Up Rockit to The Top of the World.

On the road a little after 6 AM for a group run, I was hopeful for a good IT band day. Yesterday, I bought a foam roller. As soon as I got home, I tore open the packaging, layed on my side and rolled back and forth over the band. I would have never believed it, had someone told me that this would work (actually more than one person told me it would work). After only three painful rolls, I stood up with huge improvement. I could barely feel there was a problem. Wouldn't it be nice, I thought to myself as I rolled into Aliso Wood Canyons Park, if I could do these hills without burning pain in my hip?

We were pretty bundled up, all five of us -- myself, Sheila, Kelly, Tom and someone new to our runs, Hank. When I say new, I don't mean new runner, or even new trail runner. He seemed to take these hills with ease!

Anyway, what I thought might be a pretty dang cold descent into the canyon, turned out not to be so. Sure, it was cold, but definately not freezing. We took Aliso Canyon to Wood, saw a Blue Heron slowly walking through the brown grass. Then we ran up Mathis Trail just a bit to hop onto Coyote Run. We made our way along Coyote, weaving in and out of grove shade, up and down mildly hilly terrain, until we reached Rockit. And then the climbing began.

My hip felt great, but if there was anywhere it would start burning, it would be running up Rockit. What a huge relief it was to not feel pain -- and what a beautiful sight it was running up that rock trail in the early morning. Hank took up the lead with Tom, us three ladies coming up behind, we reached Westridge with gloves off, long-sleeves tied around our waists.

After a break over looking Laguna Beach at Top of the World, we made our way down to Mathis and took that lovely decline until the turnoff for Dripping Cave. There's a pretty good climb in the beginning of this trail, but nothing like we had already run. Plus some of it's beneath big old oaks, with their roots twisted above the surface. Running along a single-track ridge type trail for a bit, we climbed that final hill, and made our way back down into the shade. Of course we stopped in Dripping Cave, then left running for that final stretch back to the ranger station, passing that Blue Heron again along the way.

I had a great run today (great group, as always) and put in 11.07 miles running to the Top of the World. My IT band felt great. There was no limp back to the car, no painful stretching, just a very dull sensation that the trouble wasn't completely gone. Marvelous.

Sheila on Rockit Trail headed for Top of the World


Kelly so gracefully making her way on Rockit


Top of the World, Overlooking Laguna Beach (Me, Kelly, Sheila, Tom, Hank)


Kelly, Tom and Hank in Dripping Cave (A.K.A. Robber's Cave)

Heading Back toward Wood Canyon

Why Run?

1. Why the hell NOT? You are just off a tad, right?

2. Because I have some inkling how the story will end. (This is quite important for a story teller.)

3. Because it's an opportune time to forget everything. (Forgetting is good, good, GOOD).

4. Because it's an opportune time to remember everything. (Remembering is good too -- perhaps, you think not, but THINK . . . running brings back those really odd times IN DETAIL -- like the time I ran right into a car when I was a child! Odd things like that come back suddenly and oddly when I run, some of them not too pleasant, they bring me back to gasping tears -- oddly, that's good too. Don't forget the flip-side though -- those old experiences way back when that you thought you long forgot, the fun childhood stuff : )

5. Because I can listen to music non-stop (glory), (that is if I run alone).

6. Because I can eat more calories than the average human being.

7. Because it helps me remember things long forgetten (Oops I already said this)

8. Because it allows me to beat up on myself,(without actually doing the deed. . . )

9. Because it gives me the opportunity to meet new people (QUALITY PEOPLE).

11. Because I can be alone (even admist those quality people).

12. Because it keeps me sane. (And insane, some might think)

13. Because it helps me to put things in perspective.

14. Because it gives me confidence.

15. Because I get to see deer, blue heron, snakes, bobcats, quail etc.

16. Because the "reality" of life and "reality" in general seem to co-exist.

17. Because I can get really dirty. : )

18. Because I never thought that I could do it.

19. Because it makes me proud because I can do it.

20. Because photographers take plenty goofy pictures of me (and GOOFY IS GOOD).

21. Because swimming then seems so much easier.

22. Because I get to see the sunrise.

23. Because I get to see the sunset.

24. Because I get to feel to glory of crazy.

25. Because to run is to ESCAPE without approval, well . . . let's see.

I know, I know, a lot of this doesn't make a whole of sense. Funny . . . It made perfect sense when I posted it at 2 AM : ))

Who Needs A Camera When You Have a Phone (And Who Needs Black Clouds When You Have Running)

I hadn't planned on running today. But this gal (that's me) who was crying the blues (literally), decided to take a break, and squeeze in a quick run anyway -- a flat run, right here at the edge of the Pacific. I wore a watch to keep track of time and carried only my phone (which turns out to take pretty dang decent pictures -- and I don't have one of those fancy new-fangled phones either).

I ran along the street and crossed over the island, running down the ramp to a shaded sidewalk that lines the parking lot. And when I came out at the other end, here is what greeted me and lifted that black cloud from my eyes:

Sure it's kind of a boring picture of a lonely road overlooking the harbor mouth. But I'll tell ya! It dazzled me this morning, kinda shoved me into my groove. As I continued along on this flat run, I passed another interesting camera-phone-worthy scene. I'm talking about meticulously stacked rocks. There's this guy out here who spends hours stacking these things. People stand about watching him in awe. Here's something I've never told anyone (except my husband) about the whole thing. I get this devilish thought every time I pass the scene to run through the rocks, kicking over the "artwork." But I would never do that; it would probably make someone cry. It's just this uncontrollable urge thing -- hopefully, you know the feeling, else you think I'm a complete jerk.

After running off the island, I turned around at the cliffs, making this a quick run with 3.61 miles gladly logged this morning.

My Turnaround:

Five Oaks Trail

I have a love/hate relationship with hills. I love running them, I hate running them, I love running them, I hate running them. I can narrow it down a bit more: I hate running the first three-quarters of a big hill (mile plus kind of hill), and love the last quarter. And I love, love, love, reaching the top.

So when my doctor asked, "Can you not run any hills until this IT band is cleared up?" I politely responded, "No." It was like OUT OF THE QUESTION. He compromised, "How about train on flat trails for now, races go ahead and do hills." I politely responded again, "No." With a smile on my face of course. And then I got to thinking, maybe I should at least cut down the hills. (It's not like I'm a serious athlete or anything-- I do this for fun!)

Tuesday's Top of the World run therefore, was not to the Top of the World. I don't think Tom believed me when I said that I'd run to the end of Wood Canyon and back with him, a relatively flat run. He said that I didn't say it very assuredly (I'm not sure if he used that word. I'm not sure if that is a word : )

Needless to say, it was a lovely "flat run" along Wood Canyon Trail. I put the quotes around flat because now I call that trail flat. Put me on it before I started trail running, you'd find me blubbering in the dirt, crying, "You call this flat???"

One of my favorite spots on Wood Canyon Trail, where you just might see a deer:

We turned around where Wood Canyon hits Cholla Trail, and I wasn't at all missing climbing up that thing. It was a delight in fact, knowing I was going to turn my back on that hell of a climb, a delight to feel no burning in the hip. Tom probably didn't believe that I really wasn't running to the top until that point when we turned around and headed back.

Being the mileage junkie that I am though (and I have been so low lately), we took a detour up Five Oaks Trail, one of the few that I don't have marked off on the MASTER MAP (a crinkled up map that I keep on the back kitchen counter where I highlight all the trails I've run in Aliso and Wood Canyons. My goal: highlight every inch of trail).

Anyway, what a pleasant surprise Five Oaks is! What started off as a dry, sunny trail, turned into a lovely shady, mainly leaf-littered-single-track. It ran along a dry creek bed, where water obviously spilled over some boulders during the wet season. After climbing up some wood plank steps, out of the shaded grove, we turned around, with the promise, "We'll be back", to conquer the rest of that trail that continued, up, up, up : )

Five Oaks Trail:


Miles logged Tuesday A.M.: 9.66

Serve America Mud Run

I ran my fourth mud run this morning, a five miler, with an aching IT band. Result: I had plenty of fun and remained strong, plus it was for a great cause (the Wounded Warriors and other veterans organizations).

Arriving quite early (7:30), I didn’t realize that my race started at TEN. It was all good though (not “the” IT, but the general it : ), because I had lots of time to roam. The race took place at the old Lion Country Safari grounds, a family attraction from my youth. I remember going to Lion Country Safari at least once as a child (it was a drive-thru attraction, with wild animals roaming about). They’ve kept it much the same, wild, dirt roads, but with some man-made lakes (rather ponds), that I don’t recall. The best thing about arriving so early was that I got to watch the 5k mud run, which was enjoyable indeed. For the first time ever, I got to see the front runners cross the finish line. (I’m usually way too far back in the pack to see that!). There were three of them today, all neck-in-neck, when the lead guy ran off the course, had to turn back and lost his lead! The crowd groaned. A good ten minutes passed before another crossed the finish line, a few minutes later, another after that – all male. And then the first female from the 5k came in, lean and mean, and strong! I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone at the final mud crawl, and stood along the finish shoot clapping as muddy/wet runners came in before I went off to bag check and stretched my IT some more.

Of course, I chose the five mile, instead of the 5 kilometers (mainly because as far as distances go, I usually dislike 5k’s, because it takes me so long to warm-up – in other words, the race is practically over before I’m warm). As a future note, 5k’s for mud runs might be a good idea, especially with an aching hip.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy myself trudging through mud, running up hills, jumping over logs, pulling myself over walls, crawling through sand, jumping haystacks, and more. I’ve got that final mud crawl that all mud runs love to lay on us, down pretty good. It’s the one that we have to slide down into and crawl beneath ropes. Most people do that “army crawl” – not me, I let my body “float” and walk with my hands. Believe me it’s the best way to traverse it. I passed many in those final seconds.

I’d say this was one of the most enjoyable mud runs to date. I came in at little over an hour, passing many along the way. There were no timing chips – but time matters least in this kind of race. To do it is a feat. My accomplishment was that I never stopped, and I ran up every single solitary hill : )

Note to those of you considering one of these crazy races: to do well in a mud run, you don’t have to be a fast runner. You just need to keep a constant pace through all of it, and you need decent upper body strength, and most importantly need to know the best way to conquer the obstacles (that may take a few tries).

I mingled a bit afterwards, then hit the group showers. After changing into dry clothes in a shaded, cold, gender-segregated big tent, I headed back home, happy for a race well done.

Miles logged this morning: 5

Injuries acquired: a left bruised knee, a seam burn on my arm, and an IT band prevented from further healing.

Some scenes from the 5k:











Oh the fun of a mud run!

How Fortunate Am I?

Reading through my last blog, I had to chuckle to myself. I chuckled thinking, how lucky am I that I get this opportunity? What a great adventure running, and then the ultimate, trail running, has been. Sure, I grumble, and I endure injuries (not too many in fact), but I really hope that it comes out in these blogs that I love it!

Sports in my youth was never this much fun -- softball, volleyball, swimming -- I compared myself to others instead of simply comparing myself to myself. I fretted, frowned and didn't enjoy anything but a win. I didn't count the tiny personal wins -- little things like a decent spike, a serve that actually cleared the net, a nicely laid bunt, a perfectly timed flip turn, or a backstroke where I didn't slap the swimmer in the next lane : )

Sure there's people who run better, and faster, and with less injuries -- there's lots of people who are smarter, skinnier and prettier too. But really, Who cares? Another chuckle -- does it take this long to finally realize, "Who Cares?" (I hope that my children learn A LOT sooner : )

I'm middle aged, and I conquer things I didn't even attempt in my twenties. I've worn dresses all of my life, high heels, and lipstick -- hardly ever shorts and dirty ankles (aghast!). Yes, it's true that I still won't wear flip-flops unless my toenails are painted. But now, I hold up a scraped elbow in triumph. And when I apply an ice-pack, I secretly delight.

How lucky am I???