Day One

Today my Twin Peaks training began, using my own customized plan (customized by me).  And of all days, today, I really didn’t feel like running because I had a doctor’s appointment north from my regular trails.  Afterward, I diligently drove to the nearest trails and put in my 6 miles on what’s called the Quail Hill Loop (located in Irvine, Ca).  I thought this was a 2 mile loop, ends up it’s a bit shorter, so I ran it a little over three times.  It was much like running a track, except with hills and a freeway view. 

Today’s run certainly was not a fun run, nor was it a fast run (though a few times I glanced at my garmin and picked up my speed purposely). 

 

Though the landscape looked only one color from afar (brown) there was lots of color dotting the landscape:

I'm no scofflaw, BUT I didn’t think this sign IN THE DIRT was for me, because that looked like a trail to me . . .

I took that “trail” toward this lovely outcropping (below).  About a tenth of a mile up, I came to a fork.  Deciding which to take I saw the biggest bobcat I’ve ever seen.  The bobcats I usually see are at most knee high (as tall as my knees from paws to top of head).  If I’m not mistaken, this cat’s head measured up to my thighs!   He was moving slowly through the high grass.  Not really wanting to deal with a bobcat today, I ran back to the loop.  Then I thought, “Dang it!  I didn’t get a picture.”  And so I went back.  Duh!!  This time though I traveled the “This is not a Trail” Trail cautiously and without music.  I didn’t see the cat, so I took the other fork toward the outcropping until it ended. 

After finishing my second Quail Hill Loop, I reversed the loop, and after that ran until I finished 6 miles.

Back on Quail Hill Loop:

This graph looks way worse than it was.  Notice the top elevation is only 300 feet:

Camp Pendleton Mud Run 2012

It’s been ages since I’ve run a mud run.  It’s also been ages since I’ve run with trail running friend, Jeremy H.  So, I guess it’s more than apropos that I ran today’s mud run at Camp Pendleton with Jeremy. 

Let me back up a bit.  Mud runs are a big thing in Southern California, especially Camp Pendleton’s “World Famous” Mud Run.  Reading this post however, you might wonder, “What the heck is a mud run?” 

Basically, a mud run is a relatively short run (5k or 10k) through mud, sometimes thick, so thick your shoes get stuck, other times thinner, more like very muddy water.  There’s always some kind of obstacles involved – obstacles like wall climbing, tunnel crawling, tiring hopping, muddy slippery slopes, etc.  About the only thing I don’t like about mud runs, is that I can’t take my camera along, or ipod, or anything electronic for fear of ruining it.   

Today’s 10k mud run began beneath gray skies around a serene lake, a family play area for marines to take their families.  We contestants took off in two waves on a dusty path straight into a couple fire hoses.  I didn’t try to avoid the hoses like I have in the past.   I merely ran on through with thousands of other runners (There were two waves of runners this morning – it’s hard to tell from the stats how many runners played today, but it appears to have been between 3 and 4 thousand total). 

After getting drenched by the hoses, we ran off the road and onto a smaller trail for basically a 4 mile uphill run.  With water stops at every mile where I grabbed a water here and there, I ran the entire uphill only a little faster than I usually run uphills.  A good thing about me was that I recover quickly and was able to run very quickly downhill.  Some runners not used to hills needed to take the downhills to recuperate. 

One lady tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You are my pacer.”  I answered, “Why me?”  To which this very wonderful :) lady responded, “You are great, so strong and steady.”    Wow.  I didn’t feel strong and steady.  But I really loved that she said that. 

After running up and down some tall mud moguls and up and over a wall, I saw Jeremy running back from the lake.  I looked forward to the lake because that’s where I pass a lot of people.  Why?  Because most people walk through the lake.  I swim it.  But today, the lake was bone dry!  Well, not exactly bone dry.  We got to run through some smelly thick mud right through the center of it. 

After the lake, there was more mud running, more moguls and walls.  I found it difficult to scale the walls.  They were slippery with mud.  Usually I throw my legs to the top of these approximate five foot walls and roll over into the mud on the other side.  I could not throw my legs up sideways to the top today because I would end up kicking someone, it was that crowded.  Instead, I had to lift myself up purely with my arms (as if I were getting out of a swimming pool), hoist myself to the top, somehow get into the sitting position and jump down into the watery mud on the other side.

We also had a slippery hill toward the end where marines blasted fire hoses down from the top.  Most of the runners/hikers slipped and slid going up. I ran right up the water path.  It was a cinch compared to trying to run up in the mud. 

Finally, we had a long pipe to crawl through, and steep descent to run.  For the finale we had to crawl through a watery mud pit low enough to stay beneath low-lying ropes.  I did not crawl however, because of my sore knee (from Thursday’s fall).  Instead, I walked with my hands and lightly kicked my feet out behind me.   

I came in 1 hour 24 minutes after all that.  I didn’t beat myself up to do it.  I had a lot of fun.  I was surprised to read later that I was 50th out of 154 runners in my category (civilian women 45 through 49).  It didn’t seem that I did that well.  Jeremy did terrific, making his goal, which I thought would be tough to do with all the obstacles.  But he did it (And he’s running a marathon tomorrow to boot – my very first marathon, the SD Rock n’ Roll Marathon.  I’m  just a tad jealous. )

What a fun way to end my week of recovery, the week before I begin training for Twin Peaks. 

Bag Check:

Post race in the sun:

Trail Racing friend Kurt (I’ve met him at several Big Baz Trail Races):

Group Photo.  Jeremy & me after walking through the outdoor public “showers”:

Back In The Vest

Today, I put back on my vest.  With 64 fluid ounces of water, a few gels, my camera, phone, tissues, Nuun tablets and more, it felt heavy on my back. About a mile in, my good ole’ vest felt just like normal.  And I was back to normal, hocking loogies off the trail.  What is going on with me? 

This morning the weather was hot, the skies blue.  I decided to run a clockwise loop up Meadows at Aliso/Wood Canyons.  Why Meadows?  Because now (ha, ha) I consider that a “runnable” trail (see elevation profile below and perhaps you will laugh too.)  I took in one gel when I reached the top of Meadows Trail and kept on going, admiring the ocean view on the run. 

The view running up Meadows:

Whew!  Made it to the top of Meadows Trail:

The weather so warm, I didn’t see many runners out today.  They probably made an early morning run of it. But I came across plenty of hikers and bikers, especially at Top of the World.  There, I watched a group of three ladies with backpacks and water (good girls) studying the kiosk map, exclaiming how they didn’t want to get lost.  Then I watched as they hiked up a dead-end trail.  I watched them hike back down as I ran Park Avenue Nature Trail to Westridge.   It’s funny how I’ve lost perspective on getting lost at Aliso/Wood Canyons.  The trail system makes perfect sense to me (now).  There’s absolutely NO POSSIBLE WAY to get lost.  (A sign I’ve run these trails at least one too many times – that’s a good thing.)

Another summit – Top of the World:

Lovely, dainty pink flowers on a Westridge detour:

So, I ran down Cholla Trail back into the Canyon with pretty decent time, especially after feeling so sluggish at the start.  I thought, heck, kick it in a little and try for a negative split.  Of course, I didn’t have the elevation gain on the second half of this run.  All the more reason to go for a negative split. 

I watched my garmin periodically, and that helped me pick up my pace when I slowed.  Cool breezes blew through the canyon.  Bikers made their way through, smiling.  I concentrated on keeping my speed faster than I wanted to run (not an all out sprint of course).  And as I ran, I noticed dozens of snake tracks across the width of Wood Canyon Trail.  I would have loved to have seen the actual critters so that I could snap a photo.  But I never actually saw the culprits.  Instead, I found myself flying (yes flying!) through the air.  I didn’t even feel the trip that my foot made over something like a rock or root.  Usually, my foot feels something, I know I’m going to trip and I can save the fall. 

Not this time.

Nope, I found myself, completely unexpectedly flying through the air.  And though only a moment passes during the time you realize you’re falling and when you land, I knew this was not going to be one of my ballerina falls.  A ballerina fall is that fall where the impact spreads evenly, I roll over my right shoulder, bounce back up and continue running. 

Instead what happened was this:  First my left knee crashed to the dirt.  Then my right knee hit, but not as hard, as my right elbow skidded along the trail, my momentum still moving forward.  Then my left wrist/palm made impact, soon after my right wrist/palm followed.  That’s when I rolled.  Yup, when it was all over, I rolled over my right shoulder to lay on my back, actually my vest back. 

I got up quickly, noticed some blood on my right elbow and left knee, and redness on all the other impact spots.  Covered in dusty dirt, I sat at the side of the trail and looked about to see if anyone witnessed my little air dance.  I was alone in the canyon. 

After a couple seconds, I stood back up and continued running.  I ran slowly at first with an aching knee and aching hands.  Within a couple miles I picked up my pace.  Even though I might have run quicker without the fall, I still made it into my truck running the second half of this run about 20 minutes quicker than the first half. 

Elevation Profile:  12.17 miles (19.59 km):

Recovery–How It Went

Recovery was a strange, strange road this time around.  But then again, I never recovered from anything like this.  Sunday, the day Nanny Goat ended I drove home and went straight to bed (knee braces still on.)  I ached from fatigue.  A couple hours later, my husband drew a bath, woke me and insisted that I soak. 

Basically, Sunday and Monday, I slept and ate.  My feet only slightly swollen were still red.  My arms, the tops of my feet, all of my legs and my scalp itched.  That darn near drove me crazy.  I also felt stiff, but amazingly I experienced absolutely no pain while foam rolling.  My knees ceased causing pain by Monday.  And by Monday I could walk around just like normal – even up and down steps.  I felt so good Monday, I thought that I might run on Tuesday.

When Tuesday rolled around however, I still had sleeping to do.  I decided to reel in the calories however.  It was time.  After I got the boys off to school, I slept pretty much until noon when it was time to pick-up the boys (early-out day) and then get ready for work. 

Even with this napping, pretty much around the clock, I went to bed at a decent hour and slept all the way through the night, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. 

Today, Wednesday, I felt great!  Great enough for a run.  And so after getting the boys off to school, I drove home to do some chores and dressed for a trail run.  I was astonished how loose my shoes felt, how in fact comfy they felt.  If I didn’t know better, I was off to run in slippers!  I’m surprised how those 67 miles got me used to dirty, grimy, sweaty clothing and swollen feet shoved into my shoes.  I drove off to Wood Canyon DOWN-RIGHT GIDDY.

I found today’s run to Top of the World, ridiculously easy.  It was as if I had been wearing weights on my back until today.  When suddenly freed from the weights, I practically floated along the trails.  I found myself dancing to the tunes on my ipod as I ran along the ridge.  Sure I broke a sweat, quite a sweat running to Top of the World.  But it was a lovely, clean, fresh sweat.  LOL.  Yes, I’m acting silly.  Truth is, I feel like Nanny Goat changed my run.  It changed my perspective on distance.  It changed my perspective on my current abilities and gave me confidence that I can train for Twin Peaks. 

When I returned home, I drew a bath, and did ab work on the living room floor.  Just prepping – next week, the training begins. 

Bring it on. (With a smile of course!) :)

My Run Today:

Entering into Wood Canyon (wearing my Nanny Goat shirt):

A Detour off Westridge for a little more elevation:

Comfy feet

View of Pacific Ocean from another Westridge Detour:

I found my ex-marine trail friend (A-Rod) on Park Avenue Nature Trail – we’ve been passing by each other on the trails for about three years now (I have him to thank for nasal breathing):

Top of the World:

Flowers at Top of the World that remind me of fried eggs:

Running back, along WestRidge with a view of Saddleback Mountains:

The Elevation Profile (which Twin Peaks will dwarf)