trail tales

ah…here I am again! So awesome. It’s a clear blue sky kind of Sunday, with temperatures maybe somewhere in mid 40′s. Feels cold, but also good. Good in the awakening kind of way…Good in the “it’s a good day to run” kind of day. 

There’s a small crowd gathering here in one of the open spaces of San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica. I look around and start taking notice; trail runners. trail race. Such a different vibe here than a road race. Less people. Feels a lot more casual. I’ve always loved this vibe and happy to experience it again. In line for the bathroom, I listen to the chatter of those around me…talking about the cold, the course…all I know is it looked about 3 miles or so uphill and then about the same back down. Let’s get to it. 

Our 10k race began 10 minutes after the 50km, marathon and half marathon. I was a little bummed i had not entered the half distance, but felt the 10k was more appropriate for today. It would have about 1200 feet of elevation and that quite manageable. The small lot of us began our journey….a gradual then steeper ascents up and up and turn and turn on multliple single track switchbacks. my heart was beating. a great thing. no music on my ears today…just the sound of my own breathing (which got heavier and louder as the steps ensued) and the sounds of my fellow runners ahead and behind me. Most of the trail was in the open, not shaded. A gorgeous day. One short downhill and then up and up again. we finally reached the top and I looked and saw the Pacific Ocean over yonder. A beauty. Keep going. Finally on the descent; time to fly. My small body quickly making it’s way down and down more switchbacks. Not very rooted, pretty smooth trail. Gaining speed and hoping to pick up ground on anyone who might be in front of me. but, i see no one. they must be flying too. I’m going fast. I like this…this semi out of control feeling…but I feel good. i feel confident in my steps and stride. I am not holding back. Keep going. Finally, we are in the last mile and I pass not 1, but 2 women and 1 fella passes me. He was really flyin’! I rushed passed the ladies and then found myself going full steam into a section that was basically a eucalyptus grove. towering trees. wonderful. peaceful. i kept plugging along and all of a sudden with about .5 miles to go, i hear footsteps behind me and kept a panic surge. i don’t want anyone to pass me. legs were really feeling it now after the 3 miles of flying downhill….ahhhh…keep going…..

i did. i stayed ahead.

i finished my first race of 2013. Came in 2nd in my age group women 40-49. pretty cool.

 

awesome day. can’t wait to do it again. 

Shoes worn: Brooks Pure Flow. worked great on these soft packed dirt trails.

twenty-eleven

I’ve been thinking about what races, what adventures I will undergo in 2011. At this point, I have no firm decisions yet. What I AM super clear about is that I want to have more adventures! I want to go to experience new places, new terrain. It’s pretty fun just thinking about the endless possibilities. I’m also considering running 2 races i have previously run; the Mercedes Benz Half-Marathon in Feb. Why? This has got to be one of my favorite races. I love the cool/cold weather. I love the varied route and it’s not too many people. They also give out cool long-sleeve t-shirts and nice medals. The other race I am considering again is the LA Marathon in March. Why? To put it simply, because my one and only race there in 2010 SUCKED. I was not feeling good going into the race and I did not have fun at all. So, i kinda want to erase that memory. Or…I might just let it go and move on…we’ll see. I love going to LA and Santa Monica.

I’d also like to get out and do more races on trails…just craving more nature.

I’m considering a big race in June. I’ll keep you posted. Not sure on this yet. Just brainstorming. I want to run in states i’ve never been too before like Utah, Montana, etc…longing to see more open and beautiful space. I feel like there is so much I haven’t seen. The clock is ticking…

My next race will be the Las Vegas Half Marathon on Dec 5th. How’s that for some nature?? LOL

If you know me, you know I go to Vegas at least once a year and I have not been in about 2 years. I dig it. Love to gamble. Love the bigness and craziness of it. Looking forward to running on some flat land and hanging with friends.

Stay tuned for the rest. CHEERS!

walk, run, hike

Greetings! I deliberately did not run last week Mon-Thurs. Just wanted to see how my body would feel, react, etc..
It was an interesting experience. I definitely do not like to sit around. In terms of movement or exercise, I spent some time at the gym with weights, crunches, pushups, etc.. I normally do these anyway, but this past week was without the running. I WALKED 1 mile on treadmill with a steady incline. BORING!!! REALLY BORING!!
Friday, I laced up the shoes and ran for 30 minute around my hilly neighborhood. Did almost the same exact run both Saturday & Sunday. 30 min exactly. I’m sorta trying to tweak the running a bit…more later on this.

I also went on a 2 hour walk/hike early this morning with these fine folks. We went to Sweetwater Creek State Park. Approx 25 min drive from my house. I’ve been there for trail running before so was happy to be back there again.

getting settled in

momma & son

I can do it!

he's a charmer!!

ahhhhh

A great way to start the day; in nature with friends on a gorgeous Sunday.

I found out, I did NOT get into the regular Dipsea race. (i am not surprised) So, now I gotta decide if I am 100% gonna run Double Dipsea on June 26th.

I am also making plans for a new goal. A new dream. Stay tuned.

Treat your body well. Love it. Nourish it. Rest it.

happy trails

Ever since the http://www.lamarathon.com on 3/21, I have been suffering from a tremendous amount of NOISE inside my head. The noise is mostly about whether or not to take time off from running and if so, how much. The battle in my head is freaking fierce. UGGH! Not pleasant. Some people might think this points to a running addiction. I don’t think that’s it at all. It’s more of a “i want to be out and active” addiction. I have to move my body. I need to move it. I need to feel it work and sweat. I need to feel my heartbeat go faster and my breathing get a little heavy. …running just happens to be my thing, so….

Well, since the marathon, I have not done much, but I have hardly just sat on my ass either. I’ve been trying to give my legs a rest from the pounding. I’ve been trying….The first week post marathon, I did VERY little. The next week, I have done more..but I have also been mixing it up. I’ve been getting on this spin type bike at the gym which has been awesome and challenging. This past weekend, I went for a trail run at http://www.gastateparks.org/FDR . The park is approximately 1.5 hour drive southwest of Atlanta. I’ve really been itching for some time in nature, in quiet, and so on Saturday, I made the trek down there. A beautiful place. I ended up running/hiking 7.1 miles of mostly single track with some good hills mixed in. I wore my Adidas Trail shoes for first time and they proved to be great! I wore my Nathan pack and had no iPOD. It was so refreshing to be in the quiet, big space…to hear my own breathing, the scampering of birds on the leaves, and my own footsteps on the pine ladden trails.

Afterwards, I had breakfast nearby at Eddie Mae’s in Pine Mountain, GA. An old, simple, southern place. breakfast served all day. That’s my kind of joint. I love having breakfast post exercise. Scambled Eggs, hash browns, bacon & a biscuit. Yum!

blessings in disguise ?

So, if you have been following, you know how I have been feeling. No kidding, i really felt like I was done with the race training that Sunday Sept 20th. I was fed up, bummed out, pissed off, and somewhat confused. I tried to just let it all go for the rest of the day (not so easy when there are not many distractions). I also tried not to get too down on myself and not try to figure out the answers. Reading your posts DID help, so THANK YOU, fellow readers.

I just kinda let go for last Monday and figured I would see how Tuesday went. Tuesday came and I felt like running. So, I did. And had a good time. A good 5 miles with no expectations. Wednesday came and it was a repeat; another good 5 miles. Just kinda enjoyed it. Thursday swung around and i just did a little 3.1 on treadmill. By this time, I knew I would try again for a longer run on weekend so I didn’t want to push too hard.

All week long, I was in much better spirits. There were a couple of weeks there where it seemed like all I was hearing about was DEATH or those NEAR DEATH. Nobody directly in my life, but it still has an effect on me. And it was a bunch of news all together. For me, I am not one of those people who need to hear about death to start living or to do all those things you don’t do or say until someone dies. I really do try to live like that all the time. The losses I experienced in my early years taught me that…So, hearing about death now doesn’t strike me in such ways. I feel most struck by it in just the finality of it all. The true loss of life. The loss of breath. The loss of smiles. It becomes so heavy, ya know. And so, all that heaviness was weighing on me and i think some of my “disaster” run that Sunday was in part due to that heaviness.

And, nothing like a good ‘ole birthday to bring some levity. I turned a whopping 39 years last Friday! Who-Hoo! And you know, I feel damn good about those years… they have been characterized by many things both extremely heavy and wonderfully light and I am just glad to still be here. Glad to still have my fingers and toes. Glad to still have my sight, my hearing, my vision. Glad to still have a strong, beating heart.

The weekend came and I ran a short 5 on Saturday. Nothing too noteworthy there. Sunday was the big day. I went to the comet and started at zero mile marker and headed west. The temperature was perfect. Low-mid 60′s with a small breeze. The remnants of some earlier rain had left the trail wet in some spots, peppered with a few fallen leaves. The smells were fresh and delicious. I had to stop by iPOD every now and again just to be with it all…to hear the organic sounds around me. I was very surprised at how i felt, physically. It’s almost as if i was expecting my body to quit or really hurt with each passing mile. But, it really didn’t. I was pretty focused and felt strong. Sometimes my back will feel tired or my quads will feel heavy, but not this time. It really wasn’t until mile 15 when my hip flexors started to hurt some. I actually think i could have pushed for more miles, but during the final mile, i got a terrible know in my stomach. I think it was all related to my intake of gels. Sometimes, i think it might be a too much sugar thing. i am not sure, but it goes away pretty quickly. Nonetheless, still finished 16.25 and felt great. So relieved. So much happier.

I am glad. I am thankful. To be here for another day. To have had a better run. To be able to open my mouth and taste life. TASTE LIFE peeps. TASTE LIFE.

September 27: 16.25 miles – Silver Comet

September 26: 5 miles – outside

September 24: 3.1 miles – treadmill

September 23: 5 miles – outside

September 22: 5 miles – outside