Racing Against Time

With our three sons back in school, I’ve got 3 different school start times and 3 different pick-up times.  It’s crazy!  I leave the house just after 7 AM for the first drop off, come back and then leave again about 8:20 for the 2nd drop off, and finally leave the home once again to make a 9:30 start time for drop off #3.  And these are just the drop offs!  I’m not sure how I’m gonna get my groove with this schedule.  So I thought I’d get my groove with some running in between drop off #3 and pick-up #1.  I had this crazy notion that I could drive to Aliso/Wood Canyons (twenty minutes from the schools) and run the big outer loop and get back in time to pick up our kindergartner.  I have been cross training every day since my last run after all.  I should be stronger and more able, right?  Right? 

I figured if I made it to Top of the World by 11:30, I could make it back to the car by 12:30 – time enough to stretch and get back to school for pick up #1.  (That was kind of stretching it too, because I had never timed how long it takes me to run across Top of the World back down Meadows).

First problem was:  The sun finally showed up today and with vengeance.  When I exclaimed to drop off #2 as we drove to school, “Can you believe it, of all days, the sun comes out,” he looked at me like I was crazy.

“Wadja expect?”  he laughed.  I thought he was consoling me, then realized he simply thought I was a little off : ) 

“When’s the last time the sun came out?” I asked. 

He just chuckled and said, “Ah, like yesterday!”

Silly boy.  We’ve rarely seen the sun all summer around here (which is partly why I suffered so much during Bulldog).  Well, I laughed and laughed at his response, practically all the way to school.

Even though the sun did pop in today, a cool breeze blew as I ran through Aliso and Wood Canyons.  I took my sweet time warming up, enjoyed myself and worked on a relaxed form.  I reached the end of Wood Canyon 8 minutes off schedule, which wasn’t good because I hadn’t even begun the real climbing.  I had forty minutes to make it to Top of the World, and though I never stopped, and consciously picked up my speed, I made Top of the World another 8 minutes shy.

With 16 minutes behind schedule, I thought (didn’t really know, just thought), I wouldn’t be able to make the big loop across the ridge, going down Meadows Trail in time.  And so I thought that I’d cut about two miles off the run by going down Mathis instead.  Surely, I’d be able to make the car in plenty of time to stretch and pick up #1.  I had to make pick up #1 – he’s my little guy!!

I turned around and headed back down West Ridge toward Mathis.  That sun beating down on me was no help at all.  I really pushed it, because it donned on me that I was running in the direction away from the car for much too long before hitting Mathis.  I pounded that downhill trail like I never had before.  Still, I wasn’t going to make it!

Okay, okay, calm down Lauren (though I was really quite annoyed with myself).  You see, I knew when I finally reached Wood Canyon that this supposed cutting 2 miles from the run was a fantasy.  This loop was going to equal just about the same as going down Meadows!

At the base of Mathis, a little over 2 1/2 miles remained.  And I had twenty minutes to run it and still have time to stretch.  Thing is, that dang sun was really beating me up again.  I was wiped out.  I wanted to drop to the trail and lay down and rest.  At the same time, I was more than a little perturbed at myself.  I mean, “You can’t run faster for your kindergartner Lauren!!!”

No, I couldn’t.  I could barely run.  Thankfully, I did have a hat, and I still had fluids.  I needed to power walk a few times.  Staring at the watch, I simply began counting my steps as I ran.  That’s the only way I could get through it.  At some point, I chucked the idea of stretching.  And I ran into that ranger station and straight out to my car.  I threw my gear in and raced back to the school.  I think I hit every single red light, but pulled into the lot about 3 minutes shy of the bell ringing.  When my son walked out, he gave me a big hug, and didn’t even notice the salt that crusted every inch of my body. He was soooo cute.

Miles logged this morning/afternoon:  11.64 (which is the EXACT mileage of the big outside loop that I decided against)

ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE!

My Race Against Time

Six Deer!

5:40 AM as I drove away from my home the skies were black.  What happened to the sun?  Times are a changing again.  Not too long ago, 6:00 AM runs gave us light skies.

The 3rd runner of today’s group run was running late, she text’d me for us to go ahead without her.  I was hoping we’d meet up on the trail.  We never did.  Sheila and I ran those lovely trails that parallel Wood Canyon together, chatting along the way, enjoying the cool, wet air.  We both love that cool morning air to run in. 

This morning’s run was a heck of a lot easier for me than that 3.25 mile run at Disney.  And it was very nice for a change to stay on the lower trails, rather than huff and puff to the top.  We ran Wood Canyon Trail, then hopped onto Dripping Cave Trail.  From there we hit Mathis and ran down to connect to Coyote Run until it lead us back out onto Wood Canyon.  We ran Wood Canyon to the end.  On the way back, we ran Wood Creek Trail, a beauty of a trail, rarely traveled when I ran straight through a fully developed spider web. Wood Creek dumped us out on Wood Canyon.  And that’s were we saw them – six, yes six, lovely deer grazing in the grass.  That is the most deer I’ve ever seen on the trail at once.  Absolutely amazing.  Part of what trail running is all about!

Dripping Cave

Dripping Cave Trail – an eerie fairy tale

Coyote Run Trail

Wood Creek Trail

More Wood Creek – look at all that leaf litter, sheer delight!

More Delight on Wood Canyon Trail

 

Count ‘Em, 6, SIX Deer!

The Crazy Runners who Hit the Trail in the Dark this Sunday Morning

9.91 miles logged today : )

The Beauty of Spider webs and Oceans of Clouds

I set out this morning for a shortish run, but I wanted hills.  I’m sure you can guess, I was running somewhere in Aliso/Woods.  When I took off running through Canyon Vistas Park, the fog was so thick, visibility was low, low, low.  Big, slow drops of moisture dropped down upon me. 

At the bottom of Cholla, my left glute felt tight, so I laid down on the bench there and stretched it out.  While I was at it, I aligned my pelvis and looking up, noticed an beautiful spider web right above my head.

I ran up  Cholla in a mist, as fast as I could, noticing webs everywhere.  I ran in the same white mist a while on West Ridge, stopping to take photos of webs here and there.  And then concentrating on powering up hills, I almost missed the beauty encasing me! 

There I was running above an ocean of clouds.  A literal sea of clouds!  Can you believe, so involved with powering up my run, I nearly missed it?  Talk about not stopping to smell the roses.  The sun shined brightly on the ridge, while peaks from nearby hills poked out from the clouds like islands in the sky. 

Running on West Ridge (looking back at Saddleback Mountains)

 Me, Sweating in the Sun, in background a Sea of Clouds

 

In all, I logged 6.11 miles this morning on an out-and-back to Top of the World.  It was a good run.  Finally again, a run where everything was beautiful. 

Short Run at Disney

For a final mini-vacation before summer we took the family to the Disneyland Hotel (great discounts for annual passholders).  We pretty much spent all day in the Never-Never-land pool.  Needless to say, I was wiped out when I woke at 6:30 AM today.  My family thought I was pretty ridiculous to get up and run on a one day vacation. 

That’s my name – call me ridiculous : )

But, but, but . . . I didn’t run the day before, and it was time to run.  I only put in a few miles anyway.  They were tranquil but so, so hard.  That chlorine and sun and calories and sleeping in a strange place really wiped me out!

So, as the resort prepared for the Disney Half Marathon (setting up Start Line, Porta Potties, tents, etc), I ran through a downright empty Downtown Disney. 

You Never See Downtown Disney this Empty!  Never.

I have to say these 3.25 miles were about the hardest I’ve run in a long, long time.  It was like I wasn’t a runner at all.  Still I’m glad I went ahead and put in a little time. 

Scenes from the “Trail”

Colorful Roses at the Empty Wedding Gazebo

Even the ground is Interesting at Disney

And then we had breakfast at Goofy’s kitchen – the most expensive breakfast you can imagine, not unmatched by the most caloric breakfast you’ll ever eat!  I’m afraid those 3.25 miles didn’t put a dent in breakfast : )

No Place I’d Rather Be

I set my alarm for 6:30 and every time I hit the snooze button, my five-year-old (who had snuck into our bed) complained that I was waking him up.  After complain #3, I decided it was time to make a go at it, and so up I went and got ready for a run.  Thing is, I didn’t want to run.  Motivation, love for running is down right now.   But I forced myself this week, because I know that I’ll want to run again, and when I do, I don’t want to be out of shape.

I wasn’t sure where to run.  It would have been easier to just run out of the door and down to the marina.  But I wanted to go to Top of the World.  I didn’t want to run to the Top of the World, I just wanted to be there.  I wanted to stand up there, take it all in.  I sat on the couch for an hour before I got moving.

I still wasn’t sure how long I would run, what trails I’d take, but I knew I was going to the top.  I packed for a long run just in case and set out under lovely blue skies.  Up Cholla I ran, amazingly passing 6 cyclists (one had stopped to the rest, another was walking his bike : )  I simply stayed in the moment, placing one foot in front of the other, not a single thing on my mind. Then I ran West Ridge to Top of the World.  And I stood there and took it all in.  I felt tranquil, glad to have run to the top, even though I would have much rather slept the morning away.  Now taking in Laguna Beach and the Pacific Ocean and behind me the Santa Ana Mountains, well, there was no other place I’d rather be at that moment.

Top of the World

Concentrating on getting a good picture at the top without falling backward down the slope, I forgot to smile : )

Heading back, I ran West Ridge for a while.  Then I decided on a detour and ran down Rock It.  Lovely Rock It.  I came across a guy running up Rock It barefoot.  All the way down I noticed his barefoot tracks in the dirt as well as plenty of bobcat tracks. 

Bottom of Rock It, I hopped onto Coyote Run Trail and ran it Wood Canyon.  And then I ran back through Canyon Vistas park, content that I had made this morning’s run.

Entering Rock It Trail

Colorful even in the heat of Summer (Rock It)

 

The Fun Stuff (Focus, focus . . . )

Still running DOWN?? Rock It : )

Some Shade on this 1.25 mile trail (still Rock It)

Coyote Run Trail

Miles run:  7.73

Post Bulldog

The day of and the day after Bulldog DNF I felt nauseous.  I slept the first day pretty quickly.  When I woke, I found myself crying. 

Wednesday was my first day back to physical therapy.  And good news:  I have been released.  My physical therapist wasn't thrilled about my choices post Bulldog.  "Why not 10 miles instead of 18?"  he asked about Monday on the gym cycle.  And then about Tuesday, 6 miles is not a short run, how about 3 miles?  That's just about what my husband said too.

LOL.

And so after the gym on Thursday (About 6 miles on the elliptical and weights and core workouts), I went for a three mile run today, Friday.  Or so I thought.  I should say, that I aimed for a 3 mile run, but I cheated and eeked out a 3.7 mile run.

I'm such a cheater.

I gasped, nearly crying as I ran down PCH past our vet.  I still cry at the loss of my Daisy Dog, especially after my DNF at Bulldog. 

So much, too much this year.

Regardless, after 3 hours in the dentist's chair, today's 3.7 mile run was refreshing.  The skies were misty with clouds and a cool breeze blew through my pulled-back hair. 

I'm still a little tiffed, but it's not just all Bulldog.  It's pretty much life.  And unlike usual, running has been unable to erase the crap.

Nice N' Easy Slopes Today: