Caught out in the Dark (again)

Christmas day wiped me out.  I had hoped to hit the trails 7:00 AM the next day.  Not the case.  It took me all day, the next day to recuperate.  I didn’t hit the trails until 3:30 PM on the 26th, and as I headed into Wood Canyon, I realized it was much too cold out to venture onward without warm clothes.  Problem was, I’m not used to cold weather running, so I forgot my long sleeved shirt.  Fortunately, I have a truck full of junk and was able to scrounge up a beanie and pair of knit gloves from the backseat.  They did wonders keeping me comfy for my 6.4 mile run up to Top of the World and back.  I had to laugh to myself when once again, I got caught out in the dark.  Obviously, I’m also not used to running in the evening.  All’s well that ends well however  The night was beautiful, with birdies and bunnies scampering about as the sun made it’s final descent.  I found myself running back down Cholla Trail a bit cautiously because I could not make out the depth in the ground. And I made my way back up Wood Canyon and Canyon View Park in pitch-black darkness.   

Coming around the bend to Top of the World:Last ascent to Top of the Word (overlooking Laguna Beach, CA):Heading back on West Ridge with a view of Saddleback Mountains (Cleveland National Forest):Gazing at the moon on Cholla Trail:

Crawdads!

This past week has been so hectic, with work and other projects (more later on the “other projects”), that I opted to cross train three days in the gym.  Finally, on the last day of the week (or first day for some), I made it out to the trails in the coastal hills above Laguna Beach.  I ran fifteen miles, and I tried to kick up my heels a bit.  But I was so dang fatigued.  Still, I tried, and that has to amount to something, if not a tiny bit of improvement. 

The best thing about Sunday’s run, besides the fact that my feet were finally pounding dirt, was that the heat had finally broken.  Yes!  There was a cool(ish) breeze blowing my way, and all I could think was, “Thank God!”  I have really let this summer’s heat take its toll on me.  I needed it to end.  And on Sunday it did.  At least for now.  Autumn, my friends, has stepped through the door.  And with autumn, I spotted my first cluster of crawdads.  I don’t know if they suddenly come out in autumn, or if I just happen to notice them in autumn (because I’m not dying from heat otherwise). 

Crawdads playing in the autumn waters

Wood Canyon:

Greetings from Top of the World:

Wood Canyon

My three sons went back to school today.  This made me sad.  They don’t get seemingly endless summer vacations like I did when I was a child.  I used to grow so bored during summer vacation that I was begging to get back to school.  This is not so for my sons.  Summer breaks have shortened by at least a month.  Though we are ready for them to return to school (believe me, VERY ready), they are not.  And I already miss them.  

So, I took my sadness on this overcast day and ran through a lonely Wood Canyon – 7.07 miles, and as usual, was better for it.  Not much to report except for these tranquil scenes:

Catching Up

With life getting increasingly busy lately, I have fallen behind recording my runs.  So, in an effort to quickly catch up, here’s a picture recap of my last run (Wednesday of this week):

Smack-In-The-Middle-Of-The-Afternoon Trail Miles

Still have not managed to get up at the crack of dawn – summer is turning me into a sleepy head.   I did manage to get in  some smack-in-the-middle-of-the-afternoon trail miles today however.  Yes, the weather was extremely hot.  But I’m getting used to that. I quickly exited the canyon (Wood Canyon, which tends to trap in heat for a furnace-like run) and headed for the ridge.  This decision proved to be the best choice with occasional ocean breezes blowing my way.  And go figure, I didn’t see one other runner out there on the trails this afternoon. 

A View from Top of the World:

Misty Summer

Wednesday’s Run:

Miles:  10.39 (16.72 km)

Elevation Gain: 1,243 ft (379 m)

Location:  Aliso/Wood Canyons

Route:  Aliso Creek Trail, Wood Canyon, Meadows, Mentally Sensitive, Top of the World, West Ridge, Mathis, Wood Canyon, Aliso Creek Trail

Weather:  humid, but a deliciously cool and misty summer morning.  Began running in the clouds, ended beneath sunshine.

Heat and Fire

We began this week with heat.  And it got hotter.  I subbed girls P.E. all day Monday and returned home wiped-out.  I practically had to crawl the minimum mile to keep up my Fitness Streak.

Tuesday, temperatures grew to three digits Fahrenheit.  I thought that I really didn’t have a choice but to run, being that this was the only morning I would have available during the week.  And so I headed out to Wood Canyon where I took Cholla to the ridge and ran to Top of the World in Laguna Beach.  I ran 6.64 miles and drank every single drop of my 70 fluid ounces of water.  Yikes.  I fared pretty well though, I’m sure because of my responsible fluid intake. 

I didn’t realize that the fires had started on Tuesday.  Wednesday, we all knew.  Wednesday came through, and the heat blazed down ever hotter.  Someone said 107 degrees, others 104.  Fueled by high winds, wildfires marched their way through San Diego County.   I live in Orange County, which borders San Diego County, where many of my family and friends reside.  I was kept constantly updated through Facebook or texting.  After another P.E. substitute teaching assignment, I was in no shape to get in a run Wednesday afternoon.  I cross-trained at the gym that night. 

Thursday I subbed P.E. again.  It got hotter, and I first began to see blackened skies from a fire in north county (north county being the northern cities of San Diego County).

Views from my parents’ backyard:

From Airport Park, up the road from their home: 

The nighttime heat was even too much for me to attempt a run on Thursday.  I didn’t even make it to the gym to cross-train.  Instead, I stumbled out my minimum mile. 

Today, we have some relief heat-wise, as the temperatures have dropped into the 90’s.  But the fires have reached my county.  Though I subbed P.E. (and home economics) today, all physical activity was called off at the schools.  We sat in air-conditioned rooms instead and watched movies.  Outside, the skies were gray and smoky.  Having not been out in the heat all day however, I was able to drag myself to the gym for some cross-training this afternoon. 

Hoping to run tomorrow.  Going to prepare like I am, but we shall see what the morning brings.  This fire has got to be gone before I run because I’d rather not run in the smoke (views from San Clemente, the city south of us):

Dirt Paths and Tracks

Day 24:  Ran 10.34 miles (16.64 km) in Aliso Wood Canyons.  I ran the canyon route along a shady dirt path.  Then I took a detour off to one of my happy places, Cave Rock Trail.  There I watched lizards scamper across the rock.  And I stood high on the giant rock and peered down into the valley below.  That alone rejuvenated me.  From there, I ran up Meadows Trail, a steep switch-back, single track trail that dumped me off on the ridge line overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  It was a long, hot trip back along the ridge.  Fortunately, it was mainly all downhill from there.

My time on Cave Rock:

Day 25:  It was off the dirt path and onto the track today.  Not my choice of course.  But I am fortunate to have had the opportunity.  I subbed 7th grade girls P.E. and ran with my class during two of the periods  I think the kids enjoyed it, as most of them hate to run, and they liked the idea that the substitute was assigning them something that she would do herself.  Miles run:  3 (4.83 km).

Tres Dias Mas

I’ve added three more days to my Easter streak, but time is so short, I’ve had little time to contemplate on them. 

Day 19:  I got out late, though I did manage to get in a beloved mountain run.  I drove to Silverado Canyon, and then Maple Springs Road to where the asphalt ends.  It’s a single lane road, that is, not one lane each way.  No, it’s one lane period.  Carefully I drove that road even as eager as I was to finally hit dirt.  And hit dirt I finally did.  I ran up hill on Maple Springs for 4.5 miles.   A mountain biker passed me as he rode downhill and exclaimed, “You’re Awesome.”  Wow.  I never feel awesome.  I should re-state that.  I feel awesome, meaning, I immensely enjoy where I’m at and what I’m doing.  But as a person, measuring my accomplishments, I don’t think I’m awesome one bit.  In fact, I constantly fall miles short.  I am a classic low self-esteem person.  So, when this cyclist hollered this out to me, I felt blessed.  I thought, “How nice he is, and how neat that I am a recipient of his niceness.”  

From “Four Corners,” I turned the bend in the rocky road and headed up toward Modjeska peak for 1.5 additional uphill miles.  I only made it to the point however, as time ran out for Saturday’s run.  At the point, I took in the hazy view, ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then turned back for a glorious 6 mile downhill run.  With about 4.5 miles remaining, two dirt bikers flagged me down to tell me this:  “We admire you. We really do!!”  Wow.  I hope that I am a stranger that makes someone’s day once in a while. Total miles run 12.02. (19.34 km). 

Day 21 (Easter Day):  I planned on getting a run in during the morning hours of Easter.  The morning flew by however, so I was left throwing my shoes and garmin into the car as we rushed off to my parents home in Fallbrook.  After an Easter lunch and way, way too many sweets (as my no- sweets-during-lent had ended), I headed out the door for a minimum run just to keep up my Easter streak.  I ran Dinwiddie Preserve for a grand total of 1.28 miles (2.06 km).  And I was happy to do it.  Note to to self:  Don’t forget to pack a sports bra!!!

Day 21: This was not a good day.  To begin, I dreamt in great detail that I was Jewish and in a Jewish concentration camp.  The dream was heavy, too heavy and too detailed.  A couple things that I explicitly recall are: 1)  I said to myself again and again as I registered as  Jew and checked myself into the camp, “This has already been endured.  You just must endure it again,”  and 2) the utter filth in the bedding that we were forced to lay in (though I brought my own clean bedding along with me, which was promptly thrown out when I arrived). 

Among other things on this day, which I will not categorize here, I jumped off my front porch, catching my hand on a rose bush.  A thorn tore, and I mean TORE through my ring and middle fingers, leaving a bloody mess that would not relent.  Besides that and other things (like I broke my husband’s windshield!) and one of my baby brothers went into emergency surgery last night, I was worn out mentally.  (My baby brother’s fine now, but I witnessed him in a great deal of pain yesterday, Easter Sunday.  I am so thankful that he has such a terrific wife.  She got him to the hospital despite preliminary doctor’s findings that they would “monitor,” his pain.  Turns out he was diagnosed wrong and had a ruptured appendix all along, that he suffered with for EIGHT days.)   Anyway, I’m off subject.  The point of this blog is that I did manage to streak day twenty-one.  I took a short drive and ran up Aliso Creek Trail into Wood Canyon.  From there I turned off on a single track for one of my happy places, “Dripping Cave.”  I spent a little time relaxing in the cool and shady Dripping Cave, then headed back out to Wood Canyon where I finished up my run with 6.11 miles (9.83 km).  I’m not sure if this made the day better, but I know I’m better for it.  And I did get a bit of tranquil thoughtlessness.  That’s always a good thing.