Big Baz Winter Trail Series / 15K

Would you think that I was crazy if I told you I ran another trail race this weekend – less than a week after Calico?  I don’t know what got into me, but I did.  Yup, I ran the 15k of Big Baz’s Winter Trail Series.  And I’d do it again!

I had no expectations.  I knew it was going to be tough, shortish, but with big climbs.  Amazingly I felt strong.  I kept a good pace, so much so in fact, that the garmin didn’t tell me to speed up for a long time.  I had lots of fun.  For most of it, that is. 

Waiting for race to start

The day was gorgeous.  And the 15k course even more gorgeous.  It was a good 95% single track.  And it had plenty of shade – I’ll never complain about shade : )  Plenty of rocks, all sizes littered portions of the trail as well.  So those beginning downhills were quite tricky.  Rain erosion made other parts just as tricky by splitting the single track right down the middle with a deep gulley.

The beauty in this course

The climb back up begins

Not hurting too badly yet

SO!  I was nearly finished with this race, and oh, so tired.  I tripped twice, and my legs cramped up momentarily.  And then on the climb up, I came to a short downhill on that single track right alongside a cliff.  The cliff was lined with what looked like thorny brush, from what I recall.  It was shady, and quite lovely, and I wanted this race to END.  Suddenly, I tripped again.  But this time, I went down.  And for some reason, I didn’t do my usual hit and roll to the side – perhaps it was that cliff that changed my fall style.  Perhaps it was the leg cramping that occurred at impact.  I remember my left knee making impact, and my right hand too.  But I mostly remember my face smashing into the ground and my chin hitting a rock.  Well, I jumped up, I mean jumped up, mainly because I didn’t want the girl behind a ways to  catch me and also because I didn’t want that cramp to travel to other parts.  I looked down at the rock that I hit my chin on, thought about carrying it in for a souvenir then said forget that!  Then before taken off on a slow trot, I started to dust the dirt off.  I was covered head to toe.  Suddenly I thought No, let the dirt be, I want to come in all dirty.  I didn’t know what my face looked like, and I kinda wished that I had a mirror.  I could feel that there was no blood, but if I looked scratched and bruised in the face, then I wanted the head-to-toe dirt to match : )

Fortunately, though the left side of my face slightly aches, the only visible damage is a red eye and an ugly blackish-purplish bump on my chin.  Several hours later as I write this blog however, I can feel the impact all over.  Not in bruises or cuts (though I did notice a cut on my pinkie finger and a tiny rock embedded in another), but in just an overall kind of jolt injury.  If you know what I mean.  It was like my brain shook and all my limbs and torso stopped momentum in an instant (kinda like a car wreck : (

I crossed the finish line smiling, and before everyone went home, even before several others crossed some time later.  I stayed a bit to see the winners take their awards and I laughed at (with) Big Baz as he entertained the crowds.  Then I was off back home.

Miles logged this morning:  9.56

Elevation Profile: +1,644 / –1,654

Run for Fun

I admit I was pretty crazy in my last post.  I was just a little angry with myself for throwing out my goals at the last minute.  I’m better now, attitude-wise that is.  I’ve still got this nagging cold, though it’s bearable.  I spent the past few days foam rolling, doing floor exercises, jumping up the backyard porch steps.  I didn’t have it in my heart to run, or even go to the gym.

Today it was time run.  A time to run for fun.  My favorite wilderness park (Aliso / Wood Canyons) finally opened after our heavy rains.  I set out with no distance or trails in mind.  I wasn’t even sure which trails were open. 

I won’t lie.  The climbs were tough.  I struggled more than usual.  But I enjoyed the stress free I-don’t-HAVE-to-do-nothing attitude.  I could run wherever I wanted, as fast (or as slow) as I wanted, and I could stop whenever I wanted.

Turned out that I ran a rather leisurely pace up to Top of the World.  And I stopped only a few times to snap a picture.  Erosion was evident.  Skies were clear and blue.  And the weather, well I dressed for my 10:00 AM run at 7:30 AM, so I was QUITE warm. 

Erosion on West Ridge

More Erosion on West Ridge, nearing Top of the World

Park Avenue Nature Trail (a little detour from Top of the World to West Ridge)

Miles logged my first time back after Calico: 6.59

Elevation Profile:

Calico Ghost Town 30k Trail Run 2011

I really don’t know where to begin.   I lied during the race, because I said I didn’t care.  It mattered before, because I worked my ASS off.  And it matters now, because I have regrets.  I had dreams.  I had aspirations.  I trained hard (but for only a short while).  I wanted to CONQUER Calico.  Did I?  Well, depends on how you define it. (Before your are an athlete you think it’s defined, afterward you have no ideal, because you can’t really know what defines an athlete : ) {If you’ve been reading along – sorry, soooooo sorrry}

My husband said I could throw him underneath the bus in writing this blog.  In fact, he urged me to “throw him beneath the bus.”.  I didn’t want to do that.  But heck, maybe I should.  Because I suppose the “whole” story is the “best” story.  Isn’t it?

Truth is, the 2 1/2 hour trip up to Calico, my husband and I argued a great deal about stupid sh*t.  I suppose it started earlier.  But it really erupted about halfway up the mountain.  And I cried and cried and cried.  My eyelids were practically swollen shut.  I really thought that I tried to calm the situation, because I know how important my mind is in running a long distance trail run.  A calm mind makes all the difference!  (doesn’t it?  doesn’t it???)

I think only runners, or maybe athletes in general  (though I don’t really consider myself an athlete) understand this:  A clear mind makes all the difference.  Mind over matter.  Believe me.  I’m 45 years old.  If anyone can tell you.  I can. 

I had been sick for days (I believe four days) and by the time I reached the summit up to Calico Ghost Town, with all my crying and such, I just said F**** it.  I’m not running.  I can’t do it with this mindset.

And then we (all five of us) drove on in silence . . .  And my hubby said “YOU HAVE TO RUN. . . YOU JUST HAVE TO RUN.”  And being the evil wife, I said, “NO.  I CAN’T.”

So, there’s me throwing my husband beneath the bus.  I can’t really do more than that (though I despised him at the time, because I really, really wanted to spend my passenger driving time meditating), but despite arguments and all, even wanting to THROW HIM UNDERNEATH THE BUS!!!, I love him, and he is really supportive for my silly hobby.  Trail running that is, I can’t say he is to blame.

I continued to cough and blow my nose that evening.  And since I decided F****, THIS,  I even had two glasses of wine at Peggy Sue’s Fifty’s Diner.  My husband said, “Are you sure you should drink that?”  I said with draggy eyes, “I really don’t care.”  (Despite my feelings for him at that point, he was supportive enough to drive me to heck and back and wait for hours and hours for me to cross the finish line : )

Downtown Calico Ghost Town (Bib Pick Up)

I bedded early, leaving hubby to deal with three misbehaving boys.  Why misbehaving?  Heck, I don’t know.  Maybe because they’re boys and I don’t know what the heck I’m doing in life as far as training youngun’s,  About 8:30 pm I remember sleeping and continually waking because mainly boy NUMBER THREE (pictured above) was up to mischief.

I believe I woke every hour.  And I reached for my cell phone, also my alarm clock, to see the time.  I coughed, I hacked.  In denial, I said to myself “allergies.”  I have them sometimes.  I dreamt  also OVER AND OVER that I was running.  But I really couldn’t run.  I kept falling.  And when I could stand, I could hardly lift a foot.  It was like my feet weighed a hundred pounds.  And so I went onward heavy laden, suffering, in agony.  In my dreams that is.  I also rode plenty of falling elevators. Over and over again, though somehow pleasantly.  (Riding falling elevators pleasantly is fairly rare.)

6:00 AM my husband took the 2 youngest of our sons, shoved them in the truck and drove me 3 miles to the start line.  Before leaving, I pleaded, “Wait, I’m freezing,” and he waited in the truck with our younguns, as I ran back to our room for some long sleeves. (Which I of course promptly dropped at the first aid station).

I arrived a good hour early to Calico Ghost Town (& I was happy for my husband for going thru that crap – really it is crap to run an early race alone).   And I don’t know if most of you know, but Calico is supposed to be haunted.  Funny.  I don’t really believe in “ghosts” as we traditionally describe them (though I believe in in them “untraditionally.”)  Before I sat down in the rocking chair on the saloon  slab before the race even started, the CHAIR ROCKED by itself.  I’m serious.  It rocked in unison as I sat down to film my  chat before the event.

So how many pages should I make this blog?

I could go on for ten, maybe twenty . . .

I started this run not caring.  I chucked all goals the night before in our arguments.  I just wanted to enjoy running in the desert.  Most people don’t realize that the high desert is gorgeous .  That’s what I love about trail running – the enjoyment, the beauty.

Funny thing, I saw familiar faces.   I saw Larry from OCTR. I recognized someone from Bulldog 50k, and also a very nice lady from another race that took Bulldog in the opposite direction when I ran it last spring. 

I chatted and learned a lot about Suzanne those first eleven miles (she was such a delight!!).  And I really have to say, it was pleasurable. I didn’t care about pace.  I cared about people and their stories; I cared about the beautiful scenery.  I learned a lot about Suzanne, and other tales from other runners on  those first eleven miles.  I saw Badwater Ben, who has run Bad Water’s 135 miles more than once.    He took pics at the beginning of our delightful, yet  gloriously colorful  morning run, and then again at the end when I wanted to collapse.  (about 4 miles left, I had a knee injury – nothing drastic, just that dang old knee slid out to the left without that youngun’ thing there to help.)  

I never tired drastically.  I should have on this 30k which was “relatively short”.  Actually it was a long 30k, not 18.66 miles, but 19.23 miles.  Heck.  I want to write something more profound about this race.  Well, here it is:   what I love about trails.  We’re all accepted.  It doesn't matter.  That’s all I ever wanted.  To do something fun, that didn’t matter.  19 miles.  I can do that.  And I should be able to do it much faster.  Really.  I DIDN’T  CARE at the race start (but I cared toward the end).  All that training, and I couldn’t come in faster!

Though I cried after crossing the finish line because I crossed with the worst time ever with me ( & my oldest son held me tight whispering that most people couldn’t even make that run).  He  held me for some time because he knows the pressure of first chair and honor orchestra, something  I could never understand.  I doubt that he “ really understands” though I hope that he does.  It’s also the camaraderie, not the competition that makes these races, these competitions the lesson.  FRIENDS.  Though we may pass them by in life . . .  there’s those we meet that makes a smile upon your face, like I did, a lady named Suzanne . You did a great job Suzanne!

Suzanne & me at the 30/50k split

The Home  Stretch / 30K Beautiful Run

All I can think about here is ICE for the knee

Photo Compliments of “Bad Water Ben.”

Old School House

 

Okay.  I’m tired.  Mainly my quads.  19.23 miles for this race logged.  Afterwards 2 park employees asked my race time, and I responded gloomy, “about five hours.”

“That’s six hours less than it would have taken me,” one of them said.  The other guy chuckled and added “That’s six days less than it would have taken me.

Calico Ghost Town 30k Elevation Profile

The movie, because if you visited before, I’m silly : )

Calico Ghost Town 30k Trail Run

The Race Report Begins . . .

The race story never begins the day of the race, does it?  Well, here I am sick, my second day (just five days before my much looked forward to race).  I spent all day yesterday in bed.  Went off to work for three hours, returned and after dinner, crawled promptly back in bed.  Feeling better today.  Want so much to run, even if it's pavement.  The gym would be good too.  But I'm still achey, throat is sore and congestion thick.   I HAVE to get well by this weekend.  And I'm so afraid that if I don't rest, I will make myself worse.

Such is life.  Perhaps this rest will make me better for Calico : /