Mercy Hike

My husband knows when I need to get out and wander. Years ago, he used to plead with me to get out and hit the trails (on my lazy days that is – otherwise I was driving on the road before sunrise). Now that I am without wheels, hitting the trails is difficult. It’s always somewhat difficult but now, almost impossible because I just cannot take the only car we have right now and head off to the mountains. It doesn’t seem fair. In fact, it seems selfish. I don’t want to be selfish.

This past Thursday, I mumbled something about trying to get out the next day for a hike. My husband jumped at the idea and offered to come along. Usually, I do the asking. But he offered. So, the last Friday in January (1/27), we headed out the door at about 9:30 am for a nice long stroll along The Great Suburban Trail, known by everyone else as Arroyo Trabuco Trail. After a 20 minute commute, we parked in the lot of a small Las Flores park. Then we crossed Antonio Parkway and caught a trail that took us behind a planned community where we hiked down a steep service road to Tijeras Creek Trail for a 12+ mile stroll to O’Neill Park and back.

The Green of a Southern California winter surrounded us. Chartreuse colored carpets of grass filled the meadows, clumps of green mistletoe hung from giant sycamores. Tijeras and Arroyo Trabuco were both flowing nicely, in addition to multiple tributaries meandering throughout the basin. Scrambling through the brush, we couldn’t find a place to cross Tijeras Creek, so for the first creek crossing, I removed my shoes and socks and waded through the ice cold water over hard slippery rocks. Well, that was enough of that. There were just too many crossings to do this every time.

Tijeras Creek Crossing:

Near Tijeras Creek & Arroyo Trabuco Creek Junction:

Felt so good to get out and get my legs moving. I didn’t mind the wet feet. I even packed a spare pair of socks that I didn’t change into. I admit, I was a little tired on the return. But I like that feeling – it’s familiar, and it’s rewarding. I often use the words “trashed” or “thrashed” to describe that feeling of really overworking the body. Well, I didn’t get trashed on this adventure. But it was close. Toward the end,  I was beginning to feel it in my hamstrings and quads. (Hurts so good!)

Back at home, I thanked my husband for my mercy hike.

He asked, “Is that what that was?”

“Perhaps.”

“ Well, I sometimes have you do things you don’t really want to do.”

“Indeed.”

More of the Great Suburban Trail:

A little over 12.5 miles

Winter Was My Season

Thursday March 25, I specifically set out for flat trails. There’s only one place best for that. I headed out to Arroyo Trabuco (the Great Suburban Trail!) of course. I guess that I was a little distracted as I packed because I forgot my beanie and gloves. And it was cold. Boy was it cold. The skies were gray and the trails were empty. Empty and eerie.

Rummaging through my pack, I found my thin buff and wrapped that around my head and neck. Then I zipped up tight and made my way down Tijeras Creek Trail. From there I hiked to Arroyo Trabuco. By then my shoes were wet, as Tijeras Creek was too full to hop the rocks across.

@ the Tijeras Creek / Arroyo Trabuco junction:

Trabuco Creek nice and easy crossing:

My shoes had plenty of time to dry out along Arroyo Trabuco Trail. The creek crossings had more than enough rocks to hop across. I had also warmed up a bit, but remained zipped all the way up, with much of my face, head and neck covered.  At about the 4 mile mark it began to drizzle. I sat beneath a tree that provided ample cover along a dry creek bed and ate my first meal of the day – beef stick, nuts, dried fruit. It was a lovely. But then the rain came down harder and fell right through my tree. I grabbed my stuff and ran back to the more heavily forested area and stood in the trees’ shadows and took in the rain. It was beautiful.  

As quickly as the rain blew in, it stopped and I decided to head back. I saw a couple of people along the way, a guy on a bike, and a woman on foot. At one point, while walking beneath a tall canopy of trees, I heard the familiar sound of a branch or trunk squeaking in the wind. Oh boy, that caught my attention. The first time I heard that sound was about 35 years ago, I was playing frisbee in a forested area near Walnut Creek in Covina with my husband (then boyfriend) and his friends when we all stood still to listen to a strange creaking sound. And then, before our eyes, a 30 foot tree crashed to the ground. Many years later, as I sat in the Holy Jim parking lot in Trabuco Canyon, I heard that same strange creaking sound coming from above. And then right before my eyes, I watched a giant branch fall several stories high, smashing into the ground below, barely missing the cars parked there. And so, having heard this creaking again, I did the only thing that came to mind. I quickly ran ahead out of the wooded area. Then I stood back and watched. Nothing fell this time. I hope that when it does, it does off trail or when no one is around!

The season was surely spring as evidenced by all the flowers. But it was definitely like a winter day. I sure relished it because I knew it would most likely be my last until next winter. Winter was my season this year. I am grateful for it.

8.54 mi with 1,431 ft of elevation gain (not exactly flat, I know, but these trails definitely seem flat in comparison to other trails).

Arroyo Trabuco

July 18, the day after my day off from three in a row (two short runs, then a hike), I knew I needed to get back out and run if I wanted to eventually latch onto that wonderful thing called momentum. HOWEVER, I absolutely did not want to do this. I had already had a full day and was not at all in the mood to run. It is kind of discouraging when you're starting over. And so therefore, I waited until the very last possible minute to run and get it in before dark. At about 7:30 pm, I drove down to the Marine Institute and ran 2.51 miles in the Dana Point Harbor. I did not like it. Except at the end. When it was over. I liked it.

The next day (July 19, it was a Friday), I wanted a nice long hike, something easy, something relatively flat, and something long. Best place for that was Arroyo Trabuco Trail. I chose a 12ish mile out-and-back with a turnaround point in O'Neill Park (lovely!). I hit the trails at about 1pm, so undoubtedly, it was warm. But I got lots of shade (which is the reason that I chose Arroyo Trabuco in the first place). I saw very few people on the trail. I also saw two bull dozers from it appeared the fire department plowing the trail.  For the most part, the hike was uneventful, just easy going and in the NOW. The most eventful moment was when bushwhacking on Tijeras Trail, as I stood in the middle of a field after having lost the the single track trail, something ran past me and brushed into my leg. That something was little, I was thinking little like a mouse, but I really have no idea because as soon as I felt it, I ran. 

Best 12.86 miles in a long time! 

Later

What do you do when your running is suffering (utterly failing), you doubt that you even want to do it anymore, and you can’t find time to pull your wits together and figure out what to do about it?  Well, um . . . you get out there and run when you can, and figure it out later.  That’s what I say.  Later.

Later.  I like that word.

Let it be said. Let it be done. 

Monday, after making lunches and breakfasts I took off out my front door for a run along the southern beaches.  Word was, waves had been ten to twelve feet the days prior.  Although we live a mere half mile from the sand, I had not ventured down to see the spectacular show.  Monday, the waves were still strong, but evidence of the past day’s destruction was stronger.  What used to be asphalt parking lots were covered with sand and rocks.  The volleyball courts in the sand were washed away.  Cement benches and trash receptacles were strewn about like toys. 

I had to pick up my pace some to get home in time.  In all, I ran 5.12 miles (8.24 km), with a lovely flat 171’ (52.12’) of elevation gain.  After this, I picked up boy number one from school, prepped to teach a PowerPoint class, then picked up boy number two, showered, dressed, ate dinner and drove off to teach my one class for the day. 

I did not get out again until Thursday – and it took several hours after waking at 6AM.  Of course there were lunches to pack, breakfasts to make, boys to drop off at school, not to mention two cups of coffee to down.  But I also needed to do some grocery shopping.  Finally at about 10:30 AM, I hit the trails in Aliso/Wood Canyons for a good-size loop up to Top of The World for a grand view of the Pacific Ocean.  Word was that rain would fall soon, but the skies were blue when I set off.  Fearing rain, not to mention being squeezed for time, I cut Wood Canyon short and ran up Mathis – the very first trail I ever took to the top.  Honestly, I hiked much of Mathis on Thursday, and I was okay with that.  Hell, it’s pretty close to a miracle that I can make it up Mathis without crawling, or stooping beneath the shade of a shrub and sobbing for that matter.  

In all, I put in 9.3 miles (14.97 km) with 1,140’ (347.47 m) of elevation gain. Mere sprinkles of rain fell during it all, but winds were strong.   Back at home, I showered and got ready for an AB86 meeting at the local community college in a record fifteen minutes.  (I didn’t have time to do my hair, but I was clean. I jumped in the truck barefoot, knowing that I had some black pumps in the back seat, and drove my oldest up at the high school for a study session as I headed off to my meeting.  Hardy laugh . . .  when I got a fright after my son peered toward the back seat and said, “Why is there only one shoe on the seat?”  He knew I was rushed and thought that was a funny joke.  Me, not so much so.)

Friday, I spent all day at a seminar, of which I was a break-out group facilitator.  After the break-out session, I presented our discussion in front of the entire seminar crowd.  And when I didn’t think that I would feel nervous at all (because I am so used to speaking in front of groups of adults), I found myself quite nervous.  That wiped me out.  I mean, really!  I am 50 years old, I speak in front of people lot of times!  However, speaking in front of students is a completely different thing than speaking in front of colleagues and superiors in your field.  Whew!  I crashed hard Friday night. 

Finally, this morning (Saturday) I hit the trails again around 11 AM in Las Flores.  I took Tijeras Creek Trail down to Arroyo Trabuco Trail (a semi-usual stomping ground).  With a down pour of rain on Friday, I hoped for full creeks.  But alas, they flowed only slightly fuller than the last time I visited these trails. 

It was a difficult time this morning with dark cloudy skies.  I felt tired and depressed, but I put my head down (I know, bad form) and ran nonetheless.  At one point, I came up on a man carrying a giant cross covered with red and white roses on this lonely trail.  Following closely behind him were at least one-hundred other hikers, many with red and white roses in their hair.  How odd this felt to encounter so many other people on a trail that I rarely see one other soul.   Their presence was so spectacular I wanted to snap a photo, but then re-thought that, since they were on some type of religious journey.  I didn’t want to intrude on that.  They definitely lifted my spirits for part of this run.   I always fin it uplifting to encounter other travelers along a lonely road. 

Chubby me, hitting the trails (and I don’t mean chubby as a derogatory term, but merely a descriptive word because I am a little frustrated about being out-of-shape – but I will overcome!):

I got in 9.72 miles (15.64 km) today along Arroyo Trabuco, with 650’ (198.12 m) of elevation gain.  The week’s not over, and my feet managed twenty-four miles running.  And as usual, I am definitely better for it.  Later I will think about what the hell I am doing and what my plans are.  Until then . . . I will smile.  That’s all I can promise, a smile. 

Why Run

A week out from falling ill, I couldn’t stand it anymore, and hit the trails, some nice and mellow trails: Tijeras Creek and Arroyo Trabuco.  I wasn’t quite up to running, still congested and coughing, and a bit down in the dumps. Why can’t I just get sick like normal people, get through it and come out raring to go?  I sure do not suffer illness well. When I get sick and physically weak, I also grow mentally weak.  I get depressed and anxious.  I am happy to report that I see the end of the tunnel now.  But I have some climbing out to do, more so mentally than physically.  I’m just coming around to being okay with myself, opposed to the self-loathing that attacks alongside physical illness. 

Of course, I second guessed whether I should hit the trails this past Thursday.  A boy from long ago named Tim Cammack came to mind.   I went to school with Tim Cammack, oh more than thirty years ago.  He was a super star cross country runner in high school – a true super star.  He was also a nice guy.  He fell ill with the flu, for about a week, perhaps longer, then went out for a run one afternoon, not fully-recovered.  He never came back.  Tim died running.  Everyone said that he was too weak still to run.  His death was a big blow to the community.  People questioned again and again, “Why did Tim run when he was not well enough?”  I do not know how sick Tim was.  But I probably understand why he ran.  He may have ran because he had to run.  Maybe he wanted himself back, maybe he was tired of being weak, or he was afraid of losing ground, losing some of his endurance.  Maybe he wanted to escape himself and experience the now, and leave all that weakness behind in bed.   Maybe he just wanted to feel better. 

That’s why I hit the trails on Thursday.  I wanted to feel better.  I ran 9 miles along Arroyo Trabuco.  It was laborious, much more so than usual.  And I tired easily.  I didn’t push myself at all.  I merely ran lackadaisically (more so than usual ).  Good news is, I felt better.   But it didn’t help push the illness out of body quicker.  I am still sick.  Regardless, I got time to reflect on things, put my life in perspective.  I remembered Tim.  I remembered his good friends, one whom I became friends with in college.  It was good to think about old times.  And it was good to reflect on why we do the things we do, and how time goes on and that we heal, and we remember, and we learn.  I like that.

Thursday’s run:

Summertime Rain Makes Arroyo Trabuco A Sauna

A couple newsworthy items as far as Me goes:  1)  We got a couple days worth of rain (though light) here in Southern California, and 2)  I have officially killed another camera.  Yes.  She is dead. 

Because I couldn’t drag myself out of bed this morning, I didn’t hit Arroyo Trabuco Trail until 1 o’ clock in the afternoon (13:00!).  And I paid.  All that rain put some water into the creeks, but it also put some humidity into the air, creating what seemed like a sauna.  After wasting way too much time fretting over my camera, which I feared dead and have since deemed dead, I took off into this sauna only slightly sluggish, but also with a slight pep in my step.  Why the pep?  Because I missed the trails.  Even in this love-hate relationship I’ve got going right now with my running and fitness, I still miss my wonderful, yet sauna-like friend today, the wonderful meandering rolling hills of Arroyo Trabuco Trail

Aye – just because my camera has died doesn’t mean I can’t snap photos – I have my trusty (non-smart) phone which can conjure up some pleasant photos.  This one was taken crossing Tijeras Creek, on my way to Arroyo Trabuco Trail.  I was already sweating buckets, but was okay with that.

Coming up on Arroyo Trabuco:

It all looks so shady and cool in the photos above.  Truth is – the humidity  was sweltering.  I was able to tough it out, only because I know that misery comes in much greater forms, and in comparison, today was really not that miserable.  I was after all on the trails, and I had all this familiar ground to visit – like seeing an old friend.  And seeing an old friend is one of the most joyous things in life. 

I’m hoping that these sauna-like conditions will help push me out of bed tomorrow for an earlier start.  Here’s to hope!

Triple Digits

I went out for a run in misty winter weather, California winter that is.  My goal: run a minimum of nine miles so that I can hit triple digits for January’s mileage.  It’s been a few months since I’ve had a triple digit month.  Now that I’m training for Twin Peaks, I’ve got to get my mileage up.

Turns out, my mood was low, quite low.  I didn’t really want to run.  But once I got out of my truck, I knew that running would be the best thing for me.  And it was.

I began at Oak Tree Park in Las Flores, ran down Antonio Parkway and caught the Tijeras Creek trailhead.  I took that down to Arroyo Trabuco, a flatish trail, all the way to O’Neill Park (which rests at the base of the Saddleback Mountains).

The trails were nearly empty.  I saw one runner.  He was wearing a shirt that read, “Freedom Run,” and I saw him on the way out and on the way back (we ran in opposite directions).  Other than that runner, I saw only two other people, a man and woman riding their mountain bikes together.

I had six creek crossings on the way out, the same on the way back.  I did not get one toe wet. (Yay!) With a mile remaining, I got some light rain.  So, I quickly stopped and packed up my phone, camera and ipod.  The remainder of the way in, I could hear the bunnies and squirrels and little birdies scampering about in the brush and leaf litter, apparently in preparation of the rain.

A lovely run.  Miles logged:  12

Tijeras Creek Trail:

Arroyo Trabuco:

Time to turnaround (O’Neill Park):

Taking Arroyo Trabuco on the “back”: