On the Run

The Road to Santiago

2012-02-10T22:49:00.001-08:00

Most of my runs are good runs. No; more than that – they are joyful runs. Sometimes (rarely) I have magical runs that seem effortless. Sometimes (rarely) I have runs that seem hellish. Today, day 53 of my running streak was pretty much hellish. With about 6 miles remaining I wanted more than anything to stop and WALK home. Or better yet, phone my husband for a ride. Thing was, there was no way for him to drive a car to me. And I couldn’t walk because time was fleeting and I needed to pick up our two youngest boys from school.

For today’s run, I set out to explore more of the run for my epic adventure, Tom Fangrow’s “Tides to Towers” Run (a run from Doheny Beach to Santiago Peak). I went into this morning’s run a little cocky, thinking that two days of short runs would give me enough rest to keep me running strong. Such is with the sport of running (& all sports, and all things in life in fact), I had another thing coming!

The run began strong as I ran toward Arroyo Trabuco Trail. Overall, this portion of “Tides to Towers” is not extremely technical terrain, nor is it steep. It’s a bit more difficult than the first segment which covers Doheny Beach along San Juan Creek to Trabuco Creek. But overall, today’s run wasn’t any tougher than my normal runs. In fact, it should have been a lot easier than a typical run on my regular trails.

BUT, this run did cover the out-and-back route that included the Las Flores Trail Marathon that did me in some time ago – the race where I took the coveted DFL, the race that I thought I’d run again some day, merely for vengeance. LOL. Not after today! It was about the point that I passed the race’s entrance onto Arroyo Trabuco that I really began to weaken. Perhaps my fatigue was exasperated by the memory of Las Flores. Then when I passed the Las Flores’s marathon turnaround point, energy seeped out of me like a leaking tire. I was pooped!

About a mile in, running adjacent to the golf course headed toward Arroyo Trabuco (& the Crown Valley Parkway underpass):

Posing above golf course, Santiago Peak in distance:

I love this part of the trail, reminds me of being a little girl. The house I grew up in had this feathery blooming plant in the furthest part of the backyard, growing like a jungle:

Though I’m tiring, the moments I can escape to The Now, I can enjoy beauty like this:

On the way back, I found myself counting creek crossings. I stared down my garmin. Actually, I didn’t want to do that, so I wouldn’t allow myself to look at the garmin until at least two songs had fully played on my ipod. I tripped twice, but thankfully didn’t fall. Then I tripped and kicked my other leg. It hurt. LOL. I fell into the creek TWICE and got my feet wet. When I reached the Oso underpass, I whispered, “Thank God.” Then the run to the Crown Valley underpass seemed like it would never arrive. When I finally caught its giant pillars in sight, I felt a grand relief.

I must have covered new ground, haven’t seen this monument before:

Running back:

15.79 miles run on the road to Santiago Peak today (25.41km). The IT band is acting up just a tad, so I was diligent in my floor exercises and foam rolling this evening.

Here’s to better runs!!

“Don’t just do something. Sit there.”

2012-02-09T21:50:00.001-08:00

Going about my chores and errands this morning, I didn’t feel “at ease.” I felt odd because I’m used to running for hours at a time. I’m not accustomed to “having” my mornings. I give my mornings away for solitude, for joy, and most importantly, for “The Now.”

I played the “minimum card,” for my running streak yesterday, and I knew that I was going to play the “minimum card” today as well. Why? I suppose things, running-wise, have been going too good. A “rest” before I got too tired seemed the right thing to do for my running streak, for myself. Therefore, this afternoon about 3 PM, I ran out the front door for a hilly 2.77 miles around the neighborhood.

Have I ever mentioned that I’m not an afternoon runner? Well, I’m not an afternoon runner – pretty much hate it. Though, I do enjoy starting my run in the morning and running into the afternoon.

SO! What I’ve learned these past couple days, in fact over the whole streak, is that it’s good to mix it up. It’s not only good to run a couple miles instead of twenty, it’s helpful because it changes up my running pace. I definitely run a different speed when I’m running twenty miles compared to one mile. The short runs are also helpful because they remind me that it’s OKAY not to go “all out” with the miles.

Back in the college, I had a wonderful Professor named Dr. Saint Laurent. I studied modern art in his class. And this is what he said to us one day about a popular saying that I had heard all of my life:

“Most people say, ‘Don’t just sit there. Do something.’ How about this instead? ‘Don’t just do something. Sit there’.”

His words about jolted me out of my seat. I had always been a “Don’t-just-sit-there-do-something-kind-of-girl.” Dr. Saint Laurent’s concept was practically foreign to me. Even when I was “sitting there,” I felt like I should be doing something. And not only should I be doing something, I should be doing it phenomenally. If I took a test, an A wasn’t even good enough – an A+ was my desire. If I started a book, I HAD to finish it (even if I HATED it.) I could not fathom any reason that I couldn’t hit the ball EVERY TIME it crossed the plate. A sonata on the piano had to be played perfectly. And if I messed up, I’d stop and start the piece over FROM THE TOP. Of course, you might understand why I eventually quit piano, quit guitar, quit softball, quit volleyball, etc., etc.

After graduation, we had the pleasure of receiving my husband’s grandmother’s baby grand piano. (It was built especially for her when she was a young girl). And it was with this beautiful piano that takes up a quarter of our living room that I learned to play for fun. Finally, I didn’t even have to finish a piece. I could play just part of a piece, my favorite part, and then move onto another song and play a section, or the whole thing, whatever I felt like, JUST FOR FUN. If I messed up, I might stop to work on the measure, or I’d just keep playing.

Similarly, when I enter a race, I have absolutely no chance at winning. Yet I have fun. With this now 52 day running streak, I’m coming back to Dr. Saint Laurent’s notion. Funny, because I didn’t realize that I left it. But I did, partially anyway. I’ve been feeling guilty for years for not being successful as a fiction writer, for not knocking on more doors to get published. As such, I don’t believe I’ve written fiction for more than a year! Funny how this running streak has opened my eyes in aspects other than running. But back to running, this streak has taught me pretty much what Dr. Saint Laurent was trying to say way-back-when. I don’t have to run double digit miles to have a meaningful run. And who says that it even has to be “meaningful.” I can have fun running 1 or 2 or 3 miles too, meaningful or not.

Oh, and one more thing, Happy Birthday Mom!

Good Side/Bad Side

2012-02-08T21:17:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note to say that I indeed continued my running streak today. I hadn’t originally planned on it. Now, I've decided not to plan on anything with the streak. I’ll take it day-by-day, as I should with EVERYTHING.

Besides playing the “minimum card,” and running a little over the minimum requirement (1.14 miles total this afternoon), I did get lots of work done around the house. But dang it! I forgot to vacuum the living room rug.

On the good side (or rather hilarious side), I was carded today!! Yup, pushing 50, and I was asked for i.d. when I purchased a bottle of wine at Trader Joe’s. I immediately phoned my hubby on my way through the parking lot to tell him. He laughed and laughed and laughed.

On the bad side, my Photoshop class was cancelled tonight. Not enough students enrolled.

On the good side, hubby cooked dinner tonight – spaghetti and meat sauce.

On the bad side, I forgot to do weight training today. And it was even on my list.

But on the good side, we have held onto the house for yet another month.

Wishing you all the best!!

Day 50

2012-02-07T22:22:00.001-08:00

Today was the 50th day of my running streak. Fifty was a big day as far as I was concerned, so I didn’t want to use a “minimum card,” and run a couple miles. But time was short and gasoline was low. You see, today was early-out day for my two youngest children, which means they ended school about 2 hours early. AND it’s late-in day for my oldest, which means that he went to school a WHOLE HOUR LATE.

There wasn’t a chance in heck that I wasn’t running today. I packed a rain jacket in my hydration pack because we were supposed to get a downpour. Actually, I hoped for lots of rain. I thought that would make day 50 big! With little time and little gasoline I felt it ideal to leave my truck in the boys’ school lot and run. I ran out to the bike trail and headed toward Santiago Peak. I knew that I wasn’t going to get far, but I wanted to see if I could learn something, anything new. We learn something new every day, right?

The river walk (aka) bike trail where Trabuco Creek meets San Juan Creek:

Though the weather was cold for my parts, and the sky gray, I overheated pretty quickly and had those gloves off in a jiffy. I was really hoping for rain also, so I could get that rain jacket out of my pack. It made me feel heavier than usual.

After running the river walk to its end, I ran through some neighborhoods to pick up the El Camino Real trail that coincidentally runs through El Camino Real Park. Zig-zagging through the park, I crossed the train tracks to pick up Trabuco Creek Trail.

El Camino Real Park (why did I take a picture here – well, it’s right in front of the restrooms, and since I was already stopped, I thought this was a good time to strike a pose):

I felt good when my feet hit dirt. Amazingly strong. I really had no idea that I could run 50 days in a row. My confidence (in running ONLY) has been lifted. Then my heart lifted when I came head-on with the creek. I crossed it gleefully, then ran beneath the train tracks onward to the orange groves.

I found the orange groves so lovely that I had to stop and take another photo. And here’s what I learned today: DO NOT sit down in this field – not if you don’t want a thousand microscopic thorns poking in your hands and legs, plus about fifty tinee, tiny green aphids crawling all about your skin (Oops. I totally forgot to search for tics. LOL. These adventures – they are so fun to reminisce about & I just did a quick tic check : )

Stopping to spy on a lady bug before taking off, I brushed off the aphids and did my best to wipe away the stickers. I was laughing though. Why? Because this is me: The middle-aged woman who runs from her childrens’ school and sits down in a patch of grass to photograph herself without thinking about things like STICKERS and bugs.

So, the rain did fall on my run, but hardly. I barely even felt the drops. And it wasn’t nearly enough to take out the rain jacket. Still I hoped (but to no avail).

Running onward, I made my way beneath the freeways more comfortably this time. Still, I kept alert, as it is dark, and there’s so many nooks and crannies (hiding places) beneath Interstate Five.

Approaching the “Bridge that’s not the answer.”

A little after mile five I turned around and began my run back, but not before seeing a man on his tip-toes looking into the backyard of a house. That spooked me some. I of course thought the worst, figuring he was casing the joint for a burglary or something. By the time I returned, he was gone.

After running the trails and El Camino Real Park, I decided to make a run through The Los Rios District, which is an historic area in our parts, dating back to the 1800’s. I love all the colors there, even on this gray day.

Back at Trabuco Creek:

Cutting through the train station to Los Rios District:

Lots of delightful scenes crossed my eyes during my run through the “district,” but I couldn’t stand around and take pictures all day, like I would wish to. Here are just a couple:

A lovely run for my 50th day, EVENTHOUGH it didn’t rain. 10.30 miles run this morning (16.58 km).

Sugarloaf Peak

2012-02-06T21:14:00.001-08:00

Day 49: I drove up Ortega Highway to Blue Jay campground for a run with Steve Harvey. Our mission was to remove the trail markings from Big Baz’s 18k trail race that took place over the weekend. We took off the bright orange ties from branches, smeared away chalk arrows in the dirt. Of course, I had lots of fun too. I rarely run this part of the mountains, basically only during Baz’s races. The trails are a joy – technical, single-track. Love it.

What great fun it was to learn about some of Steve’s ultra running adventures. The icing on the cake was his guided tour up to Sugarloaf Peak. I’ve run past this peak in Baz’s races. I didn’t know that it was THE Sugarloaf Peak. And I’ve never actually made the rocky climb to the peak. We could see for miles – miles and miles of lovely solitude.

Steve taking the lead with sack in hand to hold the collected ties:

The scenery is so different on this part of the mountains with these huge orangish boulders protruding everywhere:

Heading up to Sugarloaf Peak:

View from the Peak:

Another tie to remove:

8.35 miles run (13.44 km):

Carbon Canyon: Telegraph, Four Corners, Bovinian South Ridge, Easy Street Loop

2012-02-05T22:13:00.001-08:00

Day 48: I carpooled with running friend Kelly to meet up with running friends Hank and Judi and a new running friend and fellow blogger, Lisa (Mom to Marathon).

I had no preconceived notions for today’s run. I looked forward to running new trails and running with friends. If anything, I was a little afraid that I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I was a little tired on my 48th consecutive day of running. Turns out, Lisa’s on a running streak as well – day 66! When she told me that she’s aiming for 100, I started thinking, “I might be able to do 100.” Then I had to shake myself, “Snap out of it Lauren! You said you would stop Jan. 31. THEN you said you would stop at day 50!!!”

From left to right, Me, Judi, Lisa, Kelly (Hank had not showed, so we took off without him, but then I realized that I dropped my camera and had to run back. Wouldn’t you know it! Hank had just pulled into the lot as I made my way back to the ladies. It seemed like fate : )

The trails were lovely, green with lots of shade, and when not shady, we had the comfort of a cool breeze. Judi did a wonderful job of mapping out a lollipop loop for us. We ran through Telegraph Canyon up to Four Corners. That’s right “Four Corners.” I guess there’s more than one “Four corners” in this state, on this planet. Comment if you would be so kind, if you have a “Four Corners” on your trails. I would love to see how many there are.

A quick stop at “Four Corners” before heading upward (Hank, Judi, Kelly, Lisa, me):

From “Four Corners”, we ran Bovinian Delight Trail to South Ridge. Hank and Kelly took the lead, when suddenly we three ladies saw Hank turn around and run fast back toward Kelly. Then Kelly turned around to run as well, and yelled to me to get out my knife. Well, all kinds of things ran through my mind, most of all MOUNTAIN LION. We hollered out “What is it?” Kelly pointed, but I wasn’t really focusing on the direction, I was just mentally prepping for the possible scenarios. I knew that it wasn’t a rattlesnake, because they had by then ran way out of striking distance. Besides that, I wouldn’t need a knife for a rattlesnake. Chance were that a bobcat wouldn’t cause them any problems. And a mountain lion, well, it would have caught up with Hank by then. Still, mountain lion was all that I could think, so for a split second, I thought that we might have a scenario of 4 ladies attacking a mountain lion as it pounced on our friend.

Turns out, and this is very odd, I’ve only heard of this happening a few times from others, a couple coyotes crossed the road in front of Hank. Then a 3rd one crossed, a very large one. But then on his/her crossing the animal actually charged at Hank. Scary!! I usually see only scrawny coyotes, but once on one of my solo runs I saw a very large coyote in the mist, and he really spooked me.

Afterward, we all stood about rapidly and nervously talking about the incident, then went forward on that same trail, fortunately with no encounters. Lisa laughed and said to Kelly and me, “I can’t believe you carry knives. Man! I gotta get me a knife.” That comment cracked me up.

After all the excitement (more so for Hank and Kelly) we ran on some more for GORGEOUS views. Then we took Easy Street Trail back down to the canyon. Though “Easy Street” was easy running because it was downhill, it was not a trail that you’d want to trip on (I don’t mean “trip” as in “trip-out”, but that too. I mean fall. A fall would plummet you down a cliff with a possibility of severe injuries). Oh the exhilarating fun of being a trail runner. : )

Miles run today: 13.61 (21.90 km):

The Bridge is NOT the Answer

2012-02-04T21:50:00.001-08:00

Day 47 of my running streak I returned to piecing together The Epic Run. (For new readers, this is my quest to run from Doheny Beach to Santiago Peak in Saddleback Mountains). Today I took the advice of my friend Tom Fangrow who reminded me of a run we took together back in 2009 – the one where we got kind of lost in the mud, and he lost his eyeglasses only to find them beneath MY SHOES! That was the trail, he recently told me, that I had to take for this quest. He told me NOT to cross the bridge that I’ve been crossing off of Trabuco Trail, the one that takes me to Trabuco Ridge. Funny . . . all along, I thought the bridge was the answer.

The bridge is NOT the answer. I was a bit leery at first, because the bridge route did get me to my destination on my last scouting trip. This morning, I met another trail runner on a bike (Howie) on my way toward Tom’s Way, and he also confirmed that I was headed toward Arroyo Trabuco. I ran for a while next to the golf course, and after a mile or so, came to this fountain spot that I immediately recognized. I had refilled my water here on that run way, way back. Relieved that I wasn’t yet lost, I had to stop and strike a pose:

From the fountain onward, the run was pretty straight forward, the trail fairly level (well dang right level RELATIVELY : ). When the trail forked, both routes were obviously well-traversed trails, so I took the lower. And I’m not sure, but I could swear I took the same wrong trail that Tom and I took about 3 years ago when we found ourselves boxed-in, surrounded by deep mud. I’m not sure, but if it was the same wrong turn, I certainly wasn’t going to take it to its dead end. So about here (below) I turned around and ran back to the fork so that I could run the “upper” trail.

Now, when I write “upper” trail, I in no way mean UPPER as in the Trabuco Ridge Trail I had been taking to piece together The Epic Run. This trail was just slightly higher than the first choice. I hit some single-track, I came across another runner. There was even a tiny bit of shade (NO shade on my prior route). The only trouble I had was finding the route to cross to the other side of the creek. Tom mentioned that I’d find a route just before Crown Valley. The biker Howie suggested running up to Crown Valley Parkway running across the road, then back down to the trail on the other side. I ran everything that looked like a trail just before Crown Valley, only to dead end. And I decided that running up to the road wasn’t ideal. From Crown Valley I ran back again, looking for the route. And I phoned my husband so that he could read back to me Tom’s note. I still found nothing. Eventually, I ran a bit past the Crown Valley underpass and found a clear singe-track trail down to the creek. I crossed the creek, getting my feet wet, then ran a sandbar to the trail that runs along the other side – my destination.

My destination: beneath the Crown Valley underpass on Arroyo Trabuco, so, so grateful for Tom pointing out this route. Why? BECAUSE THIS NEW ROUTE KNOCKED ABOUT AN HOUR off my original route of The Epic Run. Thanks Tom!

Running back with a look over my shoulders and a click of the camera to catch a glimpse of Santiago Peak:

My lovely view while stretching at the truck:

Miles run today: 6.16 (9.91 km)

One-Track Mind

2012-02-03T20:33:00.001-08:00

Day 46 of my longest running streak (by far): 6.42 easyish out-and-back miles run to Top of the World in Aliso/Wood Canyons.

Running up Cholla Trail:

View of Wood Canyon from Cholla:

Santiago Peak from West Ridge:

Pacific Ocean / Catalina Island view from Park Ave. Nature Trail:

Top of the World:

Santiago Peak from West Ridge:

Running back down Cholla Trail:

More on the Scout . . .

2012-02-02T22:11:00.001-08:00

Day 45 of my running streak, I ran another scouting expedition in hopes of connecting trails to Trabuco Canyon. It went pretty well, though the trails were pretty dang lonely. (On the return trip, they livened up with cyclists and even two runners).

This morning I began at the bridge, again running up Trabuco Ridge. That cuts off about (5 or 6 miles) I believe, from a Doheny Beach starting point. During today’s scouting expedition, I gave myself a couple hours to run toward Saddleback Mountains and soon found myself in familiar territory, Arroyo Trabuco Trail. When I reached my hourly limit, I simply turned around and ran back.

This run really wiped me out. But fortunately, I ran a “negative split” (Yah, I’m picking up some terminology) and had lots of time to stretch afterward.

The Pictorial (Warning – way too many pictures. I’ll try & lighten up a little bit next time):

So far, I’ve run from my truck to the bridge which crosses the creek and meets up with Trabuco Ridge Trail:

Heading down off the trail to pick it up at the end of upcoming cul-de-sac:

I don’t know what these are, they stand up above golf course about a mile before I begin to descend back down to creek:

You guessed it (if you’ve been to this blog before) – Santiago Peak in distance:

Trailside flowers:

Heading down to the creek, a 1/2 mile to 1 mile before Crown Valley Parkway underpass:

Ahhhhh. The creek. I ran the single track to the right for a while before meeting up with Arroyo Trabuco Trail:

Relieved that I know where I’m at. LOL:

Running along Trabuco Trail, I hear all sorts of noises in the leaf litter:

Looking downstream before crossing:

Closed????

Ah. I don’t think so!

Arroyo Trabuco – I recognize this trail!! Hooray! I’m not getting lost today.

More creek crossing – I’ve crossed here many times on different runs:

Got a little spooky in here. I couldn’t even see the mountains. So I took the headphones off to listen closely and focus:

Heading back to the truck, running Trabuco Ridge I notice a fine specimen of Ladybug. I love Ladybugs:

Truckward bound and oh, so tired:

16.02 miles ran this morning (25.78 km):

Scouting Expedition

2012-02-01T20:36:00.001-08:00

Day 44 of my running streak, I decided to run a scouting expedition. I went dressed for running to a work meeting. And directly afterward, I ran straight out to Trabuco Trail about 1.5 miles away for this scouting expedition.

Ever since I started investigating the trails along San Juan and Trabuco Creek, I had this idea of an epic run (an idea that was run by me a couple times by my old running partner, Tom.) But when I finally found Trabuco Trail about a year ago and saw that it was closed, I put the idea aside. Then the other day, while running around San Juan Capistrano, I saw that a new trail had been constructed just above Trabuco Trail. I thought to myself – indeed the epic run is alive!

My idea is to run from the beach to the peak – that is Doheny Beach to Santiago Peak. I’m sure it’s been done before, yet I can’t find specific information on the internet about such a run. I have no idea how many miles the route is. But I do know that it would probably be my most difficult run to date. And I do know that it’s a bit crazy. I’m even kind of afraid to try and get a group or even a single person to join me, because I have my reputation you know. LOL. But I do know without trail closures, a trail run from Doheny to Santiago Peak is possible. And so, today I ran that new Trabuco Trail with the limited time I had to scout it out.

So, I took off on the “old” Trabuco Trail and struck a pose in front of the “closed” sign I soon ran up on:

And I took the new, upper-trail. It doesn’t run along the creek, and I could see the “old” trail below, which looked in good condition to me. The lower closed trail was natural and kind of rugged. The new trail was groomed with wood chips and moved alongside a private school. The kids were at lunch, some were in P.E. class. Lots of the children waved.

After crossing the creek, I made my way to the original trail. It meandered through mustard plant fields, then to my utter delight, an orange grove. I could hear the cars speeding by on the freeway a few hundred yards away. The trail had no climbing and was quite tranquil despite the freeway. There was nothing technical about it, no hills, ruts, rocks or gulleys, but it was still beautiful.

Then the trail turned right. I ran beneath both the southbound and northbound Interstate 5 Freeways. It was dark, loud, long (I’d guess 8 to 10 lanes worth) and quite eerie. But I could see the “light at the end of the tunnel” and looked forward to discover where I’d come out.

To my great surprise I came out at the bridge pictured below. I’ve driven past it hundreds of times and have always thought, “That’s an odd place for a bridge.” Ms. Trail Runner didn’t even think that it might cross the creek TO CONNECT TRAILS! I had actually thought it was an old, possibly abandoned, unused bridge. Funny girl.

At the end of the bridge there were 2 trails to choose from. I chose the one that went up and had the word “Trabuco” in it. I ran Trabuco Ridge. Again, the trail was uneventful, easy running rolling hills (well, all were not that easy, but it’s all relative right?) Soon I ran high above the freeways and I could see that I was passing Saddleback College in Mission Viejo on my far left.

I ran up and down these grassy hills, coming across only two other people. They sat together on the grass beneath an umbrella in practically the middle of nowhere. We all smiled and waved as I passed. I noticed that they were drinking water – perhaps something else, I mean what the heck were they doing there??? LOL.

There she is! Santiago Peak:

Eventually, I had to turn back because I needed to pick the boys up from school. On the return trip I spied four deer frolicking on the hillside. If you look closely in the picture below, you might see them. (You might have to click the picture for a larger view).

Making better time than I expected, I took the time for some photo ops while crossing Trabuco Creek:

No, I’m not dancing. I’m trying to sit down in time before the camera clicks:

And then I crossed the creek and ran back to my car parked at my work for a run totaling 8.40 miles (13.52 km).

Trabuco Creek:

It’s All Relative

2012-01-31T21:33:00.001-08:00

I felt much stronger on day 43 of Streaking into the New Year than I did for day 42. Perhaps it’s because today is the official end of Streaking into the New Year. I doubted that I could run every day until January 31. Now, I’m so close to a 50 day streak, that I’m going to try to go on a little longer.

Today I sang on the way to the trails. The weather was cool. And I was so thrilled to hit the dirt again. I took off in Aliso Canyon with a dozen or so plump squirrels scampering across the trail. A gopher poked his head out of a hole as I hopped over it.

I focused on form while keeping my pace way up from yesterday. After running into Wood Canyon Trail, I took a quick right onto Meadows Trail, lovely Meadows Trail:

I’ll tell you, the difficulty of hills is surely relative – pretty much like most everything (at least in physics anyway). A bit off subject here, but there was a time when mankind thought that we would surely die travelling on a train. It was simply too fast, we couldn’t take it. Turned out, we when sit in a train or a car or a plane, though we’re travelling the same speed as the “vehicle”, it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like our bodies aren’t even moving at all. Similarly, there was a time when I thought I would surely die running up Meadows Trail. LOL. Even though I sweated running up it this morning, and the journey was hard, it was definitely easy, relative to some of the trails I’ve been putting myself through. I force myself to “run” the toughest trails. Now when I run up Meadows, I wear a wide smile like this:

The smile of course is also because of views like this:

And dried flowers like this:

When I hit the top, I kept on running. I ran on through the neighborhoods until I reached Top of the World. I stopped momentarily to fuel and took off so quickly that I forgot to snap a photo of Top of the World. It’s my custom to take a photo of Top of the World. The fact that I forgot shows how much I enjoyed the moment on this run, how I enjoyed feeling strength.

I ran all the off-shoots on West Ridge Trail so that I could get more elevation. Only one of those off-shots is named: Park Avenue Nature Trail. I came upon several cyclists, hikers and runners along the rolling ridge. They were all mostly smiling. And though it grew warm enough to take off my sleeves, the weather remained cool for the remainder of this spectacular trail run.

Sometimes when I reach Cholla Trail (the trail at the end of West Ridge), I am exasperated. Today I felt gleeful with views like this of Wood Canyon running down Cholla:

At the bottom of Cholla I decided to run the canyon all the way and not take the parallel trails like I usually do because I missed wide tranquil trails like this:

With creek views like this:

And I was nostalgic for Sycamore Grove now covered with the parasite Mistletoe. Yes, those clumps of green in this deciduous tree are Mistletoe. So be careful who you stand beneath these trees with:

I continued focusing on form, but more so on keeping the pace up. I still needed to do some grocery shopping before returning home. Though I kept an eye on these beautiful pastures, I kept the kick out the back quick and made it back to the truck exactly when I planned:

12.14 miles ran today (19.54 km):

After 42 Consecutive Days . . .

2012-01-30T20:41:00.001-08:00

After 42 consecutive days of running, I am not injured. That is a hoot because I have often read that people over forty should not run every day, else risk injury. It’s also a hoot because prior to 2011 I was Ms. Injury. Keep in mind that I have been working on my form, actually changed it back in early 2011. And I’m still working on perfecting it. I also stretch after every run. I never stretch before I run. I foam roll every day, and do some hip and glute exercises every day.

After 42 consecutive days of running, my legs feel heavier, as in tighter and stronger, like they are harder with more muscle. I occasionally have felt little aches along right IT band (always the right). But have been able to “iron” them out over night (so far!).

After 42 consecutive days of running, I am tired. I nap more often; sometimes twice a day. I also consume way more calories than normal, and as such am fearful of the scale.

Today, I put in a nice and easy 5.09 miles running at the beach – very little running on the sand. I ran mostly on asphalt and sidewalk all the way to where the sidewalk ends. Then I turned around and ran home.

Surf & sand and a thousand birds

And this guy takes the lead . . .

“Where the sidewalk ends.”

TAGGED -- 11 Random Things . . .

2012-01-29T21:29:00.000-08:00

I am a bit behind here. This Streaking into the New Year is taking up a little time, not only with the running, but with the sleeping that I do related to my runs.

I did run today, day 41 of my running streak. I planned to take it easy the next three days with 5 miles today, Monday and Tuesday. But when I set out today (up a hill – go figure!) my legs felt like lead and I decided to cut it short and run 2.04 miles this afternoon. Then I came home and took a THREE HOUR nap . . . a THREE HOUR nap.

Now onto some more fun stuff. I’ve been tagged by the lovely Giraffy from 365 Days of Awesome. I’ve read this 11 Random Things post on many blogs. Now it’s my turn.

Rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 Random Things About Me: (Warning I’m not very exciting : )

I drink 2 cups of coffee every single day.
I wear a woman’s size 12 shoe U.S. size (44 Euro, 9 1/2 U.K.)
I love, love, love music.
I really like raw spinach, rice, fish, green beans, sourdough bread, eggs, chorizo, and especially cheese.
If I could I would run in the mountains every single day, I WOULD.
I wear very little make-up, and only when I go to work or some special event. And even then I only wear lipstick and mascara (I’m sure you’re really all VERY interested in this fact : )
I like wine, but I really hate liquor (ie. whiskey, scotch, gin). Right now, I like Sauvignon Blanc (for a long while my favorite was Pinot Noir, but then that became too sweet for me, but I still really like saying “Pinot Noir.”).
I write fiction and have pursued literary agents for my novels for quite some time, but have recently set that dream aside since our 3 young sons have their passions, and also since trail running has become my main passion.
I really like people. Scratch that, I love people, which is a big change from my youth when I didn’t much care for people. In fact, I pretty much hated them back then.
I’m not afraid of snakes. I’ve had at least 2 rattlers coil up on me (preparing to strike). And I’m still not afraid (but I am cautious).
I do not like rodents. In fact, they REALLY freak me out.

Now, Giraffy’s questions...
1. Do you cross train? Yes. I love to swim. And I love the elliptical. Plus I strength train often.
2. What's your FAVORITE thing about running? Remaining in the moment.
3. And your LEAST favorite? That is a very difficult question to answer. I LOVE running. I guess this is an unfair answer, but I would have to say, it’s the cost of races. I am poor.
4. If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what is it? CHEESE
5. What came first, chicken or the egg? The egg.
6. You're stuck on a deserted island - what three books do you wish you had with you? Brothers Karamozov, Black Boy, The Holy Bible.
7. How much time do you spend getting ready before leaving your house for a normal day of work/school/whatever you do? About 10 minutes.
8. Do you love the treadmill as much as I do? I HATE the treadmill.
9. My birthday is coming up (in 6 months)... want to come have a party? Yes, indeedy.
10. What should I get The H for his birthday (next week)? A home baked birthday cake and a big smack on the lips (again, I’m poor LOL).
11. Have you joined Team Gab yet? No. Sorry I haven’t. Not sure how to. But I will click on this link after posting.

My new questions:

Short shorts or long shorts?
How do you recover from a tough long run?
Favorite brand running shoe?
Longest distance ever run?
What would you do if a rattlesnake coiled up to strike a couple feet from you?
For women – do you wear make-up? For men – do you remove hair from anywhere other than your face?
Do/did your parents, guardians, siblings, children run?
How many days is your longest running streak?
Would you rather run in extreme heat or extreme cold?
If you had to watch the same movie ten times in a row, what would it be?
Vanilla or Chocolate ice cream?

Okay, now my eleven tags (the hardest part):

Day 40: Maple Springs to Santiago Peak Out-and-Back

2012-01-28T21:33:00.001-08:00

(Before I forget, day 39 of Streaking into the New Year I did run. I ran a whopping 1.03 miles around my neighborhood in anticipation of my 40’th day running the “streak.”)

I held on tightly to my steering wheel this morning while driving through Santiago Canyon, as the wind wanted to blow my truck across the lanes. It was still dark when I set out running up Maple Springs for day 40 of Streaking into the New Year. No reason to fear running trails in the dark today though, as I had some great company: Kelly P., Kurt R., Ed H., and two new running friends, Judi and Matt W. Our destination: Santiago Peak

Rarely do I think of a run as a whole. I break it down. Otherwise, I’m not sure I could do it. And at day 40, I must admit, I am fatiguing.

Today’s run consisted of 3 parts going up (and the same on the return). Part one was the longest, 7.5 miles up Maple Springs Road to “4 Corners.” Part two was the shortest, about 1.5 miles up the Main Divide to Modjeska Peak for exhilarating views. Part three was a tough approximate 3 miles to Santiago Peak – the summit of Saddleback Mountains.

Maple Springs Road:

The Ladies on Maples Springs Road:

The wind continued to blow strongly from the start of our run – even through the dark, protected canyon. As we climbed higher, exposure increased and that wind did not let up. It got stronger. And it blew mostly front on. Still I enjoyed the strong winds, even though they were cold. The views were spectacular. Plus, I came prepared to keep warm. But I over packed on the water which I suppose is never a bad thing. However, when you’re as fatigued as I was, running up a mountain with fluids that I would never drink, was not a good thing. I should have stashed some water for a future run. What was I thinking?

Nearing “4 Corners” with views of the San Gabriel Mountains:

Though the gate at Maple Springs road was closed, we saw some dirt bikers, even some cars, some cyclists, but no other runners. We three ladies took up the rear, while the men ran up ahead. Because I break my runs down I didn’t fret about making it to the top. (In my heart I longed for the peak though). Because I didn’t think of this run with as a whole, I felt pretty strong when we finished up Maple Springs, arriving at “Four Corners.”

The wind was FIERCE at “Four Corners.” Kurt and Matt were waiting when we arrived. Wearing short sleeves, they were so cold, I believe their teeth were probably chattering. After some photo ops, they took off while we ladies quickly grabbed things from our pack, etc., and headed up behind them for the next leg, 1.5 miles to Modjeska Peak.

From Modjeska Peak, Santiago Peak looked a “stone’s throw away.” Well, not that close. But a lot closer than it felt running it. Leg three, the run to Santiago Peak was approximately 3 miles. And I have to say I ran it nowhere near my best 5k time. Most of it was uphill, but there was a little downhill in the beginning that I knew would stab at me on the return.

The wind died down pretty much completely on the third leg. That is until about 3 minutes in, when someone said (and I won’t say who – LOL), “At least the wind has died down.” Probably no more than a minute passed before the wind picked up again. And if I’m not mistaken, it blew even harder just to show us that it was in control – not us!

We could see the towers on Santiago Peak for a while, yet we never seemed to get closer. Finally, we crept up on the peak enough that we couldn’t see the towers anymore. And then at last. At. Last! We turned a corner for a beautiful site: the towers of Santiago Peak. Kurt and Matt were wandering around. Ed had ran onward to Holy Jim so that he could make his run a thirty-miler.

Group Shot at Santiago Peak (minus Ed): Kelly, Me, Kurt, Matt, Judi:

A motorcyclist took the picture above. Afterward, he told us an interesting Santiago Peak story. Not too long ago, he rode up there and took a nap (took a nap!! I used to do things like that in my youth, but I’m a scaredy-cat now, so that’s a NEVER to me). Anyway, when he woke, he got on his motorcycle and drove a bit and there before him was a beautiful, golden reddish-brown mountain lion. He revved his bike and the cat didn’t even change his gait, it just sort of meandered down the road. Yikes!

Needless to say, this gentleman (I didn’t catch his name) doesn’t take naps up there anymore.

So, the views were awe-inspiring from Santiago Peak. We could see the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, all of Orange County, Long Beach Beach, Los Angeles, and if I’m not mistaken some of the beaches in San Diego County. But heck! It was cold and windy up there. Matt found us a wonderful little refuge – a small spot vacant of the wind. Of course we all crammed in there after the peak group photo for a snack break. It was just small spot, but it was cozy and warm. As soon as I stepped out of it to set up my camera, my hat flew off my head and threatened to fly off the peak. I walked down just a tad to stomp on it before it flew away further and surprisingly to everyone, saved my cap.

Our Refuge from the Wind:

Heading back to the Main Divide from The Peak:

Good-bye Sweet Towers of Santiago Peak. Hope to see you again soon!

Well! I seriously thought it would be easy-going for the return trip. But we had that slight incline to climb back to Modjeska Peak. And the rocky Main Divide back to Maple Springs lasted FOREVER. I was so extremely fatigued that the downhill was a big effort – an effort to keep myself upright and not fall flat on my face. Still, the run was fun. I would do it again, any day, even as fatigued as I am/was. And it’s always such a great pleasure meeting and running with trail runners I haven’t yet had the honor to meet.

When I rolled (it felt like rolled, but it was actually “ran”) on into the trail head, my feet hurt. We were all fatigued. But we were smiling. Smiling wide.

What a glorious, glorious, windy day up a mountain.

Judi and Kelly running down The Main Divide, “4 Corners” bound:

24.56 miles run (39.53 km) – The profile:

All of the Above

2012-01-26T23:10:00.001-08:00

Day 37 of Streaking into the New Year I had the notion of doing a scouting run. I set out on the pavement headed toward a local bike trail to see if it would eventually lead to Aliso/Wood Canyons Park. Oh, about 3 blocks into this run, I thought to myself, “That’s quite enough of that!” I felt extremely fatigued, both mentally and physically. I can usually handle physically because I often get over it. But MENTALLY fatigued so early??? Nope. I didn’t have the power to revive the mind, so I set out for the minimum required for this “streaking” game. I ran the bluffs above the harbor, then down to the harbor (but not into the harbor), and back home, ending up running more than the minimum (3.08 miles/4.99 km) and feeling better for it

Day 38 of Streaking into the New Year I got myself a FULL TANK of gas. I didn’t want to behave extremely wasteful, so I drove to the closest trails for some dirt. Who am I kidding? I would have chosen Aliso/Wood Canyons today regardless of my gas situation. And keeping with my nature that I “don’t know when to stop,” and “like to torture myself” (though I don’t) and that I’m “a bit off, if not darn right crazy,” I was drawn again toward Mentally Sensitive. Perhaps it was the day that one of the rangers chuckled and said, “No one’s running up that trail,” that set me off to run Mentally Sensitive as much as possible. Maybe it’s that fact that this trail straightens out the brain in a jiffy. Of course it could be the gorgeous views it supplies. And it could be that the trail is EMPTY. Maybe it’s because I like slipping backward occasionally. Or perhaps it’s simply because I like to say that “I did it.”

Actually I think . . . No, I know, it’s ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Running trails. LOVE IT.

My run today:

Back in one of my many favorite places – Entrance to Meadows Trail. I had to think up a newish pose since I click so many pictures here (the more I look at this pose the more critical I am of it and think I won’t do it again – note to self, need to come up with better poses.)

Struggling up Mentally Sensitive (but loving it), though I was a little disappointed over the physical fatigue that hit very early on. (I kinda look like an old lady here, limping along – just my initial thought. Still I put the picture in.) ps. I wasn’t actually limping.

Perhaps half way up Mentally Sensitive – See, I’m still smiling. (Do you think maybe my favorite color is blue? Blue shoes, blue shorts, blue shirt LOL).

Top of Mentally Sensitive, running toward top of Meadows and onward to Top of the World – of course, I must snap a picture of Saddleback Mountains (Modjeska Peak is the highest point on left, Santiago Peak is highest point on right):

Top of Meadows looking down onto Laguna Beach and Pacific Ocean (notice Catalina Island if you look closely):

Top of the World. The PRIZE!

Running down Rockit with a view of Wood Canyon. Three to four miles remain of this run:

Approaching “The Final Stretch.” Running Coyote Run Trail, which hits Mathis for a creek crossing. Then I was back onto Wood Canyon Trail for a little over 2 1/2 miles to the finish. I was tired:

I ran a 12.01 mile loop today (19.33 km) with this elevation profile:

The Things I See

2012-01-24T19:54:00.001-08:00

Day 35 of Streaking into the New Year it poured rain most of the day. Mid morning, the downpour let up some, and I ran out the door to run 2.35 miles (3.78 km) beneath dark, rainy skies. I did not feel the joy.

Day 36 of Streaking into the New Year the skies cleared up. But I had no gas, as in gasoline. Well, I had just enough gas to drive the boys to school and get to work and back. I didn’t have enough to drive to even close-by trails. So, I ran out the door, onto the pavement once again. And it wasn’t so bad. I really needed this run – let’s call it a “Mental Health” run. I got to thinking as I ran all over the place and into the next town and back, about all the great things I see when I run. Sure, trails are awesome, majestic actually. But I see lots of fine things running the roads too.

I ran 10.81 miles (17.40 km) today, and these are just a smidgen of the interesting things I saw as I ran about the locale:

San Juan Creek emptying into the Pacific Ocean at Doheny Beach:

I know, I didn’t actually see myself, but this is the where the bike path starts that travels along San Juan Creek, I ran it into San Juan Capistrano:

Thousands of seagulls basking in the creek (many of them are unseen, off-camera):

Trabuco Creek about to empty into San Juan Creek:

Bridge crossing:

El Camino Real Park (runs along the railroad tracks):

And wouldn’t you know – a train whizzes by:

Trabuco Creek:

Running back through El Camino Real Park:

A Catholic Church downtown San Juan Capistrano:

Los Rios District:

Hello Emu!

A cellphone smashed into the asphalt on the bike trail:

Calico Trail Run 2012

2012-01-23T20:16:00.001-08:00

We arrived to Calico Ghost Town with cold, 50 mph winds. They shut down the town because building pieces were blowing away. When we opened the car doors, things began flying out into the desert. That’s how we learned to only open one door at a time. Though the town was closed, I was able check in. After that we were quick to find the Bunk House keys and get the heck out of there to shelter.

Bib pick-up, downtown Calico:

Our lodgings:

A piece of the tin roof flapped in the wind all night. And I think I woke every hour to check my phone for the time. How much longer? How much longer? HOW MUCH LONGER? I didn’t feel nervous, because I know this run. And I felt ready. I did however worry about being late. I don’t like to be late to a race. In fact, my “rule of thumb” is arrive one hour early.

By morning, the winds had died down. With a 7AM start time, my husband, my middle son and my girlfriend’s son walked me the cold, cold, cold half mile to the start line. Besides layering clothing, I wore a leopard patterned scarf that I planned for my husband to take back to the cabin. When I ran past my husband down the streets of Calico however, I grabbed the scarf out of his hands because I was so dang cold. I really didn’t care if I was the only person running wearing a leopard patterned scarf.

Less than two minutes to start:

We’re off!

And so we headed down a lonely asphalt road, away from the rising sun. My friend Tom Bychowski popped up behind me. We chatted for a bit, and he was off ahead of me on his way to to complete the 50k.

My goal was to make the first aid station in 1.5 hours. I didn’t think about the race as a whole. Instead, as usual, I broke it down into segments. Those first seven miles were on an incline, not terribly steep at all. BUT, we ran in sand. Dry, loose sand. That’s tough. Many runners passed me during those first seven miles. Most disheartening were the white bibs going by. 30k runners wore white bibs. 50k runners wore yellow. I usually aimed on passing the runner directly in front of me, no matter their bib color. And I succeeded at passing at least three women and a couple of men. Then I saw runners from the 2011 Saddleback Marathon. It’s always great seeing people you spent some time with during a long, hard race – they seem like old friends.

I ran on into that first aid station with an hour and a half time elapsed. I pocketed a handful of jelly beans, grabbed some potato chips and took off running toward the mountains without even realizing that two of the women I had passed were up a ways ahead of me already!

Taking off on asphalt:

“Old Friends” from Saddleback:

With the first segment complete, I aimed at making Station #2 within an hour. The terrain gradually grew harder as we made our way up into the mountains. Again it was a gradual climb, and I passed a few runners. Overall, I didn’t feel I was gaining much advantage.

And then the terrain changed even more, growing more technical, slanted and rocky. At this point I was able to quickly pass three runners within eye-sight. And then two more a bit after that. My confidence grew. I noticed tight shoulders on some of the runners (shoulders up near the ears) as they gingerly made their way across the rocky and at times steep terrain. These runners I think just weren’t used to the “technical” trail. But with my recent boulder hopping runs and mountain terrain, the race now was “right up my alley.”

I made Station #2 in a little longer than planned – 1 hour ten minutes total. So, at a little over 12 miles into this race I was at about 3 hours 10 minutes. And the best thing was when I came into that second station, about 8 runners were re-fueling. I grabbed another handful of jellybeans and guzzled a big swig of Dr. Pepper and took off before any of them.

Soon after Station #2, the terrain became even more difficult and I passed more runners. I jumped from rock to rock. I did not have to sit and slide, as had been my method in the past, and as I witnessed others this year. A natural high overcame me, and it seemed I grew stronger. But I was careful not to get “cocky”. That’s exactly when I’d do a face-plant. Instead, I fine-tuned my focus and hit those rocks like I owned them.

As I approached “Ernies 50/30k split” I had to stop and get a picture of us together. For three years I ran past him with a smile, but not as much of a word. This year I introduced myself and said, “Ernie, I presume?”

Making our way to the most difficult terrain. It took me a LONG time to pass this runner:

Aid Station #2 entertainment:

The fun stuff!!

Me and Ernie:

Knowing exactly where I was at all times gave me a great advantage in the mental battle. As I ran one of the steepest climbs in the race, I knew that I would get a nice long easy down hill stretch to Station #3 which was hidden by rocks. Runners their first time in this race wouldn’t know about this hidden station. And let me tell you, FOR ME, knowing it was there made me run even faster!

Climbing up a winding incline:

For a colorful view of the desert:

When I made Station #3, I took another swig of Dr. Pepper, thanked the workers and was off for the most technical terrain of the race. I had to “watch it” here. I had already tripped twice (but had not fallen), and I didn’t want to mess up my time now. It looked like I was going to make it to the finish well before 5 hours (my usual finish time), but I didn’t have time to spare for any kind of slowdown. There was not a runner in sight behind or ahead of me. I was happy that I had passed quite a few runners. And I wanted to keep it that way. So, I used my best focusing skills and really “hauled ***” through the most difficult 4 miles of this race. I’m surprised these pictures came out focused, as I didn’t even stop running when I snapped them:

Then out there in these beautiful canyons, I saw another runner. She was obviously a much faster runner than me. I hadn’t seen her the entire race. Thing was, she slowly and carefully made her way across the boulders and rocks. That’s when I knew it was time for another pass. I said “Good Morning,” but she looked and sounded like I have so many times through these canyons – like, “When will this end???”

I loved it though. With practice, I have learned to love it. Most runners have a great advantage over me on fire roads or asphalt. But put me in this stuff, and I pass a few. I was really having fun jumping from boulder to boulder, planning my steps out ten or so in advance.

And then I made it to the lovely pink canyons, where the terrain grows friendly, and locals say you can hear God whisper. At this point, I knew I was almost out of the canyons, which meant I was nearly Finish Line bound! I felt confident. I felt happy. I felt strong. I have never felt like this during this point in The Calico Trail Run.

Finish Line Bound:

Two sons wait for me to cross Finish Line:

My oldest & middle son and nephew were waiting at the top of the town and ran along side me through town. As I made my way across the finish line, my mother, father, sister, youngest brother, my girlfriend, her children and my husband and youngest son were cheering me on. I felt glorious! Dirty, stinky, salty glorious.

And as in every year that I’ve run this race, when the finish line worker went to tear off my bib tag, I shook her hand. Then I cracked up. I always think they’re trying to shake my hand when they go for the tag. She laughed too and thanked me for shaking her hand. LOL.

9 seconds after crossing Finish Line:

Tom Bychowski crossing finish line after running 50k:

Me and running friend Tom:

To my utter amazement, I actually placed 3rd in my division: Females age 40-49. And yes there were more than 3 in my division. I wasn’t even thinking about placing in my division when I started off. I just wanted to beat my previous times. And that I did (stats below).

My Award:

Elevation Profile:

2112, I placed 43 overall, out of 74 finishers (I believe 80 starters?) and as mentioned above (and probably for the rest of my life) 3rd in my division.

My 30k Calico Trail Run times:

2112: 4:30:08

2111: 5:03:52

2010: 5:01:00

2009: 4:54:41

Thanks for reading! What a happy way to begin the 2012 racing year.

The Countdown Begins

2012-01-20T20:42:00.001-08:00

Today was the thirty-second consecutive day of running as I approach one of my favorite races of the year . . . the race that started it all. The race that turned me into a trail runner: Calico Ghost Town Trail Run.

The nightmares have not begun – nightmares about being unable to find the start line, or running in sandals, one shoe, or even naked. I feel alright about the approaching challenge. Actually, I’m not thinking about it much at all. I’m too busy packing for this weekend trip. I am however beginning to feel little aches and pains. I’ve foam rolled at least 3 times already tonight, not to mention nervously done clams and bridges on my living room floor.

The only reason I ever hit the trails was so that I could train for Calico. Sunday will be the fourth consecutive year that I’ve run it. Sunday will be the third year that I’ve brought my husband and our boys along. Sunday will be the first race that my girlfriend and her children will join us the night before for some cabin-like “camping”, and the first race that my mother, father, sister and youngest brother will attend. Calico is the race of firsts.

Of course, I will come in nowhere near first place. And I doubt my wisdom in running the day up to this race. Originally, I “semi” planned to run a only a mile each day from Wednesday onward. Instead today, I hit the trails with my friend Michael for a nice (yet challenging) out-and-back to Top of the World in Laguna Beach.

And I over-dressed again. With the heater on in the car the entire trip, I wore long sleeves. Those sleeves came off at the top of the first climb. They would have come off a lot quicker if I hadn’t been working so hard to kind of keep up with Michael, who runs those climbs amazingly.

A Beautiful Day for Running / A Beautiful Day at Top of the World:

Heading Back on this Out-And-Back:

5.93 hard miles run today (9.54 km):

Milestone!

2012-01-18T23:42:00.001-08:00

I woke January 17 with the idea of ending my running streak. I was wiped-out physically and emotionally. I seriously didn’t see how I could manage even one mile! But with encouragement from running friends, I decided to run the 29th consecutive day. I ran it a little grudgingly. First I did some weight training, some floor exercises and ab work, then with an errand to run in town, I ran to it, did my errand. Then I simply ran back, making a loop (because I’m a loopy gal) totaling 2.44 miles.

This morning, I felt renewed. Yet, I needed the trails to wipe my brain clean of its clutter, useless clutter. And so after making breakfasts, packing lunches, then getting the boys off to school in two shifts (different start times), I finally hit the trails at Aliso/Wood Canyons park.

I took off on Aliso Creek Trail during a chilly winter morning (for coastal Southern California) dressed for the cold. In fact, I feared that I would regret leaving my gloves behind. Believe me – that, I did not regret. I warmed up really quickly. To top it off, I felt strong. Surprisingly strong on my 30th day of Streaking into the New Year. I never would have thought.

I didn’t have much time today, so I wasn’t sure which loop I’d run this morning. But I was pretty sure I’d run Mentally Sensitive. Mentally Sensitive is the best trail in the local coastal hills to wipe the slate (brain) clean. Another great thing about this trail is that I need to run some of Meadows to get there. And Meadows is one of my favorite local trails. As is evident by the multitude of pictures I take exactly at this spot:

Meadows’s Subtle, Yet Grand Entrance:

I turned onto Mentally Sensitive with my old friend Blue Heron in sight. Besides my bird friend, I saw only one other living thing as I ran along Mentally Sensitive, one cyclist, who I hopped into the grass for so that he could pass (even with my deep loathing for tics).

Mentally Sensitive will probably never be easy. But I will write this: IT IS SHORT. And its views are lovely. They are more than lovely. They are majestic.

Running Mentally Sensitive’s Start:

My Feathered friend – do you think he recognizes me?

The Climb is Brutal on Mentally Sensitive:

Yes indeedy, any excuse to pause briefly to snap a photo on this trail (notice the lack of a wide smile here – regardless, I WAS HAPPY):

I reached the top of Mentally Sensitive at about mile four with plenty of energy. I figured I had enough time for a little detour. So, instead of turning right toward Top of the World, I turned left and ran into the soccer field above Laguna Beach. From there, I headed to the “fountain of youth” for a swing break. I don’t care anymore if people see me – a woman just weeks away from 47 swinging away on the playground. Playing on the swing set really helped wipe that slate clean. I didn’t stay too long though, as I wanted to run. And so run I did. Off from the swings, I took off for Top of the World.

Swing Break:

Breakfast at Top of the World:

With time fleeting, I ran down Mathis this morning. It’s a fun trail – a truck-trail of sorts, lots of room, little technicality. I focused on taking it quickly (without falling). And I of course, focused on form. I felt content, relieved, revived.

So, so happy that I didn’t end my streak yesterday, especially after this morning’s fantastic trail run. Now it’s take it easy time, though I do plan on taking this streak up to my race. We’ll see how that works for me. LOL.

Running down Mathis:

Miles run this morning on my 30th consecutive day of running: 11 (17.7 km):

Day 28

2012-01-16T21:41:00.001-08:00

Early into this whole thing, I intended to end my running streak yesterday. I have a favorite race coming up and I feared (and still do somewhat) to run up until race day. I have never run up to race day. In fact, I have never, to my recollection, run the day BEFORE race day.

Running-wise however, things seem to be going swimmingly, in fact, I seem to be gaining strength. Therefore, I decided to run the 28th day of my running streak. Actually, I NEEDED to run today. My mood was less than perky, actually it was in the pits.

I set out the door this chilly afternoon for a quick out-and-back. And I ran up three flights of these stairs (below) to cross the pedestrian bridge, and three flights down to take me into the state beach where the traffic speed limit is 15 mph. The steps’ lower landings were puddled with urine, sadly. But there were no pot-smokers taking refuge in the stairways today. I ran past one homeless man who turned away at my glance. Other than him, my trip to the beach was stranger-less.

A sign that the tourists, on the whole, have left our seaside town:

I felt strong. I felt free from worries. My feet moved with ease across the asphalt. I ran through the campgrounds (twice, there and back) and ran through the state beach to Capo, until the sidewalk ended. The sidewalk does actually end, and I named it that (Where the Sidewalk Ends) in honor of Shel Silverstein, the children’s poet.

After my out-and-back to where the sidewalk ends, I decided to extend my run a bit and cut into Doheny Beach to run the boardwalk. From there I ran out to the jetty, then ran up a climb, where not that long ago I needed to rest frequently while walking (before I began running regularly).

Today’s run, was not exactly an out-and-back as planned. It was the opposite of a lollipop. An upside-down lollipop. I suppose it was a noose. In fact, this was a regular run I used to do before I became a trail runner. And it was oh so difficult, though beautiful and satisfying back then. After becoming a trail runner, I began to loathe the road. But getting out there on the road recently convinces me, that I need these road runs once in a while. Trail runs make them seem so “easy”. More importantly, I love the nostalgia, the nostalgia of this used to be my “long run.”

Running along the parking lot, headed toward Capo Beach (where the sidewalk ends):

My camera does nowhere near the justice of the scene above me as I ran back – thousands of seagulls swirled high above, making me feel that everything was going to be okay:

Miles run today: 6.57 (10.57 km)

I dedicate this run to dear friends involved in a horrific car accident a few days ago. My family thanks God they survived (though I’m not saying God had something to do with their survival – I still lack faith in God’s actual involvement in our lives, though at times, like this accident, it seems like God has a direct hands-on involvement). Prayers go out the the big-rigger driver’s family whose father/son/uncle/nephew/grandfather(?) did not survive the accident.

Trabuco, West Horsethief, Main Divide, Holy Jim Loop

2012-01-15T23:12:00.001-08:00

First things first, I did continue my streak yesterday, day 26, the day of my Uncle Norm’s funeral. I woke, put on some running pants, a warm shirt and beanie, laced up my shoes. Then without brushing my hair, or even my teeth, I ran out the front door and ran a little over the minimum required (1 mile) for Streaking into the New Year.

Day 27 (today), I took to the mountains to run with Tom B. and Ed H. We began our journey in Trabuco Canyon for a nice steep run up West Horsethief. THE West Horsethief. It is a heck of a climb that I ran every inch (though at a tortoise pace).

Rain came down upon us going up Horsethief, though I didn’t even realize at first. I only knew it was raining because the rocks that I ran upon were first spotted with drops, then finally darkened all over from wetness. And though that trail was still a bear, it was unbelievably short. Harding Truck Trail successfully dwarfed my “regular” trails.

Overall, the weather was wonderfully cool, the skies gray. I saw more people hiking up Holy Jim than I’ve ever witnessed. I’m not sure if it’s because this weekend is a holiday weekend, or because “spring is in the air.” Either way, though they crowded the trail, I was delighted to see them.

I ran very quickly down Holy Jim hoping to catch Ed, who had a pretty good lead. As I flew down the mountainside, I asked some hikers if they’d seen him. They said that they passed him not two minutes ago. TWO MINUTES AGO?

Well, I picked up my pace and ran about a mile down that switchback with no Ed in sight! Two minutes my foot!!! I guess I didn’t calculate that Ed was running as well. But still, you’d think I’d catch a glimpse of his bright shirt. He was nowhere in sight.

About 3 miles to the truck, I was turning those switchbacks faster than I can remember when I came upon a hiker couple making their way up the trail. I didn’t say a word, just smiled, and the woman said, “You’ve almost got him! He’s just around the bend.”

Well, that cracked me up!! How did she know?

Sure enough after about a HALF MILE, I came up on Ed and said “Aha!!” I think that I startled him. He’s a dang good runner and I was proud that I finally caught him (true, he missed the turn-off to Holy Jim, being that this was his first time on these particular trails, so that set him back some). But STILL, I caught him.

This 27th day of running was a fun one for me. I loved the stream crossings in the end. Enjoyed seeing the multitude of people making the trek up Holy Jim. I wish everybody could see Holy Jim’s beauty (though of course, not at the same time : )

Another trail run success. How fortunate am I to get these guys to run with this old gal?

Me, Tom & Ed:

Tom & Ed at Trabuco Trail head:

Rusted, bullet-ridden car on Trabuco Trail:

Running a gradual climb on Trabuco:

Ladybugs on West Horsethief Trail:

View while climbing West Horsethief (notice sliver of Pacific Ocean in far background):

Running The Main Divide toward Holy Jim Trail:

View of Riverside County from Main Divide:

A quick pose at Indian Truck Trail / Main Divide Intersection:

More Views from the Main Divide:

Me & Tom about to make our descent down Holy Jim Trail:

An eerie Holy Jim Trail this winter morning:

Boy Scouts at creek crossing on Holy Jim. Not wanting to wait, I cracked up the line by plowing right through the water. It was COLD.

I love ferns, especially in the wild:

Running beneath leafless figs toward the final stretch on Holy Jim Trail:

Miles run on the 27th consecutive day of running: 13.86 (22.31 km)

Victory

2012-01-13T22:41:00.001-08:00

I finally did it. I ran to the top of Harding Truck Trail – all 9.33 miles of it to “Four Corners.” I ran every inch. I saw two hikers going up as I headed off (never saw them again). And four hikers passed me on their way down as I ran up that seemingly never ending climb. I only saw one cyclist on my way down (he was pedaling up). So, I was virtually alone this entire run.

Though it was a grind I truly enjoyed every second of it – even when the wind howled, even when it felt like it would blow me over. Absolutely delightful.

So, what did I do during all that time? I thought very little. I mainly concentrated on the run. I mainly thought about my body. Not really thought, more like FELT. I felt what it was doing. Was it straight? Was it relaxed? Was I mid-foot striking? Were my shoulders down? Whenever the run got difficult, sure enough the body wasn’t right. Usually, the problem was my lower legs weren’t relaxed. And as soon as I relaxed them, all was well. To aid in this relaxation, I thought to myself, “Don’t resist. Don’t resist.”

For those of you considering the 30k Harding Hustle, my run today is the same as the race. And it is doable. If I can run it, you can run it. Even if you’re not up to the mileage, you have plenty of time. The race is in July. It will be a little hotter then.

I’ll make a long, long, long story short, as I have lots of pictures to share. I was absolutely thrilled to finally see “Four Corners” from a distance. But it took a LONG time to get there from the first sighting. Once I reached the white gate that marks The Main Divide, wind blew strong. I got a bit goofy with pictures. And if you can believe it, I SAVED my camera today with some smart thinking. I actually looped my camera’s wrist strap around the gate latch. Sure enough, a wind gust blew my camera right off the post, and there it was dangling in the wind, with its lens open. Close call. If I had not thought ahead, I would have killed yet another camera.

Hopefully the pictures can tell the story more than I can with my words. It has been a tough day with terrible news. Plus my uncle’s funeral is tomorrow, and the surreal aspect of life is a little overwhelming right now.

A good note – today was the 25th day of my Streaking into the New Year.

Just beginning, about 3/4’s of a mile into Harding Truck Trail:

Climbing high with an ocean view:

And it goes up and up and up . . .

Approximately the 5 mile mark (& I’m still smiling, though I probably gained some more gray hairs – LOL):

Remnants of the last fire a few (perhaps a couple) years ago, the contrast is beautiful:

Peering up ahead, turning corner after corner on this enormous switch back, wondering when Harding Truck Trail is going to head north:

Majestic views of the lowlands and of the trail I’ve already run:

The trail begins to turn, as does the foliage:

With “Four Corners” in sight, my pace quickens:

The trail’s inside edge:

Looking back at approximately nine miles run:

Yay!

Victory!!! (Posing at “Four Corners”)

Running back down:

The final stretch (about a mile remains!):

18.66 miles run (30 km):

On The Trail Again

2012-01-12T22:04:00.001-08:00

On the 24th day of my running streak, I made it back to the trails for a nice, relaxing, “smallish” loop through Aliso/Wood Canyons that included a stop at Top of the World. After a day back on the trails, I felt like I was never going to leave them again. But, alas, I realize if I’m going to continue this streak, the road I must return.

I’m feeling pretty good after 24 days of running. My calves are no longer tight when I take off. I’m not increasing my speed much. And the sweat pours fast and quickly. Also, I must foam roll every day to get rid of an IT Band that so wants to flare-up. Overall, I am happy to report that body is taking consecutive day running very well.

Scenes from today’s trail run:

Taking off into Wood Canyon for a run up Cholla Trail to the ridge:

View from the ridge (West Ridge):

Coyote Run (a lovely single track detour back to Wood Canyon Trail):

Miles run: 7.76 (12.49 km):

Trail Mimicking

2012-01-11T23:25:00.001-08:00

I am a trail runner. If it makes any sense, I am more a trail runner than I am a runner. Even when circumstances bring me to the road, I search out something that can somehow mimic the trail. Though nothing so far truly mimics the trail, I have had lots of fun lately with my boulder hopping.

I still have to run the streets to get to these boulders. And I must admit the cars freak me out. People tell me they are afraid of snakes and spiders and other wildlife – but what about cars? They weigh more than anything I find out on the trail. And they can flatten me in an instant. I just don’t trust cars – I mean cars, not necessarily their drivers. A tire could blow, and next thing I know that car is flying toward me as I run peacefully along the sidewalk.

Well . . . I’ll not think about that.

My biggest dream as a child was not any particular career. It was not to be rich or drive a fancy car. My biggest dream was to live in a beach town. I was living in a beach town by age 23. And I had many great years wasting lots of time in the surf and sand. I am very fortunate.

Funny how now, I want to “waste” lots of time in the mountains. Every day when I look out to Saddleback Mountains, I’m drawn to drive up there and run. Unfortunately, it just costs too much dang money and time to run the mountains every day during my running streak.

So, day 23 of this streak, I again headed out my front door to the beaches. And even though I ran plenty of road, I had a terrific time working up a sweat. My mission today: run the boulders at Monarch Beach. I am getting better, much better at maneuvering my feet over these large boulders. I move side to side, hop up, jump down. There was a time, many a year ago, that I could barely hike those rocks.

What fun!

Scenes from today’s run:

St. Regis Hotel:

Making my way down to Monarch Beach:

Time for boulder hopping:

Making my way to the prize:

My dirty shoes standing on nature’s colorful beauty:

Some of the prize:

The big prize after all that boulder hopping – my own private beach:

Running Monarch Beach:

Big Wednesday :

Running Salt Creek:

The Strands:

Miles run on day 23 of Streaking into the New Year: 10.79 (17.36 km)

Jetty Run

2012-01-10T22:34:00.001-08:00

On day 22 of Streaking into the New Year, I decided that since I’ve been pouring way too much money into the gas tank, that I’d take a run right out my front door. Normally, I would frown upon that. But I had plans. Big plans.

I ran down to the marina wearing gloves for warmth – those didn’t last long. I fatigued pretty quickly before even making it to the downhill toward the great Pacific. The gloves I quickly tucked into my belt, squeezed in next to my camera and phone. While fatiguing so easily on day 22 of this running streak, I wasn’t enthusiastic anymore about my plan, which was to run the outer jetty – THAT IS UNTIL I SAW THIS:

Approaching the jetty after running around the harbor:

I took off thinking that running the jetty wouldn’t be so difficult. All it was, really, was giant boulder hopping. Quickly, I realized this would take some strategy. The experience was like running a maze. I had to turn my cap around so that I could see far enough ahead to know the next 10 or so moves. If I didn’t pay attention, I'd find myself leaping enormous crevices, or running across smaller wobbly boulders, or even running straight down into the ocean. At one point, I slipped on bird poop and slammed my knee into a rock. I learned that this challenge took total concentration.

Glorious!

Looking off the jetty toward harbor island:

The further I ran out onto this jetty, the more serene it grew and at one I became with it. Also, the further I ran out, the more stinky it grew – bird waste and bird remains, as well as the guts of creatures they devoured littered the rocks. There were birds all over the jetty – awesome pelicans, thousands of seagulls, sleek black egret-like birds that I’ve never seen before, to name a few. They out-numbered me so drastically that I was a little spooked at times. If even a fraction of these winged-creatures decided to turn on me, I was done for!

Except for two hikers I saw on my run out, I came upon no other people on the jetty. Plenty of boats made their way up and down the channel. At one point, I distinctly saw people photographing me from their boat. I thought to myself, “Oh, brother! Am I going to end up in someone’s blog post today?” LOL.

Though I am a trail runner and don’t often get out to the harbor anymore, I am so grateful for the “streak” in getting me here. The jetty run was an utter delight. I reached the end dang ecstatic. PLUS, I could see Saddleback Mountains. What a prize!

Scenes from the Jetty Run – it was aMAZing:

Approaching the end of the line:

The End. Well, not the end of my run, still have to run the jetty back (about 1.15 miles) plus back home:

Heading Back:

6.04 miles run this morning (9.72)