Climbing Out

I know I have probably written it before, but I’ll say it again -- climbing out is hell. My preference is to do the elevation gain first (or even midway). Saving the climb for the end of a hike, run or hike-run is simply brutal for me. It is almost never fun. But in the end, the relief of it being over is so overwhelming, it makes it all worthwhile.

This particular route, a ten miler beginning and ending Laguna Wilderness with Crystal Cove Park picking up the mid part of the loop, starts off with nice and easy rolling hills. There was a few miles of this along Boomer Ridge, and then a few more along Moro Ridge. These first five miles or so were really lovely, with most of it sharing full ocean views. I saw my first rattler of the season during this portion. Then at 5.57 miles in I was finally at sea level, and the climb out began. Whew. Those last four and a half miles were a bear. My pace was a steady slow. Not slow run. Slow hike. And being that I’ve travelled up many long and steep inclines before, I grabbed onto the mantra, “This too shall pass.” And so, with one step in front of the other, over, and over and over again, I was back at my truck, feeling refreshed and not terribly beat up. And as I mentioned earlier, relieved!

April 7, 2018, 10.01 miles, 1,382’ elevation gain

High Energy!

Saturday (2/24) was ten days since switching to a ketogenic diet. My energy is still sky high, and mental focus so much improved that it really is kind of freakish. In addition, my appetite is oddly suppressed, like no other appetite suppressant that I’ve tried. Just think, if someone would have concocted a pill to do all this -- get rid of the brain fog, give tons of energy, and act as the best ever appetite suppressant to boot, I would have taken that pill. I would have taken that pill because I have been raised in a culture where we are always looking for that magic solution, one that works without even trying. I have never found such a pill. Instead, I stumbled upon something called a ketogenic diet.

Who knows if these are all temporary side effects. I’m hoping not of course. For now, I enjoy experimenting with the high fat/low carb diet effects. Since now when I wake in the morning, I am awake, I have more time in the day. Seriously, I experience no grogginess upon waking. I also no longer nap. I have been a napping girl for years. YEARS. I stopped napping the day I switched my diet.

So, on Saturday (2/24), I decided to run-hike a loop in Crystal Cove/Laguna Wilderness that has been a struggle for me over the past few years. I chose this loop because 1) It’s relatively close by and I had limited time due to the fact that I needed to get my two youngest boys to their music lessons, and 2) I wanted to see if my newfound energy would affect the misery level of this run. The route: From Ridge Park in Newport Beach: No-Name Ridge to No Dogs to the Pacific Ocean (all pretty much down hill). For the climb out: El Moro Canyon to Slow & Easy to Boomer Ridge back to truck.

I got out of the house fairly early (about 7:10 am). The temperature read 38F in Dana Point. It had warmed up a bit by the time I arrived to Ridge Park in Newport Coast. The streets were already lined with cars dumping out cyclists, runners and hikers onto the trails. The mood was definitely festive! I hit the dirt on an empty stomach being that I am also intermittent fasting, which basically means that I fast for 16 hours before eating (this by the way is simple because much of the 16 hours is done while I’m sleeping!). Anyway, I have never put in a grueling run or hike without some sort of fuel. I packed calories (almonds) just in case my body began breaking down.

The results: I ran down to the Pacific Ocean with very good energy. I didn’t miss the gloves that I accidentally left at home, as I warmed up pretty quickly. The ocean was beautiful with a crisp horizon line. I lingered there with the sand beneath my shoes for a bit, not looking forward to the climb out. I will not deny that the climb out was tough. But the thing that I noticed was that after the really hellish parts, I rebounded very quickly. Pretty much as soon as I hit flat ground. I never once needed to sit at the side of the trail to rest (that’s how bad it had gotten for me!).  And I never felt the need for fuel. But I did drink up, more so than I usually do.

 

The trip was 9.75 miles long with 1,284’ of elevation gain. I had more energy than I’ve had in years. I rebounded quickly. I did not need fuel. And I did not nap all day. I promised myself at least a month of ketogenic dieting. Today as I write this, I am on day 14, and as it stands now, the benefits of ketogenic eating are too great to go back. (5 pounds down also)

Link to my shaky video diary of the run: My More Energy Run

The Cost of Trail Running

Day 25 of my Fitness Streak, it appears I’m getting my running legs back.  Right now, I’m darn near ready to crash and sleep.  My lids are so heavy, I’m not even sure what I’m typing.

I decided for a change of scenery this morning and headed off to Newport Coast.  I took the toll road and made an effort to look at the toll cost as I drove through the sensor.  One way cost me $6.75.  Yikes!  Double that for the entire trip and that’s a good chunk to add to the cost of today’s trail run.  This hardly fazed me.  I learned early on, that despite my initial thoughts, running is not free – especially trail running.  Seems like I’m constantly forking out cash for small ticket items and large – fuel (like gels, bars), electrolytes, hats, sunglasses, athletic tape, pack, pack essentials like pepper spray, etc., etc.  The cost is worth it though – what I get in return is priceless.  

At about mile 3, heading down to the ocean:

A quick stop at the beach:

Heading back up El Moro Canyon back to Bommer Ridge to complete today’s loop:

9.67 miles of happy times:

Change of Plans

I woke with a sore throat and considered not running.  Every time I run with a sore throat it seems that I get sicker and lose more time from training.  But I’ve already lost so much time.   I must get in the miles.  There really is no time to lose.  I dosed up on the vitamin C, got the boys breakfast and off to school before making my decision.  I chose to change my original grueling hill training run for a more relaxed 12 mile run. 

I didn’t take any pain relievers so that I could tell whether my throat worsened.  And I debated whether to drive up into the mountains for The Candy Store Run or to run local trails.  Wanting a change of scenery, I decided against the mountains (because there’s the extra 2 hours driving time), and chose parks I don’t often run:  Laguna Wilderness and Crystal Cove. 

These two parks are rather popular, much more than Aliso/Wood Canyons (my stomping grounds).  I think the reason for the popularity is the vast ocean views most of the trails provide.  I suppose they aren’t among my favorites because I live at the seaside.  Standing on my front porch I can see a sliver of the ocean.  If I walk a short block and a half up, I have literally a 180 degree ocean view (my town is kind of in a giant cove). 

Running No-Name Ridge into Crystal Cove:

My throat hurt when swallowing, my calves and shins tightened with each step I ran down toward the sea.  Stopping twice to stretch, I decided the tightness was probably early signs of plantar fasciitis rearing its ugly head again.  I decided to tape my arches once I reached the ranger station approximately 3.5 miles away.  Then as if instantly, at 1.5 miles, my calves and shins felt perfectly fine. 

Very soon, I ran in awe of the coastal beauty.  I was also surprised how many hikers I came upon on this weekday morning – dozens. 

A quick pose before final descent to the ranger station:

Not wanting to waste time, I decided to skip taping at the ranger station.  Instead, I ran out to the ocean for a quick glimpse of what I take advantage of every day.  The water was a gorgeous deep blue.  White water rushed up to my feet.  I jumped back to avoid wet shoes.  Then I stopped briefly to run my hand through the fine sand in search of beach glass.  (Yes, we collect beach glass in our home.)  Coming up empty handed I ran back underneath the highway and headed up to Moro Ridge.  I decided on B.F.I. (Big F****ing Incline) to take me there.  The trail is named appropriately.

Onward to the ocean:

Relieved to finally make the ridge, I soon ran right back down to near sea level because I simply have to run El Moro Canyon.  It’s not quite a brutal run, and it’s beautiful down there.  Only thing is, since I had run all the way back down, all my B.F.I. progress was lost, and I had to climb back out.  I forgot all about my throat.  It felt good to have sweat run down my face. 

I took Nice and Easy Trail for the final ascent which wasn’t easy at all, though it was nice.  I suppose it was easier than the alternative, Elevator Trail.  The trail I took lasted so long however, that I wished that I had chosen Elevator, which gets you to the ridge REALLY quickly.

I’m delighted I changed my plans today instead of resting up.  Yes, today’s run was still a tad grueling.  But it was WELL worth it.  I’ve got both arches taped up tonight.  And best thing is, I don’t have a sore throat right now.  Here’s to hoping I can stay well! 

Change of Scenery / Day Two of Hard Week

I should have wondered why I didn’t see a single other runner this morning.  I even only saw a few hikers.  I’ll tell you why no one was out in The Laguna Wilderness or Crystal Cove this morning.  No one came out to play because it was so humid, the air was so thick, even breathing was laborious. 

When I arrived home, my back and hands cramping, I told my husband, “That was hard!” 

“How many miles did you run?” he asked.

“Fourteen.”

“And you expected it to be . . . ?”

I did kind of expect a breeze since I ran so close to the ocean.  I did expect lower temperatures since the skies were overcast.  Expect the unexpected is what I often say.  Today was case in point.

Running in these adverse conditions has got to make me stronger.  Besides that – the trails were gorgeous.  AND, I rarely run these parks, so I needed to guess a 14 mile route.  Can you believe, I was almost right on.

Running No-Name Ridge (seriously that’s the trail’s name), headed toward No-DogsTrail (yup):

Making a turn at bottom of Crystal Cove to run up El Moro Canyon:

I LOVE EL MORO CANYON:

After a (kinda) quick jaunt up Nice and Easily Trail (which wasn’t so easy, but it was nice), I hopped onto Missing Link (below):

From Missing Link I ran El Moro Ridge looking for my second favorite trail here, Old Emerald Falls.  As usual, I made a wrong turn, so I got a little extra mileage added on searching:

Finishing up Old Emerald Falls:

Climbing the wretched Emerald Canyon:

Almost to the top (Bommer Ridge):

An exhilarating roller coaster profile:

Mile 1,500 Hit and Under Unsafe Conditions : )

The fact that I neared mile 1,500 for 2011 slipped my mind this morning.  I simply wanted a nice long run, say 15 miles.  I also wanted something a little different.  I opted for Crystal Cove State Park because I thought the ocean views would be gorgeous with these Santa Ana winds blowing.

