hour.  Most of that gain was due to the fact that I didn’t stop to swing in the city playground.  Nor did I stop to take many pictures.  Yes, I have broken YET ANOTHER camera.  But, I do have a phone.  And that of course means at least a few pictures. 

Thanks for reading! 

Glory going up Mentally Sensitive:

Top of the World:

Wood Canyon for the final push back to the truck:

13.34 miles (The loop:  Aliso Creek Trail, Wood Canyon, Meadows, Mentally Sensitive, Aswut, Top of the World, Park Avenue Nature Trail, West Ridge, Cholla, Wood Canyon, Aliso Creek):

Getting Over The Hump

I’ve been in a slump ever since I somehow managed to injure my shoulder.  Not sure how I did it, but I pretty much couldn’t move it on Monday.  Nursing my arm, icing it, applying heat, I wallowed in fear over my physical abilities for a couple days.  I watched athletic videos, growing more and more worried over whether I could get my act together and REALLY work.  I mean, push myself like a champion.  I feel like I can’t.  Though I have in other ways throughout my life, for example academically.  But never physically.  And that worries me in this whole training processes.

Today, I set my alarm early (AGAIN) and went out on the couch and went back to sleep (AGAIN).  My husband came out about 7:00 AM and asked why I wasn’t running.  I didn’t have anything positive to say.

He came out again at 8:00 AM and begged me to run, “Get back out there,” he said.  “Get over this hump.” 

I still lay there on the couch with no intention to run.  Then finally I couldn’t live with myself any longer worrying, worrying, worrying.  So, I raised myself up off the couch, dressed into some shorts, my Marine Hard Corps Marathon shirt, and trail shoes.  I grabbed a handheld full of water, got into my truck and arrived to Wood Canyon for a hilly, out-and-back run to the Top of the World in Laguna Beach

I made good time, though I found the run difficult.   Best thing for me was 1) I saw a rattlesnake, snapped a picture, then stomped the ground for it to coil so I could take another picture (but it quickly slithered away), and 2) I ran full-out the last hundred yards of this run.  That little ending sprint made me feel strong when I had been feeling so weak.

Socked-in at Top of the World this morning:

Meeting up with a Rattler on an unmarked single-track off of West Ridge:

6.36 miles run this morning (approx. 10.24 km)