Sunday March 1, weather reports said rain, so I didn't do a mountain hike/run as planned (And I was thinking big! That is my nature, my eyes are always bigger than my "stomach" -- not so much about food, just with goals in general. This is not necessarily good thing in my opinion. This mentality puts me in a perpetual state of coming up short. On the other hand, this mentality has also given me some great experiences. So, I suppose it's a good trade. Anyway, I digress!)
I wasn't too bummed about the weather reports because I just had too much to do. I couldn't give up the hours. So, I cut the drive time right out of the equation and ran out my front door beneath beautiful gloomy skies. According to my weather app, I was safe from rain for a few hours.
Wow was this run was a struggle (I can't really get back into road running, but I try!). I can't say that I felt strong during any stretch of this 6.5 mile run. But the beauty that surrounded me was immense. Really. It was superb: spooky clouds, green ocean waters, a cool breeze to the face. The gorgeous scenery coupled with the music streaming through my earbuds made this run, as miserable as it was, doable. However, I don't currently own running shoes for the streets. And I didn't want to take my newish trail shoes out on the road, so I grabbed an old worn pair of trail running shoes from beneath my bed. I threw in my orthotics stupidly thinking I'd be good. (I write "stupidly" because four days later my left foot still aches. It feels like the left front pad has been bruised, though there's no visible bruise. I can't be sure if it was the shoes, but I'm suspicious that old shoes finally got me!)
My route on this dreamy, dreary day took me along Pacific Coast Highway, Doheny and Capistrano Beaches, including the campground (which was empty), and back, then to the jetty where I looked across at the harbor, then over to Golden Lantern and back up to Pacific Coast Highway where I made my way home. I perhaps took too many pictures. It's a sickness, as I've said. 🤪. Oh, almost forgot. It rained toward the end of this run. And it was lovely!
Doheny Beach, where San Juan Creek meets the Pacific Ocean
This past Friday, I got out for a version of the Big Loop at Aliso/Woods Canyon Wilderness with a friend. We attacked this ("small") version of the Big Loop clockwise. Generally, I do the Big Loop counterclockwise being that I have time to warm up and the climb is more gradual in this direction. Going clockwise means getting most of the climbing done relatively soon and going UP Meadows which is a struggle (but well worth it!).
The weather was absolutely perfect and the scenery was gorgeous (it always is gorgeous but on this particular day it was more gorgeous than normal. As you can see from below (I know -- too many pictures! Alas, it is my sickness.)
Once again, there was lots of good medicine to be had out there on the trails!
Miles: 9.3 with 1,319' of elevation gain. Route: AlisoCyn / WoodCyn / Meadows / Top of the World / West Ridge / Mathis / WoodCyn / AlisoCyn
View of Saddleback Mountains from Meadows Trail
Almost to the top of Meadows Trail
Finally, the Meadows climb comes to an end!
Pacific Ocean from top of Meadows Trail
View of Top of the World from Meadows Trail
Lupin at the top of Meadows Trail
More gorgeous views (leaving the park to re-enter at Alta Laguna Park, near West Ridge Trail)
View of Saddleback Mtns (once again!) from West Ridge
Last Friday, February 21, I got out for some much needed trails (so few and far between!). For this hike (& run), I was fortunate to have a friend come along and so my goal was to finally find Laurel Springs. I have passed the trail marker along Harding Truck Trail dozens of times. And I have even taken the Laurel Springs trail down a short ways, only to turn back because of the heat.
We took off out of Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary in Modjeska Canyon at about 9am and headed up the huge climb, passing Flores Peak on the way. The climb up Harding is STEEP -- Steep and gorgeous, which helps keep your mind off the climb. Actually, good company and conversation is more what kept my mind off the climb.
It was a beautiful clear day. Spring flowers were showing themselves along the edges (orange poppies and purple lupin). We did not see a single other person on foot. But we did see the fire department -- they were out grading Harding Truck Trail.
At exactly 5 miles on my sports watch, we found Laurel Trail, which is no longer marked. It starts off downhill and continues that way for about a 1/2 mile (at most!).
We found Laurel Springs pretty quickly after taking the trail. It's a downhill single-track hike, no more than a 1/2 mile as previously mentioned. Overall, reaching the springs was anti-climatic to say the least -- just a dribble. But the area was overgrown which made for a cool resting place. And the trickle sound of the water was lovely.
After the anti-climatic Laurel Springs, we hiked back up and layed back on a concrete block structure tucked off of a side trail and looked up at the sky. This was the serene view (picture below). What a lovely view to take in while listening to the sounds of silence. Great medicine! We ran much of the way back. But then we took a little detour into Harding Canyon to scout out a future hike. Looking forward to that.
Running Back with Laurel Bay Leaf in my vest pocket (love the smell!)
February 16, I completed my 55th revolution around the sun. To commemorate the completion of that revolution, I decided to drive out to Corona for a hike up Bedford Road to the Main Divide. I have passed Bedford Road on many occasions while on The Main Divide, but I have never traveled any of it. This is what I can tell you about Bedford Road: It's an exposed climb with faraway views of Riverside County, Lake Matthews and the San Gabriel, San Bernadino and San Jacinto snow-capped mountains. It's also a lonely road with no other hikers or runners (at least on this day), but with plenty of motorcyclists. (I see more motorcyclists on Maple Springs Rd than Bedford however.)
I hung a left at The Main Divide and hiked on over to Bald Peak, a little-known peak in the Santa Ana Mountains. My intent was to measure the route all the way up to the peak. If that had not been my intent, I would have turned around at the base being that I wasn't really up for the scramble to the top. It is quite steep with lots of loose rocks. But I did it anyway, one step in front of the other, sliding back here and there. It was quite a struggle -- but a worthwhile struggle.
I remained at Bald Peak for quite some time before heading down that treacherous slope back to The Main Divide. The views, the sounds of silence and peace and solitude were spectacular and a great birthday gift to myself. Of course, I was late heading back (which is always the case) and ended up running all of the 6.5 mile return trip back into Bedford Canyon.
13.13 miles, 3,583' of elevation gain (my glutes felt that!)
Like clockwork, I came down with a cold a day or two before Calico (1/26/20). Honestly, I didn’t take very much care in eating healthy or getting good sleep in the weeks prior. My body did everything to fight the cold virus, which resulted in a group of cold sores erupting on my face. Lovely! It’s called self-sabotage. It’s my super power.
We got the bunk house which sits on the outskirts of the campgrounds. We had had with us just two boys, two teenage boys (which translates to easy-peasy -- teenagers do everything for themselves!). We had a nice drive up the Cajon Pass, had dinner at Peggy Sue’s, and listened to my middle son play classical guitar by the campfire. I bedded early (about 9:00 pm or so). And it seemed that I didn’t sleep a single wink. I think that I I looked at my watch every hour and a half throughout the night. I wasn’t digging that and it actually worried me some as I tossed and turned, which probably didn’t help this whole cold virus that I was fighting.
Evening Prior from Bunk House Porch
Oddly, I didn’t feel sleep deprived in the least bit and rose up from my bunk at 5:30 am. I got ready very deliberately, sun screening and getting the pack ready for its retirement party. (I packed/wore: Ibuprofen, salt pills, camera, phone, battery and charging cord, ipod, ear buds, band aids, athletic tape, antibiotic ointment, cheap reading glasses, sun glasses, hat, bandanna, lip balm, small tube of sunscreen, toilet paper, a pair of extra socks to change out my warm knee socks, propel electrolyte water in the bladder and two shirts that I wore -- a long sleeved cold weather shirt and a short sleeved Old Goat t-shirt, and a beanie and gloves),
I took off on foot for Calico Ghost Town about a ½ mile away as the sun was beginning to make its appearance. The weather was cold, but not freezing. The number of runners seemed smaller this year compared to previous years. I saw running friend Stephen de la Cruz but didn’t recognize others (though I would see 3 running friends during the race). I noticed that there were a lot of small groups of runners taking this in as a group event. I think that’s a wonderful idea for a race like this, especially if you haven’t run it and haven’t come up on the term “technical trail”.
Setting out from The Bunk House ~ 6:30am
Start/Finish Line Downtown Calico Ghost Town
Here We Go!
We took off running out of Calico Ghost Town at 7:00 am. I started at the back of the pack and stayed there, doing my usual counting of how many people I could pass. When a runner passed me, I subtracted that number from the number of runners I had already passed, giving me a net number. For a good two miles, I remained at about net 2. At about mile three that net number dropped to zero when two friends, Chris Diaz and Bill Hedgardt passed me. We continued to pass each other here and there and ran into the first aid station (7 miles) together. I didn’t stay more than a second at the station. My strategy was to do this run in a fasted state, so there was no reason for me to mingle about at aid stations. There were four runners at the location and as I ran off, I shouted to Chris, “Net Four!” He first looked at me perplexed and then it dawned on him and he shouted “Not for long!”
So, a little history on Chris. I recall meeting him way back in 2008 on Santiago Truck Trail while I was running with Tom Fangrow. I then saw him the following January during my first Calico Trail Race. He’s also one of the regular Old Goat Volunteers -- he and Bill always request the most remote aid stations and even camped down at Chiquito Falls one year manning that hike-in station for Chimera 100. Chris and I have raced in a lot of the same races. I have never beaten him. Once, I was so close and I got giddy about it a bit too early. It was the 2011 Saddleback Marathon. I passed Chris as he was sitting at the last aid station. Man, I was elated over the fact that I just might beat him to the finish line (Chris’s super power is downhill running, I might add -- he says that he “does stupid better than me”). Anyway, back at Saddleback 2011, I sprinted down The Main Divide, hopeful that I could gain enough lead to beat Chris to the finish line. I did not let up. Then, all of a sudden, with just a mile left on the course, Chris popped up beside me! “Dang it!” I exclaimed to which he responded, “Don’t worry Lauren, let’s run in this thing together.” Well, we ran most of it in together, but at the very last part, oh less than a tenth of a mile, Chris sprinted away and crossed the finish line before me.
I remember that 2011 race as I shouted out “Net Four” on Sunday. And then I ran like hell knowing that I’d have to put a lot of distance between me and Chris -- otherwise he’d catch me on the downhill for sure! I did put a lot of distance between us, but not enough. He caught me and Bill did eventually as well. It took him 5 miles to catch me. But he did. I was net 11 when they caught me, dropping me back to net 9. So, I did the same thing at the next aid station. I stayed for about 1 second and took off running, leaving Chris and Bill, once again behind.
Bill and Chris
Me (See those orange and blue shirts in the background? Bill and Chris!)
Aid Station #2 (11.9 miles)
Me (See those orange and blue shirts in background? Bill and Chris!)
30/50k Split
In two hours I was able to cover 8 miles, and in three hours I was very close to 12 miles. But after that, my pace began to fall. The terrain is tough out there. It’s sand or rocks and boulders. There is very little flat, only uphill (mainly) and downhill. My strategy was to hike the hills (or march rather). As I have mentioned many times before, I recover quickly, so hiking those hills gave me some time to rest and I was pretty much recovered by the top of the hills. My other strategy as I have already mentioned was to do this race in a fasted state. That is how I trained. I am done filling myself with sugar at the aid stations (even natural sugar!). That strategy did me well in this race. I never once felt that I needed calories. I had my propel water for the electrolytes and took a few salt pills just to make sure.
I continued to pass and get passed by Chris and Bill for the remainder of the race. So taken in by the beauty of the remaining exotic canyons, I stopped occasionally to snap some pictures (probably too many pictures!) I also found myself starting to stumble. I passed two female runners that I had not seen in a long time, and then another female runner passed me. I think I was still at about net ten during those final few miles. I hadn’t seen Chris in a while, but Bill and I continued to pass one another. I tripped on rocks several times, but never went down. And then nausea began to visit. At that point I downed two more salt pills and an ibuprofen and in no time the feeling that I would vomit subsided.
At the end of the beautiful pink canyon with only about 2 miles remaining, I caught a glimpse of Chris’s orange shirt. I pushed hard, realizing I had to catch him before the last downhill into town. Bill passed me and caught up with Chris, but I struggled. Still, I closed the gap immensely. And during that final flat stretch across the longest parking lot in the world, I thought that I might catch Chris. (Bill by now had long passed Chris). My family watched from above and said that I looked very strong, they couldn’t believe how fast I was moving. They could tell that I was trying to pass the runner in front of me, and thought that I probably would. I knew deep down though that if Chris reached the top of the hill before me, that I would never be able to catch him on the downhill because he does “stupid better” than me. The trip up that service road behind the ghost town was painstaking! And in the end, I could not catch Chris, even though I flew down into the finish line. He beat me by 16 seconds. Sixteen. Seconds.
Calico 2020 was fantastic. I loved every minute. It was a struggle but that struggle was wonderful -- it brought tears to my eyes again and again throughout the course. But I paid immensely for pushing myself with a cold. I was not able to go to work the next day but instead tried to get well by sleeping. I tried to return on Tuesday but went home sick. More than a week has passed since Calico, and I am ready to start running again. Calico 2021? We shall see. My middle boy wants to run it with me, so if he still wants to, I’ll be there for sure!
My route on this dreamy, dreary day took me along Pacific Coast Highway, Doheny and Capistrano Beaches, including the campground (which was empty), and back, then to the jetty where I looked across at the harbor, then over to Golden Lantern and back up to Pacific Coast Highway where I made my way home. I perhaps took too many pictures. It's a sickness, as I've said. 🤪. Oh, almost forgot. It rained toward the end of this run. And it was lovely!
My route on this dreamy, dreary day took me along Pacific Coast Highway, Doheny and Capistrano Beaches, including the campground (which was empty), and back, then to the jetty where I looked across at the harbor, then over to Golden Lantern and back up to Pacific Coast Highway where I made my way home. I perhaps took too many pictures. It's a sickness, as I've said. 🤪. Oh, almost forgot. It rained toward the end of this run. And it was lovely!
