Last Big Run before the BIG Run

Sunday was my last long run before Bulldog.  Of course I opted for the big double loop at Aliso/Woods Canyon Park.  And I had the pleasure of company of running friends Tom, Sheila and Marcus for the first loop.  The weather was cool.  And taking the loop clockwise (meaning running UP Meadows was the perfect thing to get my mind off life for a bit).

6:00 AM, I’m still getting my pack together for the run. 

From left to right, Me, Tom, Sheila, Marcus

Top of Meadows, over looking the Pacific Ocean (Laguna Beach)

Good company, good run.  We parted ways after the first loop, which is a dang good run (see first half of profile below).  And then I headed back up Meadows for loop #2.  My hip ached quite a bit, as well as an infected toe (can you believe it!).  But I decided to keep on running, taking a short hiking break to eat my snack.

Up Meadows for the Second Time

At the top, I put in a full set of stretches.  A husband and wife team hiked down on the asphalt road below with their big curly-haired, giant-poodle-like doggie, when that dog suddenly turned around and ran up to me.  He trotted right up and look at me with those big eyes.  I petted him as his masters called out.  They called and called and the dog didn’t flinch.  “You gotta go, doggie,” I said, but he just stayed practically snuggling with me.  Finally, the woman came up closer and called for her dog.  I told her that my dog had just died and maybe her dog sensed my sadness.  She agreed.  Her husband hollered from afar “tell her about the book, tell her about the book!”  The lady then smiled and said that I should go the library for the book, Dog Heaven – that it’s a kids book, but a very good one. 

Okay, I’m way off track here.  I continued running, and the next dog I saw, stopped dead in her tracks as her master walked on.  The dog just stood there staring at me as I ran by.  A realist would say that this is all coincidence, and that I just noticed it Sunday because of my sadness.  (But I’m not that much of a realist : )

I continued the rest of the run with a good deal of hip pain.  And I ran the remainder of Top of the World pretty mindlessly.  That is, I didn’t think about a single thing.  I kept my mind utterly BLANK.  I simply watched my surroundings.  The skies were still cool and gray.  I refilled on water at the park and ran down Westridge and Cholla numb to the pain (I admit, I took 2 Motrins at the Top of the World Alta Laguna Park – though I’m not sure they did much good.)

The remaining run through Wood Canyon was shady, cool and beautiful.  And then after the foresty park, I began to think about the dog I got to pet at the top.  And I started to cry, missing my Daisy.  Just then I saw a snake racing across Wood Canyon Trail in the sun.  Is it a rattler? I wondered and picked up my pace so that I could get a closer look.  But that slithering thing was really booking.  I got there just in time to catch a good look.  But not fast enough to get out my camera.  It was a long as my eight year old son.  Most likely, this was the largest rattler I have ever seen on my runs.  Its diamonds were golden yellow, and so shiny – a beauty of a snake.  I waved over a cyclist to show him the rattler who was now making its way into the brush.  I said, Look how thick it is!  “Nah, he said, he’s still a juvenile.” 

Isn’t it funny that I see what I hope is a rattler in the road, and I literally race to catch up with it!   (Don’t worry, I know a little about Rattler behavior, how they strike and to give them their space. : )

Elevation Profile

 

Miles logged: 20.82

In Honor of our dog Daisy 12/10/96 – 8/6/2010

Our dog died yesterday.  She was with us for nearly 14 years.  She was a member of our family.  This is her house.  This is her backyard.  We all loved her.  It will be a while before thinking of her brings mainly smiles.  Right now thinking of her only brings tears.

In memory of Daisy Dog, the Miertschins’ best friend:  We miss you Daisy.  There is a huge void in our lives right now.  We expect to hear you walking across the floor.  We expect to hear you bark out for your dinner.  We love you.

Daisy 

 

 

 

 

 

Running with a Straight Pelvis : )

Physical therapy update:  First, I don’t think I ever really posted details of the car accident and how I got injured.  Father’s Day, I was at a dead stop, and heard the accident happening behind me.  I wasn’t sure if we had been hit, because everything happened slow motion and I was confused by the crash sounds.  Anyway, I twisted around to my right to check on my boys in the back seat.  At that moment we got slammed.  It was that twist that did me in.  My whole right side was sore pretty much immediately.  It seems that the impact realigned my pelvis, where one side was higher than the other.  Neck, shoulder and side pain went away in a matter of days.  But that lower back, pelvis/hip pain did not.  So, back to the update on the physical therapy.  When I went in yesterday, my PT said that my pelvis was perfectly straight.  How it is that all those stretches, massages and exercises made it straight again, I do not know.  So – good news!! (My boys by the way thankfully – no injuries!)

This morning I went for a single loop, clockwise at Aliso Wood Canyons park.  That meant running UP Meadows Trail.  Tom met me at the ranger station and we ran up Meadows together.  It was tough!  My hip felt it before we even made the climb (I think it probably wasn’t the best idea to run up Meadows the day after physical therapy).

The sun really shined down on us as made that seemingly never-ending switch-back climb.  Arriving at the top we could not even see the Pacific due to thick fog.  A rainbow-like arch  hovered about the fog and above that, blue skies.

Tom ran back down Meadows Trail for a six mile out and back.  I continued onward for a little less than twelve miles.  After a short downhill then uphill asphalt run, I hopped onto the trail that runs behind the houses at Top of the World.  The trail makes a “V” – first a steep down, then a steep up.  Two cyclists made their way down the other end of the “V” as I ran up it.  Then suddenly, one of the cyclists ate it.  His bike crashed to the rock trail, making such a noise, I thought his bike would be shattered to pieces for sure (but it did not appear so).  Even though it wasn’t my accident, it seemed to happen in slow motion, just about fifteen feet away.  The poor guy flew to the ground, I gasped, relieved that his face didn’t smash into the rock.  He jumped up quickly. 

“Oh my gosh!!!”  I said.  “Are you alright?”

He didn’t answer, he didn’t even look at me.  Instead, I could tell he was pissed.  I knew that look – it’s how I have felt when I’ve fallen on the trail – like, damn it, I can’t believe I did that!

His friend behind him said, “Seriously, are you ok?”  No answer.  I continued running on past the two and didn’t say a word further. 

I got into my groove as I ran through the neighborhoods, arriving at Westridge a short time later.  I felt happy, relieved to have Meadows over with.  It was all basically down hill from here (except for minor climbs on Westridge).

About to descend upon Westridge

 

 Westridge, just after passing Mathis

Miles logged this morning: 11.65  Despite my hip, it seemed like a cinch compared to Saturday’s 21 mile run. 

Double Big Loop / Aliso Wood Cyns

In order to get my run-two-loops-back-to-back mindset, I woke early this Saturday morning, and headed for Aliso Wood Canyons for a back-to-back counter-clockwise big loop. 

I joined Tom and Liz who were running an out-and-back on Wood Canyon Trail.  What a delight to have company for the first 4.5 miles of my run today – I knew the next four hours or so after we departed were going to be lonely.  I don’t mind lonely sometimes.  In fact, a lot of times I like lonely.  But too much lonely can get lonely : )

Raring to Go!  Me, Tom & Liz

 
We departed at Cholla.  I ran up, trying out Tom’s Garmin, while he and Liz headed back through the magical Wood Canyon – downhill : )  It seemed like I ran Cholla stronger and faster than I ever had, then I looked down at the garmin, amazed at how much my pace had dropped from running on Wood Canyon Trail.  I decided after that not to look at my pace running up hill.

Still cloudy on Westridge, the air was plump with moisture.  Cyclists road the ridge in hoards.  Hikers in groups of twenty, maybe more made their way along the ridge as well.

Running Westridge, Top of the World not even visible in the mist

After a quick pit-stop at Top of the World, I chatted briefly with two runners, one who just ran a half marathon through Napa Valley vineyards.  Though I was aiming for a five hour run, I didn’t worry too much about chatting a bit.  I mean, life is more important than running, right?  With a bottle full of water and two dissolved Nuun tablets I took off, running the streets to enter the park again, run down Meadows and complete my first loop in a little longer time than expected.  I was okay with that, so happy I was to make that left back onto Wood Canyon, and begin my second loop without stopping.

Gray skies, misty air, I ran Wood Canyon at only a slightly slower pace than the first time around.  I waved Hi to fellow runner Matt as he passed in the opposite direction.  Several cross country high school runners passed in the opposite direction as well, on what I figured was an out and back up Wood Canyon, because they carried no water. 

Running up Cholla was tougher the second time around, and I began to really feel it in my hip.  Westridge was a joyful as usual – I love that rolling hill type of trail.  Though Westridge does have two very difficult stints, they are toward the end, and relatively short. 

I ran into the park as I did on my first loop, as I wanted to check my hydration level (if you know what I mean).  After some off and on shoelace issues, I was off again running through the neighborhoods to re-enter the park near Meadows Trail.

Top of the World for the 2nd time – the sun now gracing us with its appearance  (Not sure where I’m at here, possibly near Meadows, I think I’m looking toward Aliso Canyon . . . actually I HAVE NO IDEA, strange)

At Meadows for second time, about to descend (I am drenched!)

  

I ran down Meadows as several cyclists made their way up and down that difficult switch-back.  Sure I was tired, but delighted that I wasn’t drop-dead tired.  I took the first half of Aliso Creek Trail at a slow pace, rather clumsily, but then picked it up for the second half, pushing it to finish strong.  I never tripped.  I also didn’t kick my ankles once – now, that’s an improvement.   

Miles logged this morning:  21

Elevation Profile (thanks to Tom – I’m new at this, so I had to work on this shot a bit before getting it right, and it isn’t quite right visually.  If you know the trails there, Wood Canyon isn’t quite as steep as it seems in this graph – approximately miles 2 thru 4 and 11 thru 13).

Local Short Run: Up & Down Stonehill, Up & Down Selva

Low on time, I elected local roads, hilly roads for my short run today.  After throwing on my Disney half marathon race shirt (my first big race) I ran one five mile loop utilizing two of the biggest hills in this resort town – Stonehill and Selva.  Every time I faced the ocean, the wind blew strong against me.  One of those times was running up Stonehill – that added some resistance for a good workout.

Then, because I wanted to run against traffic, I ran the side of PCH without a sidewalk – in the midst of rush hour.  Just a bit nerve wracking, I kept a close eye on those cars racing by, ready to dive into the bushes if one made even the slightest swerve. 

Road Running!  It’s not so much for me any more.  Hardly anyone ever smiles.  I came across 3 or 4 runners (on the flat parts), all of them wearing frowns, or at least SERIOUSLY thinking (let’s just say that, they were deep in thought – they weren’t unhappy, because they were running! – or maybe I’m just too silly-hearted – but anyone who knows me, knows that’s not true!)

Well, then this silly-hearted woman ran up Selva away from the ocean. At the top I turned around and snapped a photo with my phone to commemorate the day that running up Selva was no big deal.

Miles logged this evening:  5.25

Top of Selva, looking back at the Pacific

My Old Friend Mathis

Building up my long run, I cut Tuesday's run short and went for a small loop at Aliso/Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.  Of course I ran to Top of the World, because I want those hills.  The skies were gray which meant cool and misty weather.  Perfecto.  The park was virtually empty -- of people that is.  Squirrels and rabbits scampered about the trails.  And coyotes yelped off of Aliso Creek Trail as well as Wood Canyon.

I ran up a trail that I haven't taken in a long time -- Mathis Canyon Trail.  I remember the first time I ran, crawled, make that, kinda hiked up Mathis Trail.  It was my first trail run in Aliso/Woods, I believe my second trail run, period just about two years ago.  I thought Mathis would never end. 

Today, I thoroughly enjoyed my morning loop.  I picked up my speed down Meadows Trail, took it faster than last time.  I ran back to the Ranger station feeling strong, with plenty of water still in my pack.

Featured Trail of the Day:

Miles ran this morning: 9.08