When I arrived to the trails, a man from the OC Parks department parked his truck at the entrance with a tall, antennae-like measuring device.  Worried the park was closed he assured me that he was just watching for fires and that I should call 911 if I see anyone smoking or any smoke whatsoever. (12/6/11 after note:  Would I call 911 if someone were smoking a cigarette in the park?  Firstly, I never have seen anyone smoking on the trails.  But if I did on this particular day, I would NOT call 911.  BUT, I am at least bold enough that I would tell the person that an OC Park Authority told me to call if I saw someone smoking, and that they should put out their smoke.  I would be friendly and explain why it was important on this particular day.  In all honesty, as an ex-smoker however, I believe a smoker would have great difficulty even hiking these trails.)

And then I was off running through the county park Laguna Wilderness, quickly into the State Park, Crystal Cove.  The wind blew cold, but it was dry.  Bundled up and joyfully running the rolling hills of No-Name Ridge, a ranger parked at the side of the trail waved me over.  “I need to talk to you,” she said.  “You have to leave, the park is now closed.”

“Closed?”

“Yes, it’s a red-flag alert, stage 4 warning.  Winds.”

You know, I could start a fire, like when I throw my cigarette butt.  Or perhaps when I decide to light an open fire to warm my hands.  Or maybe, I’ll run so fast, the sparks from my shoes will start one!

Stalling for a few seconds to think, I asked, “Do you need to drive me out?”  And I thought to myself, I drove 22 miles to get here and now after 2 miles, I’m going to turnaround and run back to the truck.  I DON’T THINK SO.

“Well,” the ranger said, “did you park up there?” she moved her head indicating the area I had parked. 

“No,” I said.  I ACTUALLY LIED.  Shocked and even a bit dismayed, but also a little ticked I continued, “I parked down there,” and moved my head in the direction of the coast where I had NOT parked.

Yikes.

“Okay,” she said.  “Go ahead and run down to the parking lot and leave.”

A little giddy that I had prolonged my run, I continued the lovely rolling hills, thinking I’d just sneak past the ranger station and make my way to a single track and then eventually Laguna Wilderness (which was not closed).  I studied the trails in the distance carefully to see which ones to avoid, the most visible from No-Name Ridge.

At some point during this glorious run, the ranger drove past me toward the station.  Man!!!  Now she was going to know I lied, because the parking lot was probably empty.  What to say, what to say?  I thought about this for the last half mile into the station.  I thought I could say, "I parked down the highway in North Laguna.  Or, I took a bus.  Or, okay, I LIED.”

With her truck license plate committed to memory, I ran on into the station, relieved to see the lot full with several cars, most of them driving away.  I noted the ranger’s truck parked among several other state trucks.  And as I studied the map, another ranger, a man said, “'Mam.  Did you see the sign?  The parked is closed.  You have to leave.”

‘Mam?  ‘Mam?  Don’t call me ‘Mam!  I suppose I was just a little annoyed.  What was I going to do now?

“I didn’t see any signs,” I snapped.  That was the truth.  But I saw the signs as I walked away dismayed.  The gates to the park were closed with “Do Not Enter” warnings posted.

With the rangers out of sight, I removed my red shirt so that they might not recognize me later wearing the blue shirt I wore beneath.  Then I removed my cap, looked behind me and walked out of the park like I was leaving.  But instead, I jumped over the chain and “closed” sign onto the trail leading to El Moro Canyon. 

I peered over my shoulder relieved that I couldn’t see the ranger station.  Then I came upon another closed sign at El Moro Canyon.  Running with my ipod off, I ran up that trail, listening closely for truck sounds.  I noticed no tire prints on the trail, but still I worried.  I’m not a liar.  I don’t run from rangers.  I was worried, because I knew that I was going to jump into the brush and hide if a truck came by.  What kind of 46-year-old woman does that???  I surprised myself.

I also hugged the left edge during the portions where No-Name overlooked the trail.  And then I came upon a hiker.  “Do you work here?” My question reminded me of those movies where the drug dealers or prostitutes ask a prospective client, “Are you a cop?”

He said that he didn’t work there and upon more questioning, I learned he hadn’t seen any rangers in the canyon, and in fact had never, ever seen a ranger in the canyon.  That’s when I eased up and continued through the wispy canyon, up Elevator and along Fence Line until I finally hit Bommer Ridge – that’s when I was safe – Ahh, Laguna Wilderness.  I ran on in against the cool wind, happy that I had not been cited.  It wasn’t until I looked at my garmin did I realize that I had hit 1,500 miles for 2011. 

What a way to hit 1,500 miles.  My husband cracked up when I told him.  You can bet, my sons didn’t hear this story. 

Yes, it was that chilly this morning:

Pacific Ocean in background, running down to Crystal Cove ranger station:

I don’t think so:  (I hope I can’t be cited after the fact)

Past the sign, on my way up El Moro Canyon:

The beauty of El Moro Canyon:

Running up Elevator:

A look back:

Quick pose on Fence Line:

9.09 miles logged this morning: