Blame it on Meadows

Yesterday was back spasm day.  And I freaked out my son and husband by taking 6 or 7 ibuprofen.  I didn’t take them all at once.  Waited about an hour an a half between two doses.  My oldest son has the fear that I can die if I take that much ibuprofen.  (I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare him) I know that’s a lot of ibuprofen.  But back spasms, they can throw me to the ground, they are that painful.   I’m not in the mood to check to see how long it’s been since I’ve had a back spasm but let’s just say, I really thought that I was finished with them. 

So after the medication, I went to the gym for two hours – back spasms be damned.  I actually felt spasm twitches, but not the pain.  So, I had to wrack my brain, what did I do, what did I do?  It could be the sciatic nerve, however my piriformis muscles are doing about 95% better thanks to fellow blogger Stuart and his suggested youtube link.  The question I always ask with pain or injuries is, what did I do different the day before?  I didn’t think it was the speed work because that was a couple days before.  The next run, well there was nothing new about that one.  And then I remembered.  During class the night before back spasm day, like a fool, I showed a student how to do a plank.  He was just going on and on about his ab strength and the fact that he’s got stomach fat (the lad is 17, a bean pole with seemingly not an once of fat on his body!)  Anyway, I told him to start doing planks, and he didn’t have a clue what they were so I got down on the floor (I was wearing jeans by the way) and showed him.  His male peers gathered around him afterward to time his plank, and the boy collapsed after twenty seconds of his first plank. (I remember that, collapsing after 20 seconds on my first try, that is).  ANYWAY, I haven’t been doing planks since my recent problems (especially the pec and deltoid injuries which are now healed!).  So I am very suspicious that for some reason, my back can’t hack planks right now.  I’m not sure why, but I won’t be going back to planks any time very soon. 

My, it sounds like I’m in a world of trouble.  But I’m really not.  Really.  I’m actually doing pretty good.  I slept through the night without waking until 5:30 AM!  I’d call that a pain-free night.

Therefore, I am. (lol)  And so I took a run in my usual park, this time, timing myself.  I took all of Wood Canyon at a pretty good pace.  Basically every time I looked at the garmin, I told myself improve pace and I ran a little faster.  It was Meadows Trail, that last mile of it that pretty much killed me.  Though I would have hiked most of it during a race, I ran it all.  By the time I reached the top, I was dead-dog-tired.  On the beauty side, flocks of quail fluttered from the brush several times on my way up (they make such a lovely gentle flapping noise) and the view of Saddleback Mountains was awe inspiring. 

Nearing Top of Meadows Trail (looking toward Saddleback)

I hoped to run this 9 1/2 mile loop in 2 hours, which would mean that I could probably do Calico’s 30k in 4 hours (my goal).  Today’s run however, took 2 hours and 20 minutes. 

I blame Meadows for the time delay.  I clicked a picture when I reached the top (shown on right), and I also made two pit stops (before Meadows)  to simulate a race as much as possible (they don’t stop the clock when you make pit stops in races).  I’m still over a month out, so I’m not disappointed that didn’t make this loop in two hours.  It’s a difficult loop.  And I shall improve, careful, careful to avoid injuries.   

Elevation Profile:  +1,400 feet (route Via Canyon Vistas Park:  Wood Canyon to Meadows, up Meadows, across Top of the World, West Ridge, Cholla Trail, Wood Canyon and back up Canyon Vistas Park)

9.57 Miles logged today

Run for Fun

I don’t usually run two days in a row.  But after Tuesday’s hellish speed work, I decided I needed to do a “real” run.  So I went out to my favorite canyon, which my husband says they’re going to name after me (ha, ha) and ran up Cholla Trail without any trouble at all.  In fact, the entire run up to Top of the World seemed easier than usual.  I even seemed to run at a faster pace (forgot Garmin).  Can that be true?  Can speed work help after only one day???

Miles logged:  7.51

Here’s a bit from my run, The Featured Trail of the Day:  Car Wreck Trail

The Defeatist

With the glutes doing much better, I decided it was time for some speed work.  I should say first off that I am a long runner.  I am not a fast runner.  But with my Calico goals, there’s no way around speed work.  If I’m going to better my time, I’ve got to run faster.  Not faster on the street, not faster on flat trails, faster on rugged terrain, faster on hills. 

I was kind of looking forward to this morning.  I actually thought it might be fun.  My plan was a short run with speed bursts, longish speed bursts (about 1/2) along West Ridge, and overall run those rolling hills faster than I usually do.  And then when I come to the steepest hill (I call it “Good Girls Don’t”), run that short hell climb a few times as fast as I can. 

Getting ready for my “new” training, still thinking it might be fun (wearing full gear, because that’s how I will run Calico)

Well, I hated it.  I HATED IT.  I really cannot stress how difficult this was for me.  I started off strong on mildly rolling hills, about 8 1/4 minute pace.  Strong for about 1 minute!  My breathing quickly felt out of control.  I had to rest at .47 of a mile.  But I kept on going afterwards, bursting up the hills, trying to fly on the down hills.  And then after running up “Good Girls Don’t” three times as fast as I could (I had to stop midpoint all 3 times), I felt like I might vomit. 

On the way back to the car, I ran West Ridge faster than I usually do, but my bursts had slowed quite a bit from my run in.  And I did stop to click one beauty of a picture of the Laguna Coast and the great Pacific.

Overall, this is what I thought at my first attempt at speed work

Elevation Profile:  The 3 spikes around mile 2 is the hill I call “Good Girls Don’t”

Miles logged this morning:  3.94

Get A Grip (in the mud)

After a restless sleep, I did not want to go, I did not want to go.  Rain poured down through the night; I wasn’t even sure if the trails were open.  But I didn’t run yesterday, so I had to go.  I had to.  I’m not going into another trail race untrained. 

It was cold, cold, cold in Aliso Canyon!

 

I saw 2 runners just ahead of me as I set out on Aliso Creek Trail.  And they turned back on the paved portion before I arrived to Wood Canyon.  And then another runner ran past, and she turned back too before I arrived to Wood Canyon.  I worried that the trails were closed up ahead.  But they were open, so I turned onto Wood Canyon Trail, shoving gloves and scarf into my pack.

About 1 1/2 Miles In Layers Start Coming Off

Running Meadows Trail, Headed Toward The BIG Climb

The BIG climb was so dang muddy, I was sliding backward trying to make my way to the top.  I could run very little of the trail, finding opportunities when grass grew along the edges.  I laughed out loud over the fact that it was one step backward for every two steps forward.  It didn’t help any to scrape off the mud.  The next step simply added those couple pounds of mud right back onto my shoes.  One biker behind me turned back to find another route as I grudgingly, yet happily made my way to the top.

No More Layers – I’m Warm!!

Top of Meadows Trail!!

A wonderful cold breeze blew in my face as I ran along Top of the World.  Instead of venturing down West Ridge right away, I headed off onto Park Avenue Nature Trail and took it down, down, down toward the canyon road.  I hoped to find a route over to Laguna Coast so that I can increase the size of my loop in a couple of weeks.  Turns out there’s plenty of routes down and plenty of routes back up to West Ridge Trail.  I took an overgrown single track back up (I love those single tracks!)

Looking across at Laguna Coast and Pacific Ocean

Back On Wood Canyon Via Cholla Trail (How to run this? Gingerly along the grass edges : )

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View of Wood Canyon from Wood Creek Trail

Plenty Of Spider Webs To Run Through On Wood Creek, But Leaf Litter helped To Get A Grip In The Mud

Maiden’s Hair Fern Along Wood Creek Trail

One Of The Hundreds Of Mushrooms Growing In The dense, Shady Portion Of Wood Creek Trail

Elevation Profile:  +1,935 ft.

Miles logged this morning:  12.53

I’m NOT running the Turkey Trot Trail Run

Every year I think might not run the local Turkey Trot.  It has been such a pain for many reasons.  First off, they lost my registration TWICE last year.  They do not start the runners in waves (though there are more than 10,000 runners) and most importantly, the whole race is on pavement. 

But I’ve run the Turkey Trot for many years.  It was my first race.  It was the one that really set me on my way with running.  I can walk to the race from my house even (big, big plus). The Turkey Trot holds a lot of nostalgia for me.  And I have been known to be very nostalgic.

Well, this year, I went and did it.  That is didn’t do it.  I did not run the Turkey Trot.  Instead, I ran with a friend on dirt, beautiful soft DIRT (& some rock : ).  And it was lovely.

When we arrived to Aliso/Woods Canyons the air was FREEZING.  That is literally.  The wood post fence we climbed over had a layer of ice along it.  Though I wore long sleeves, I wasn’t prepared – I wore shorts, didn’t have gloves or a beanie.  So I wore my scarf tied over my head like my great-grandmother, Babcia used to.

After turning onto Wood Canyon which was still in the shade, we took a little detour onto Cave Rock Trail so we could get up on that rock into the sun.  That didn’t really help warmth-wise.  But the view of Wood Canyon from atop that rock was spectacular, green hills, blue skies with a bright sun beaming down promising to warm us up soon, very soon. 

I had the bright idea to shortem the trip to the top by not running up Mathis.  Instead we ran through that shady magical Oak Grove Trail and UP Car Wreck Trail.  There was no running for me on the steepest parts of Car Wreck.  Even hiking it was a chore.  But it surely warmed me up.

So let it be known, running up Car Wreck is not actually a short cut. : )

A “runnable” portion of Car Wreck Trail

Sheila and Me at the top of Car Wreck, finally warm

Reaching the top of Mathis (via Car Wreck) was such a chore that the uphills remaining were pleasurable to run.  We ran on up to Top of the World, and from there across over to Meadows, which we took down to Wood Canyon and back to the ranger station beneath gorgeous skies.  Truly a run to be thankful for on a day that I am glad to remember all the things that I am so thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Top of the World

Miles logged Thanksgiving morning:  9.25

Elevation Profile:

Sit on This

First an update on the Piriformis muscle situation.  Great improvement with switching my sleep position.  But I was still waking in pain.  Have been also doing stretches and foam rolling, and I am good all day long (mostly) – that is until I sit or run.  Also, nighttime has not been great.  Then in my desperate stumblings on the internet I came across the suggestion of using a tennis ball.  So, two nights ago, I sat on a brand new tennis ball (3 for $2!!) and OUCH, OUCH, OUCH.  The next morning, I am happy to report that I did not need to roll myself out of bed.  I did not need to hold onto the mattress as I walked out of the room.  Instead, I jumped right out of bed, WITH NO PAIN AT ALL.

You can be sure that I’m continuing this sitting on a tennis ball, rolling it over that muscle to help loosen it up, every time I think of it.  Of course, I have to take some hassling from our oldest son.  He thinks it’s absolutely ridiculous to sit on a tennis ball. : )  Just wait til he’s in his mid forties with Piriformis syndrome!

Now, back to running – trail running that is.  If I wanted to get in 3 trail runs this week, I had to run today.  And I wanted to, I wanted to!  So, I took off through Canyon Vistas Park, expecting the outhouse to be empty at Aliso/Wood Canyons’ entrance.  No such luck.  And for the first time in a long time, I ran off into the brush and . . . fade out . . .

The trails were empty, I mean EMPTY this morning.  The trails were also pretty eroded from the past days’ rains.  Deep crevices lead the way along with rock exposed from the dirt being washed away.

A changing Prickly Pear on Cholla Trail

I did not feel so strong on this run.  I tried to keep my pace up, but I couldn’t keep it as fast as my last run.  That’s all right though – the morning was lovely.  Lovely and strange.  Everything looked so different to me – the erosion, the brush now greener and growing onto the trails.  As I ran along West Ridge, a helicopter flew between me and the Laguna Coastal Hills at an elevation lower than I was running! 

Looking down on Laguna Canyon Road and Laguna’s Coastal Hills

The glutes began stabbing as I ran along West Ridge.  I popped 3 ibuprofen right away.  No way I was going to stop this run at this point.  I’m not gonna lie.  West Ridge was tough.  I blamed a day a Disneyland yesterday.  But who knows, it could have been anything.  I feel a little “out of sorts” in my training right now. 

Anyway, at Top of the World, I stretched that glute muscle.  And then I decided to take a little detour on the way back.  Instead of running straight down West Ridge, I took Park Avenue Nature Trail – another one of those trails I’ve neglected at this park.  Very quickly, I came upon a fork in the road.  I took the right which wound me up on top of a plateau with a lovely 360 degree view of Saddleback Mountains, Laguna Beach and all of Aliso Viejo.  But there was no way down to West Ridge.  So I ran that fork in the road back down to the turn off and took the left trail instead.  And what I saw beneath me on the hillsides was a whole other system of trails, seemingly leading down to Laguna Canyon Road.  More trails to discover!!!! 

Well, I ran a while when it seemed like I should be back to West Ridge.  But the trail cutting across was not West Ridge.  It was a whole other ridge trail that I’ve never seen before.  How could I have never seen it before?  It amazes me how geographical angles can obscure entire trail systems.

Park Avenue Nature Trail

I eventually made it back to West Ridge.  From there I (leisurely) ran back to Cholla Trail.  And even Cholla Trail, I didn’t take too quickly.  But I did see another person – a mountain biker riding, not walking, his bike up its steep eroded terrain. 

Miles run this morning: 6.5

Elevation Profile: