What a Relief!

Day 28 of my '”Fitness Streak,” I thought I’d merely put in the minimum.  I just had too much to do.  To make time even tighter, today was late-in day (for school) for one boy, and early-out day for the two others.  Why are school schedules so complicated nowadays? 

Eventually, I decided to squeeze in a local run between chores. drop-offs, and pick-ups.  This of course meant A ROAD RUN.  Yes!  Another road run.  I really do need road runs more often because I run faster on the road.  You see, I have inadvertently trained myself to run slowly by running high elevation gain trail runs pretty much all the time.  Because of this my legs aren’t used to a quick turnaround.

Thing is, my heel has chronic pain now which I haven’t written much about.  And I only have a little left of the tape that works.  So, I used the “professional” tape I purchased recently at a sporting goods store.  And after wrapping my foot, it did nothing to ease the pain.  NOTHING.  Big waste of $4.  On the good side, the pain forced me to focus more on a mid food strike.  (Right now I’m sitting with my foot elevated taped in the “good” tape, and I have some relief).

SO, I ran down to Doheny Beach and ran the straight away alongside the shore all the way to Capo (Capistrano Beach).  These are rocky beaches, with tons of wet rocks and pebbles that glistened beneath the warm sun.  The birds seemed to like the wet rocks too.  Hundreds of seagulls meandered about undisturbed (until I decided to pay them a visit for a photo-op). 

I stopped running where the sidewalk ends, and turned around headed for the wharf.  The wharf was lovely as usual.  No crowds this afternoon.  I photographed some more elephants from our “Elephant Parade,” and made it back home with seven miles logged.  What a relief to get in a run!

Gateway to the Past – the entryway into Doheny Beach up until the 1930’s.  I think they should still use it:

Birdies:
Elephant Parade:

On the Road Again . . .

Yesterday (Friday) a day off from my regular job, I would have spent resting, or running.  But, I took a substitute assignment for K-2nd grade special education children.  I’ve subbed this class before.  I know the children.  They are precious.  Just like all children, they are a “handful.”  I returned home more tired than if I had run for 6.5 hours instead of subbed.  I mean, I WAS WIPED OUT.  How can that be?  How can working with children for a day tire me more than running for a day. 

Still, I packed my gear, set out my shoes and clothes for a 14 mile mountain run this morning.  Then I walked outdoors barefoot.  You’d think I would know better.  We have these trees, in fact three of them, called Tristania Conferta.  They are lovely evergreens with yellowish flower clusters.  Its fruit is a woody capsule, a pointy, sharp, hard, woody capsule.  These litter our front and back yards.  My husband wants to get rid of the trees but hasn’t due to my protests.  I think they are beautiful.  But those woody fruit capsules have taken me down many a time.  They hurt!  Well, I stepped on one last night.  As I sensed my foot come down on the point, I wiggled my body in some crazy contorted way, such that I pulled my inner thigh muscle.    I walked around the remainder of the night, kind of dragging my left leg, hunched forward like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

To cut an already too long story short, I woke at 4:00 AM, made a two cup pot of coffee, sat on the couch, then decided I could never do this.  I couldn’t get myself out to the car and drive to the mountains for a run.  I was much too tired, and my inner thigh still wasn’t quite right.  So, I fell back asleep, this time on the couch.

This does not mean that I didn’t run today.  I decided to cut today’s 14 miles in two.  I decided to run what I could this afternoon, then run my planned day off (Sunday) the remainder of the 14 miles.

At 1 PM, I set out the door for a road run.  Yes, a road run!  Two whole miles passed before my shins felt painless.  Good news though, my inner thigh felt good from the start.  I came upon dozens of runners, walkers and cyclists, most smiling or nodding a recognition or “hello.”  I felt out-of-shape for most of the run, perhaps because I’m so tired, perhaps because I’m not in tip-top condition.  And I also came to recall the many differences between the road and the trail.  First off, there are cars on the road – lots of them.  Secondly, stop lights dictate when I can go and when I must stop.  Thirdly, people smoke cigarettes in town and at the beach.  I pretty close to never smell cigarettes on the trails.  Fourthly, children and adults alike, meander back and forth along the sidewalk or road, and without notice step right in front of me.  Also, I run past poor homeless souls who have manufactured make-shift homes out of umbrellas and towels.  And on another note, no dirt bikes blow dirt into my face as they race by on the road.  There are no dirt bikes and there is no dirt on the road.  There are also a multitude of drinking fountains during a road run.  I don’t even need to carry a handheld (but I do).  Okay, that’s enough of that.  I could go on and on, but it’s close to bed time. (I’m an early to bed, early to rise gal.)

In all, I managed a tad over 7 miles this afternoon.

Where is the local campground?  Look for the flags . . . I want one of these!  Imagine all the different trails I could run.     An unlikely, yet interesting, Laurenontherun elevation profile (The question is, how did I get 80 feet below sea level?  Must have been while running behind the jetty):

Father’s Day Run (Last Day of “Easy Week”)

Happy Father’s Day!  Fortunately today was my last day of an “easy” week.  Granted “easy” in my training plan doesn’t necessarily mean easy.  It simply means less mileage.  

To lessen my time away from home this Father’s Day, I ran straight out my front door.  That meant (gasp) . . .  A ROAD RUN.  Please do not think I have anything against road runners or road running.  As I’ve written before, nowadays, I’m more a trail runner than I am a runner (if that makes any sense). 

I admit, I had a delightful run.  And I was sure to make it a hilly one.  I got in some sand running, and a bit of trails too.  I saw LOTS of other runners and ran through crowds of people.  Also, the wind blew hard the entire six miles.  Amazingly and rather hilariously, every direction I turned, the wind blew straight-on into my face. 

Running down to Dana Strands:

Some seaside running:

Lots of steps to run up to get back to town:

“Headlands” trails:

Overlooking the marina (where I first began running):

A rare looking elevation profile:

Again, happy Father’s Day to all you fathers out there.  Me & Dad pictured below (oh ya, and Mickey too):

After 42 Consecutive Days . . .

After 42 consecutive days of running, I am not injured.  That is a hoot because I have often read that people over forty should not run every day, else risk injury.  It’s also a hoot  because prior to 2011 I was Ms. Injury.  Keep in mind that I have been working on my form, actually changed it back in early 2011.  And I’m still working on perfecting it.  I also stretch after every run.  I never stretch before I run.  I foam roll every day, and do some hip and glute exercises every day. 

After 42 consecutive days of running, my legs feel heavier, as in tighter and stronger, like they are harder with more muscle.  I occasionally have felt little aches along right IT band (always the right).  But have been able to “iron” them out over night (so far!).

After 42 consecutive days of running, I am tired.  I nap more often; sometimes twice a day.  I also consume way more calories than normal, and as such am fearful of the scale.

Today, I put in a nice and easy 5.09 miles running at the beach – very little running on the sand.  I ran mostly on asphalt and sidewalk all the way to where the sidewalk ends.  Then I turned around and ran home.

Surf & sand and a thousand birds

And this guy takes the lead . . .

“Where the sidewalk ends.”

One of those days, when I just can’t get out the door . . .

5:30 AM my cellphone sang its annoying tune for an early long run that I had planned in pretty good detail.  I woke promptly, made a pot of coffee.  As it brewed, I booted up my laptop, surfed the net.  Then I drank one cup of coffee, turned off the computer, pulled a blanket off the living room floor and fell back asleep on the couch.

Perhaps I should have gotten everything ready last night – clothes, pack, etc.  But I didn’t.  I really wasn’t THAT tired.   I could have run the huge elevation I had planned.  But it was cold out.  And you know what?   I just couldn’t get myself out there.  You’d think I was past of the age of feeling guilty over running.   But I really felt badly for not dragging my butt off the couch.

9:00, the first one to wake during this spring break Wednesday, was my middle boy.  I finally woke, amazed that I had slept in so late after going to bed at 9:30 PM.  Yikes. (I guess I was tired).

Though it’s spring break for me and our three boys, it is not for hubby, who works out of the home office.  This means of course, that it’s mainly me and the boys, that there’s little time, except when everyone’s sleeping for me to squeeze in a run.  Anyway, I really felt like I needed a run.  Except for floor exercises, I haven’t got in any exercise since Sunday!

Today is Wednesday.  I thought spring break was going to make things easier.  Actually, for the opposite is the case.

But I gotta run.  SO.  Today I went for a lackadaisical run.  I needed to mail a bill, so I ran to the post office.  After that, I simply ran some more.

Now’s a good time to clarify something.   I really have nothing  against road runners.  I hope I have not insulted road runners.  Sure, I joke and make comments about running roads.  But heck, I started off running roads.  Overall, I personally do not prefer running the road for many reasons, 1) is drivers (that is automobiles)  2) is there’s much more impact on the body, plus many more reasons I have pointed out in various blogs.  In the end, we are all runners, road or trail.  I respect and admire all runners, road or trail.

Today, on a total whim  I decided to run to the headlands and ran the entire trail system there, then down to the beach (Dana Strands) and continued on through the next two beaches (Salt Creek & Monarch Beach).

Today’s afternoon run began at 2PM (I very rarely run afternoons) and it was relatively short.  I vividly remember when my long runs were 3 miles.  I had to push through those, even when I didn’t feel like it, for a few years before I could call today’s run a short run. 

Anyway, since this was a “short” run, I hope not to spend too much time writing about it (that’s a laugh, most times I write and write and write).  I will say this:  I witnessed mystifying sea creatures (anemones, coral, muscles).   A perfectly cool wind blew against my face, so delightful that I didn’t want it to end.  The tide was low therefore allowing lots of wet sand to run upon.  Plenty of pelicans swept down low, an amazing mere inches above the sea.  And the hill I ran up to get off the beaches, I used to have to walk backward in my twenties in order to move onward.

A few pictures from today’s 7.26 mile lackadaisical  afternoon run:

Overlooking marina from the headlands trail system:

Lovely purple flowers on the headlands

Headland trails (they REALLY want to make sure we stay on trail)

Tide pools (Dana Strands)

Beach Running

Monarch Beach

Running back up to town (through Salt Creek Beach)

Running beneath road (homeward bound)

Total Miles logged this afternoon:  7.26

Got to Love an Adventure

Perhaps I am certifiably insane.  Perhaps I’m merely an explorer.  I don’t know.  I just love an adventure and I probably spend too much time on my hair-brained ideas.

Today’s concoction:  Run the bike path (or the riverwalk, as I call it) above San Juan Creek.  But instead of running into the historic district and downtown San Juan Capistrano as I usually do when I run the riverwalk, I planned to turn off and follow the bike trail that I pass over on the freeway almost every day.

So I strapped on my pack full of water and other essentials and headed down the highway.  About a mile in, I realized my hands were empty and I gasped, “I forgot my water!”

Uhhh, Lauren, your water’s on your back. 

Funny how the brain confuses.  I never wear a pack when I run the road.  Today though, I wasn’t sure where I’d end up, so I put on the pack.

I took Sycamore Creek Trail to the “Riverwalk".  No creek runs along this trail.  Though some small Sycamores grow along the side.  Actually, the trail runs through an exercise park with a dozen or so stations along the way.

Exercise, Exercise, Come on Everybody do your Exercise

Running along the “riverwalk” aka bike path – Enjoyable?  Yes.  Hot?  Yes!  The cement path offers very little shade opportunities.  Though the sound of rushing water helped me feel refreshed.

The long, lonely road.  For some reason, just like with trails, I tend to veer to the edge. 

Running beneath the road (Camino Capistrano) meant shade!!  Up head, more shade as I ran beneath the freeway (I-5).

Okay, I didn’t care about the heat about now, because I’m feeling a trail coming on . . .

Ahhhh, yes.  After a quick stop at a water fountain in a park (because I didn’t want to run out of my supply) I happened upon a nice, slightly muddy equestrian trail.  Notice the shade – glorious, glorious shade.  (Today, by the way, was the hottest day in a long time)

I felt good, confident that I knew where I was headed.  My plan: reach a ridge a few miles up. 

There’s only one problem.  I ran this trail until it ended.  I mean ENDED. It ended at the locked gates of the equestrian center on Highway 74.  I couldn’t find any way around it.  And as it was, I was on the wrong side of the creek.  Well, I disobeyed (who me?) the signs that warned to stay on the trail.   There was no way I was turning around and running all the way back.  My plan – cross the creek, or rather creeks at this point and find a trail on the other side.

I crossed the first creek merely submerging my shoes.  The second creek, same thing.  The main creek however flowed rather quickly, and appeared about knee deep.  I scoured the land for a way to cross.  Two ducks swiftly floated by.

When I’d find a trail, I’d take it until I found myself boxed in by shrubbery so thick, I was forced to turn around and take the trail back in search for another trail.  This occurred again and again, the brush was so dense.

Finally I phoned my husband so he could look on the Google Earth and find a way.  He reported that I took the wrong trail – I was on the wrong side of the creek. 

Really?

Noticing mountain lion tracks in the mud (be sure I know my cougar tracks, they are unmistakable once you know them), I told him, I’m just crossing the stream.  “No,” hubby pleaded.  He said that he hated not being there to make sure I didn’t get swept up in the creek.  So while he scoured the satellite maps with the computer freezing up, I talked to him as I crossed the stream.  It wasn’t quite knee deep – I’d say it was 3/4’s calve high.  But it did flow swiftly.  I slipped only once, but made the other side safely.  On the other side – no trails!  Just massive brush.  I ducked beneath branches.  I trampled through poison oak.  Really, I had no choice.  I could see the steep riverbank, but could find no way to it.  Hanging up the phone so that I could concentrate and listen for dangers, I trudged through that stuff knowing I had to get to San Juan Creek Road (according to a very helpful husband who by the way, wasn’t too thrilled about my adventure – but perhaps he’s getting used to this).

Boxed in again.  Ahhh.  Duh!

Finally, I saw the light.  A way up the bank.  I scrambled up that bank to find a massive hunk of thick, knee-high brush.  I plowed my way through that and what do you know!  An equestrian trail!  A lovely, muddy equestrian trail!  Just a little ways a head, I spotted a street sign that read “San Juan Creek Road!” 

When I reached the road, I ran a stretch of pavement with delight in my heart, not to mention flashbacks of those cougar tracks running through my mind. 

Soon I reached the trail I aimed for.  And I ran up to that ridge for a bit of treasure – a view of San Juan Capistrano (I could even see the mission) and behind me, the foothills of The Cleveland National Forest.

I grew extremely fatigued on my (more direct) run back.  At one point, I realized that I would run near our boys’ school about the time my husband picked them up.  (It’s “early out” all week).  So, I put in one more call to cut this run about 3 miles short.  I asked if he could please wait for me and take me home.  My better half offered to better that, and pick me up at my current location.  I insisted that he just wait, perhaps drive up the road from the school and wait for me at the “riverwalk.” 

Turns out, he arrived at the exact same time as I did.  I hopped into the truck, dead-dog tired, happy to see my two youngest, who weren’t so interested in seeing me as they busily planned the rest of their “early-out” day.

Miles logged on this adventure:  11 (though it seemed like so much more!)

To be determined:  status of poison ivy tramping. 

Injuries:  just a few scrapes on the legs.  

ps.  times like this, I feel like the luckiest person on Earth.

pss.  and then I went to work, the students were wonderful, except for one exceptional student I had to “yell down,” and threaten he was out of the program unless he turned in some work today (this after he called me a liar!).  Needless to say, he turned in some work.  And though he still thinks I hate him.  I don’t.  (I could have booted him after the “liar” comment.  But I just don’t have the heart).  Okay, is that TOO MUCH INFO???

It’s so hard to watch people with “talent” for lack of a better word, to waste it.  I on the other hand have no such “talent” (except to be freakishly organized and feel unorganized), but I make do.  And so can you!