A-Okay

I ran trails this morning and was so very tempted to run for endurance and push for extra miles.  But I fought against the urge.  I had told myself that I wasn’t going to train (in any way) until early December.  I was going to rest (while running).  And gosh darn it – I’m going to see this thing through.

Back when I DNF’d Saddleback, I felt pretty low.  Not low necessarily because I decided not to finish the race.  I felt low because of all my downfalls and general mental weakness.  Saddleback just kind of showed them to me all at once – like a wide opened book.  Afterward, I even caught glimpses of thoughts wandering through my mind, thinking that I should quit running.   

Quit running?  Ha!  What then would I do?  (Oh I don’t know . . . perhaps become a better mother, better wife, have a cleaner house, keep groceries stocked, play with our dog, maybe paint the house, finish writing my novels, try and sell my finished novel, read more, finally get a full-time job, clean out my filthy truck, aid the needy, volunteer more at the boys’ schools, be available more to people, in general, and specifically to my family . . . )

This “rest while running” month has really helped me realize that I wouldn’t be half the person I am without my trails.  Sure, I’m not perfect.  I’m not as strong physically as I want to be.  I’m not as strong mentally as I want to be.  Running actually helps me deal with my imperfections, helps me accept them.  I just had a bad day, a bad month perhaps . . . that happens in endurance running.

So today, I didn’t put in those extra miles.  I ran to rest.  I ran up a steep incline (Mentally Sensitive).  And though I suffered going up, at the top, EVERYTHING WAS A-OKAY.  Who cares if I STILL haven’t dropped my extra weight.  I have 3 beautiful sons and a wonderful husband at home.  Who cares if the recession has hit us hard.  Our middle boy hasn’t had a seizure in over 2 years!!!  Who cares if the house needs painting and we can’t afford to paint it right now.  We have a house.  Who cares about all that junk.  I have my trails.  I think I have only God to thank for that because I was the last person in the whole wide world to ever run, much less run mountain trails.  It just happened.  It was a gift given to me.  And I don’t know why. 

Standing before my dirty truck ready to run (& my truck runs and it has tires with good tread AND it seats five!):

Running the flat part of Meadows Trail toward Mentally Sensitive:

Running Mentally Sensitive was SO HARD, BUT OH SO WORTH IT:

An ear warmer serving a dual purpose.  When no longer needed for warmth, it becomes my snot rag (Ewwwww, she wears a snot rag on her vest????):

Finishing up Car Wreck Trail, so lovely and velvety green:

Oak Grove Trail:

Why, Tell Me WHY, Would You Do Such A Thing?

I ran my favorite wilderness park between school drop offs and pick ups.  Ran 9.32 miles, up and down the following trails:  Aliso Creek, Wood Canyon, Meadows, to Top of the World, West Ridge, Mathis to Car Wreck, Oak Grove back to Mathis, Dripping Cave to Wood Canyon, Cave Rock back to Wood Canyon and Aliso Creek all the way in.  I felt fantastic afterward.  I was soaking wet and salty from sweat.  This is how I went to pick up our youngest boy from school.

While waiting to pick up my son, my non-running friend kinda joked with me, “How many miles did you run today?”  I told her and then answered that I ran more than sixteen on Sunday. 

Her smile turned to a concerned look.  She said something to the affect that I was amazing, and of course, I laughed.  Then she further inquired, “Why?”

I commenced to tell my friend the races I was training for, and mentioned a 50k.  She asked how many miles 50k equaled, and when I told her it was about 31 miles, her concerned look turned to more of a sad look.

“Lauren . . .  Lauren, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO RUN 31 MILES?”  She reached out, as to take my hands and shook her head with a frown.  It was as if she realized that I was a heroin addict, or perhaps insane and needed immediate psychiatric care.  She was truly concerned.

Silly me, I was dumbfounded.  How do I answer that question in about two seconds?  There are so, so many reasons why.  The first thing that came to my mind, and of course it travelled down to my lips as I ran off to the car with my boy was, “I do it for the out-of-body experience.”  That was stupid, I know.  An answer like that needs explanation.  But I didn’t have the time.

I haven’t been asked “Why?” in a long, long time.  My circle of family and friends either understand, or they think I’m crazy (or both).  A good friend, non-running friend, a writer friend actually, said to me about a year ago, “I get it Lauren. I mean I really get it.”  And I knew that she did.  I could tell by the conviction in her voice.  Perhaps she could explain to my other friend.   

Instead of answering today’s question “Why?” in a multitude of paragraphs.  I’ll answer it with these pictures from today’s glorious, glorious run.

Fresh and Clean / At Ranger Station, ready to take off on Aliso Creek Trail.

Running Meadows Trail before the treacherous, I mean beautiful and exhilarating climb begins (Notice Top of the World neighborhood covered by mist).

Running down Car Wreck Trail, careful, careful not to fall.

Goofy again.

Running end of Car Wreck Trail (not a single soul in sight)

Finishing up Car Wreck, surrounded by ferns, poison oak and a mesmerizing canopy of trees.

Oak Grove Trail.

Dripping Cave

Entering Cave Rock Trail

Running up Cave Rock Trail

Running off the big rock!

+1,465 / – 1,478

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!

Run for Fun

I don’t usually run two days in a row.  But after Tuesday’s hellish speed work, I decided I needed to do a “real” run.  So I went out to my favorite canyon, which my husband says they’re going to name after me (ha, ha) and ran up Cholla Trail without any trouble at all.  In fact, the entire run up to Top of the World seemed easier than usual.  I even seemed to run at a faster pace (forgot Garmin).  Can that be true?  Can speed work help after only one day???

Miles logged:  7.51

Here’s a bit from my run, The Featured Trail of the Day:  Car Wreck Trail

I’m NOT running the Turkey Trot Trail Run

Every year I think might not run the local Turkey Trot.  It has been such a pain for many reasons.  First off, they lost my registration TWICE last year.  They do not start the runners in waves (though there are more than 10,000 runners) and most importantly, the whole race is on pavement. 

But I’ve run the Turkey Trot for many years.  It was my first race.  It was the one that really set me on my way with running.  I can walk to the race from my house even (big, big plus). The Turkey Trot holds a lot of nostalgia for me.  And I have been known to be very nostalgic.

Well, this year, I went and did it.  That is didn’t do it.  I did not run the Turkey Trot.  Instead, I ran with a friend on dirt, beautiful soft DIRT (& some rock : ).  And it was lovely.

When we arrived to Aliso/Woods Canyons the air was FREEZING.  That is literally.  The wood post fence we climbed over had a layer of ice along it.  Though I wore long sleeves, I wasn’t prepared – I wore shorts, didn’t have gloves or a beanie.  So I wore my scarf tied over my head like my great-grandmother, Babcia used to.

After turning onto Wood Canyon which was still in the shade, we took a little detour onto Cave Rock Trail so we could get up on that rock into the sun.  That didn’t really help warmth-wise.  But the view of Wood Canyon from atop that rock was spectacular, green hills, blue skies with a bright sun beaming down promising to warm us up soon, very soon. 

I had the bright idea to shortem the trip to the top by not running up Mathis.  Instead we ran through that shady magical Oak Grove Trail and UP Car Wreck Trail.  There was no running for me on the steepest parts of Car Wreck.  Even hiking it was a chore.  But it surely warmed me up.

So let it be known, running up Car Wreck is not actually a short cut. : )

A “runnable” portion of Car Wreck Trail

Sheila and Me at the top of Car Wreck, finally warm

Reaching the top of Mathis (via Car Wreck) was such a chore that the uphills remaining were pleasurable to run.  We ran on up to Top of the World, and from there across over to Meadows, which we took down to Wood Canyon and back to the ranger station beneath gorgeous skies.  Truly a run to be thankful for on a day that I am glad to remember all the things that I am so thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Top of the World

Miles logged Thanksgiving morning:  9.25

Elevation Profile:

Gathering Acorns

I woke this morning feeling amazingly well.  It’s been a while.  Still on the antibiotics. But I think this thing is kicked.  Taking my time to get ready, I packed plenty of water, my camera, phone, ipod and sunglasses and headed out the door before 7AM. 

I wore gloves on the trip over, but promptly peeled them off before running down through Canyon Vistas Park.  Pretty much right away, my glutes began stabbing at me.  And while I thought about popping the ibuprofen, I focused instead on relaxing.  Not a single soul rested at the bottom of Cholla, so I took the time to stretch my piriformis muscles (more on that below in my self-diagnosis blurb).

Still in my recovery phase (from Saddleback) I’m taking it pretty easy.  I think I’ll wait another week before amping it up.  But I still ran Cholla Trail in its entirety and tried to keep it strong.  I didn’t meet a single other person going up that steep rocky, semi-switchback trail.

West Ridge was empty too.  At first that is.  The skies were blue, the breeze crisp.  Then I began seeing people.  In fact, I came across twenty-one hikers (one at a time or in small groups), 7 mountain bikers, but just one lonely runner.  I stopped to talk to two women who were looking for the owner of a pair of prescription glasses they found.

At Top of the World, I stretched my piriformis muscles again.  And I met a woman who was looking for a pair of prescription glasses.  I told her about two hikers and she quickly headed off down West Ridge.  I met her again on my way down; she was walking up discouraged for not having found the hikers with her glasses.  A short time later, I came upon the two hikers with the glasses and relayed the story.  And I was off again, this time down Mathis.

Top of the World, Overlooking Laguna Beach & Pacific Ocean

 

Top of the World, Facing Saddleback Mountains, where I ran last Saturday’s Marathon

Mathis was void of runners, hikers and mountain bikers.  Feeling somewhat spooked, I picked up a nice size rock to take with me down Car Wreck Trail, which is pretty desolate anyway.  On a day like today, a weekday morning, I wouldn’t want to be caught defenseless on Car Wreck because it’s kind of out of the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself running down Car Wreck Trail.  No glute pain whatsoever.  The weather remained clear and cool, though I did push my sleeves up some.  I turned down my ipod also so that I could concentrate on the trail’s more difficult areas and relish its beauty. 

Nice Technical Aspects on Car Wreck Trail

Posing in front of Wreck (tossing my rock)

Ferns on Car Wreck Trail

 

I chucked my rock when I hit Mathis again, even though the trail was also empty (but at least I was running a main route).  Wood Canyon was empty as well as I set off on a mission to collect acorns for my youngest son.  Oak tree after oak, no acorns, only leaf liter – and lots of it.  Finally, I ran offtrail and into a thick woodsy oak grove.  It was dark and shady in there, cramped with branches.  I scoured the floor that was inches thick of crisp oak leaves, but no acorns.  Then I looked up and focusing through the other side of the grove noticed a lush green meadow.  What the heck!  I have got to go there, I thought to myself, but then chucked that idea, being alone and all.  But before I turned around to head out of the grove and back out onto the trail, I suddenly noticed, not twenty feet away from me – two deer.  They just stood there looking at me.  I had never been that close to deer before (except for at petting zoos, like Japanese Deer Park – remember that place?), and I wondered if they might charge me.  I mean, one was pretty big and all, even the smaller one could knock me over.  Reaching for my camera, I took a step closer.  Crinkle, crinkle, crinkle went the leaves beneath my feet.  And the deer were off like lightening through the grove off into the meadow and gone from sight.

Back on Wood Canyon Trail, I continued my search for acorns.  I found plenty smashed, some even intact, but without caps.  Then finally with about a half mile remaining of this morning’s run, I hit the jackpot.  I found a nice cluster of capped acorns.  I stooped down, collected up a handful of choice selections.  And then I was off again running the trail, as these five cyclists passed me headed back toward Cholla Trail and Canyon Vistas Park.

Heading Back on Wood Canyon Trail

Miles logged this morning:  7.51

My self diagnosis:  All along I had been working on “fixing” the gluteus maximus muscles.  But I was showing no improvement.  I just couldn’t get to physical therapy right now.  So AFTER Saddleback (not before!!) I did some research and I really believe my problem is the piriformis muscle group which is in the same area (the butt).  The symptoms match perfectly.  Piriformis Syndrome is when the muscle tightens or spasms (yup) and also irritates the sciatic nerve, resulting in lower back and thigh pain (double yup). One cause of this “syndrome” is running, in particular, running uneven ground (yup again).  On the good side, in just a few days I’ve seen improvement by doing piriformis stretches and foam rolling that I found on youtube.  I am hopeful.

Car Wreck Trail

I’ve heard about a wrecked car in those hills at Aliso Woods.  A few runners have told me they once came upon it but haven’t been able to find it since.  The wreck wasn’t on an official trail; I knew that.  I’ve run every inch of trail in that wilderness park.  I should say every inch of “legal” trail.  And I’ve never seen a car wreck.

I figured there was no car wreck, or it got cleared long ago.

Today, I found myths do come to light sometimes. 

I don’t know how I missed it, but sometime in August of this year, Aliso Wood Canyons had their grand opening of Car Wreck Trail.  I must have been thinking about upcoming Bulldog, or moping around after Bulldog.

A couple weeks ago, I ran into the ranger station, excitedly exclaiming “Where is this new trail?”  The ranger pointed it out on the map, surprising me with the fact that it started (or ended) off of Mathis Trail.  Some day soon, I promised myself, I’m running that trail.  One of the guys working with the ranger said, “Up is the better way to run it.  Much easier to do that than run down it, the trail’s that steep.”  I chuckled to myself and thought, “psycho!”

SO, I took off running through Canyon Vistas Park late this morning.  I ran up Cholla, not so sure where I was running except for the fact I was running to the Top of the World.  That’s just me.  Gotta do it, because it’s so difficult.  On the way up Cholla, a mountain biker walking his bike up ahead heard my pounding and turned around to look at me.  He stopped, pulled over, allowing me to pass (I could feel his pain).  As I ran past him, he said “Just put me out of my misery now!”

I laughed and said, “I keep thinking it’s only a half mile, it’s only a half mile,” Cholla that is.  Then I looked back and uttered one more thing:  “The longest half mile there is!.”

West Ridge was empty and foggy.  A delight to run, though I’m not at top notch ability right now.  The run is also more challenging in the fog, because I can’t see Top of the World.  Therefore, I’m never quite sure exactly where I am in the run.  As many times as I’ve run West Ridge, in a good fog, I still can’t make out exactly where I am.  Strange.

How West Ridge Looked this Morning (Nice & Cool & Lonely : )

At Top of the World, I looked at my watch and decided, heck, why not search out Car Wreck Trail today?  I think I’ve got the time.  I had a little over an hour to make it back to the car in time to stretch and pick up my kindergartner from school. 

I took the West Ridge down hill at a good pace, then turned off on Mathis, surprised Car Wreck Trail wasn’t right there.  I’d guess I ran about a quarter mile before finding the marker.  A mountain biker came up behind me.  I let him pass, then posed for a self-portrait before the steep descent.

Posing in Front of the Brand New Sign

Car Wreck Trail is lovely.  Mostly a single track, it’s quite technical, lots of rocky terrain.  And yes, it is a bit steep.  But it’s not the steepest trail I’ve ever run down.  I won’t tell the whole story here, because I’ve got pictures below.  But quickly – Car Wreck has twists and turns, plenty of shade, and yes indeed, a car wreck.  At just one point I did stoop down and jump down over the terrain because I felt I might wipe out running it. 

Car Wreck dumps out onto Oak Grove Trail which in turn dumps back out onto Mathis Trail (the flat part).  I ran Mathis to Wood Canyon Trail, which I ran all the way back to the car.  I tripped once, on a flat portion and lurched forward pretty hard.  But I kept my self upright, and didn’t lose a single step.  Thank you planks.  : )

Some of the terrain on Car Wreck

Car Wreck Trail:

The Car Wreck

 

Toward End of Car Wreck Trail, Heading onward to Oak Grove Trail

One Last Snap of the Camera, Coming Off of Mathis Trail

7.51 miles run today

Elevation Profile