THE TRAIL OF DREAMS (WS TRAINING RUN)

So in my last post I said I was excited for my run this weekend and boy was I ever! I went from being “ho-hum” about running this week to having a day on the trails where I do not think I stopped smiling for even one minute!

To back track, in 2010 I ran the Western States Training Run Day 1 (there are 3 full days) for the very first time. I called that post A DREAM COME TRUE (read it here). A lot has changed in just four years both for the runners (Pigeon and myself) as well as for the Western States Trail.

Pigeon and Myself 2010
Pigeon and Myself 2010
2014 - getting better at the selfie!
2014 – getting better at the selfie!

In the four years since we last ran this training run, Pigeon has excelled as an ultra runner. She is officially training for a 100 mile race (again) and I have run my second 50k and my second 50 miler in addition to quite a few marathons. When we ran this run in 2010, we were naive. We both had run one 50 mile race and pretty much signed up for this training run on a whim and decided we could handle it. We did but we were complete novices out on the trail climbing mountains that are pretty intense. While we finished in 2010 laughing the whole way, we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into on that run.

With quite a bit more mileage under our belt, this time around would be a little different. We both have a lot more respect for this trail. In my mind, there is no better place to run than on this trail as it has a little bit of everything and if you are not careful, the trail can rule your day.

Pigeon and I carpooled to Foresthill Elementary School and checked in with the people putting on this run. We paid the fee to run this organized training run because that not only provides us three fully stocked aid-stations along the way it also goes towards restoration and maintenance of the trail itself.

Runner Registration and Check in
Runner Registration and Check in

In 2010 Pigeon and I rode the yellow school buses along with hundreds of others doing this run. This year, Pigeon coordinated with a friend to get us a ride to Robinson Flat so we could avoid the bus. The same ride in a bus takes an hour (and it is a curvy road with no shoulder) … in a car that ride took us a half an hour. That means we’d have a good jump on all the hundreds of other runners headed out for a long day out on the trail.

I got us a ride!
I got us a ride!

I agreed to the ride, although I admit I was a little bit worried when she told me who else was coming and the car we would be in  (a Rav4). The numbers didn’t add up in my head. Where would I sit?

in the WAY back clearly
in the WAY back clearly

While I was sitting nice and illegal cosy in the back of the Rav4, I listened to everyone talk about their past 100 mile experiences whether in races or on training runs. The whole car was training for a 100 mile race whether it is Western States or Tahoe Rim … and then there was me, in the back. 🙂

Robinson Flat
Robinson Flat

When we arrived at Robinson Flat we all got out and stretched and used the facilities. In 2010 there was so much snow on the ground that we could not ride all they way to Robinson Flat. I had forgotten about that and quickly realized that the first 6 miles that I was about to run, I had never seen before!

The excitement started to grow. The girl who drove us was waiting for another person to arrive so Pigeon and I decided to follow some guys who had also avoided the buses and started our run. I didn’t know which way to go and Pigeon had a pretty good idea but we wanted to start out following someone just in case.

And so the story begins
And so the story begins

Once we left the camp ground and started on the trail following the yellow ribbons, I was in awe. At first we climbed a bit and were behind these guys who seemed equally excited to be out running. At one point they all stopped, not sure which way to go. One guy said he thought we should go right. I looked to my left and saw about 3 yellow ribbons so I said, “I think we go left, there are the ribbons.” Even Pigeon was thinking it was to the right. Luckily we went left. 🙂

Going left!
Going left!

Pigeon was cruising pretty fast. She was sticking close to the guys. While I was feeling fine, I could not pass what was before me! Every which way that I turned was the most amazing view I have ever seen!

There goes Pigeon and the guys!
There goes Pigeon and the guys!

I was slowly getting left behind because I kept stopping to take photos. I also knew we had a very long day ahead of us and I didn’t want to blow up my quads running down hill racing after the boys. Pigeon was on fire and sticking with them. Me? Nah, I’d rather have a photo op. 🙂

So beautiful
So beautiful

At one point I caught up to Pigeon and the terrible pacer that I am I made her stop. I reminded her that I had never been on this section before and that I was just blown away by the trail and the views … and then I made her take my picture. 🙂

So happy!
So happy!

I tucked the camera away (finally) and we kept on running. I knew that I had lots of photos from the second half of the run from 2010 so I needed to make sure I captured all that was before us on the first few miles.

My Jenny Vesta Hydration pack was FULL of fuel and water. I knew there would be aid along the way and mostly I was thinking I would only need water and maybe a few potatoes here and there at the aid-stations. I have been experimenting with my fuel lately and have been relying recently on ProBar products. I am more inclined to use real food instead of gels or chews but the ProBar Bolt chews have been working nicely as well as their ProBar Fuel bars. I prefer the bars most of the time. So when Pigeon stopped to find a tree, I had a snack and of course took another photo.

Hot, sunny and still smiling!
Hot, sunny and still smiling!

While we were running there would be the occasional runner who would catch up to us and chat for a bit. At one point, a guy who had originally missed the turn but heard us chatting off the trail, ran up behind us and thanked us because we had made him realize he had gone the wrong way. He joined us for a bit.

Now I have shared before that sometimes when Pigeon and I are off running deep in the woods, we will hear the occasional gun shot off in the distance. It sounds miles and miles away and is just the echo throughout the canyons that we generally hear. Not on this day. The three of us are running at one point I had looked down to my right and saw what looked to be a shotgun shell. My brain did a mental pause when all of a sudden we hear BAM! BAM! That wasn’t miles and miles off in the distance that sounded like it was just 15 feet away! The three of us jumped. BAM! again and we looked to our left. We couldn’t see the shooters but they felt way too incredibly close.

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With our heart rates pumping, we just kept moving. We came across the first aid-station at Dusty Corners. I didn’t need anything really. I don’t recall what the heck I did at this aid-station other than fill one of my bottles with water.

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The temps were definitely rising and in some sections it was down right hot. I felt good though. We just kept trucking along. I knew soon we would be coming to the long descent at Last Chance. It was this section in 2010 leading to Devil’s Thumb that I rolled my right ankle pretty severely and twisted my knee.

Headed down down down
Headed down down down

It is a very technical descent and the trail is covered in dry leaves so you can’t quite see what is underneath. Pigeon was not bombing the descent like she normally does so I was able to stick pretty close to her. All of a sudden I see her right toe get tripped up on a rock and what followed was in complete slow motion (for me, not sure about her). She trips and starts to fall forward and I go, “oh no!” and as I do, she rights herself almost catching herself from falling. However, out of no where it is as if gravity was pulling her and Pigeon just falls face first down the trail. Her hands didn’t pop out to protect her, at least not from my view but her arms were scrapped and she also ended up with a mouth full of dirt and her feet kicked back behind her like a scorpion’s tail. I did ask her if she was okay but my second question was “can I take a picture?” 🙂 She immediately snapped “no!” and popped up before I could even get my camera out of my pocket.

She had a few minor scrapes on her however we had quite a ways to go until we reached the bottom. Luckily there was a mini stream half way down and Pigeon was able to wash off some of the dirt and blood.

Cleaning up
Cleaning up

This fall took a lot out of Pigeon. When you fall on a trail run, it is more than just the injury or scrapes that you might end up with. You all of a sudden feel more exhausted than ever and your mind starts to play games with you. Thoughts like “oh, you must be tired” or “I fell because my legs are tired” start creeping into your brain. I was trying to not let Pigeon get down on herself about the fall because we were quickly approaching the toughest climb of the entire day, Devil’s Thumb.

Yup, still smiling.
Yup, still smiling.

Between Last Chance and Devil’s Thumb is a bridge called The Swinging Bridge. I posted about this in my 2010 post. It was old and scary but it thoroughly did its job of getting runners across the river. However, with the massive fires that this area had last year, this is all that is left of The Swinging Bridge …

Half of it is missing...
Half of it is missing…
Not allowed to cross
Not allowed to cross

Of course I completely forgot all about the bridge or the lack thereof. I had been watching the posts on Facebook over the weeks and I totally confused the construction of “the new bridge” as the replacement for the Swinging Bridge.

There was a new bridge on the trail, just not where I thought it was going to be.
There was a new bridge on the trail, just not where I thought it was going to be.

So how were we going to get across the river? Not to worry! The Western States crew had thought of everything …

Sweet! A rope to help us across!
Sweet! A rope to help us across!

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Now the river doesn’t look that high in the photo but those men standing there to help us cross, were standing on rocks. In between those rocks, the water was almost up to our chest! I even asked one of the volunteers to take my photo because you know, I was still smiling.

It was COLD but felt so good.
It was COLD but felt so good.

That dip in the water was SO refreshing. It really cooled the body temperature down which was a good thing because the next item on our agenda was to tackle Devil’s Thumb.

The full WS course.
The full WS course.

I have only climbed “the thumb” once before. I’ve been to it a few times but the only other time that I actually hike up was back in 2010 with Pigeon. I remember it was tough and I remember going up switch back after switch back.

When we started the climb, Pigeon was leading as usual. I noticed she was getting more and more quiet but we were climbing and I know she was still thinking about that fall. I just stayed behind her and tried to offer some words of encouragement. Occasionally a few other runners would catch us and pass and I know that mentally, it bothered Pigeon. She’d ask to stop a few times and take a breather and that was totally fine with me. I didn’t want to tell her but I was feeling really good on the climb. Of course I was tired and of course my legs were burning, but overall, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other trying to make our way to the top. The top was very far away.

Looking up at the Thumb
Looking up The Thumb

If you look closely at the above photo, you will see little specs of people up the hill. Way up high, between those two trees, is a person and that person is barely half way up this climb. Devil’s Thumb is no joke and we were soaking wet from the chest down (yes, including wet socks and shoes). While it was nice to cool off, it didn’t last long as parts of the Thumb are exposed and as you can tell from above, pretty steep. It was also sad because you can see all the damage from the fires and how barren and charred the trail now looks.

Burned trees = exposed trails
Burned trees = exposed trails

It took a while but we made it. Pigeon had completely sucked her hydration pack dry and finished The Thumb with zero water. She didn’t tell me until we reached the top and I had plenty left in my pack so I handed her one of my bottles that had a few inches of water left. That is what training partners do.

The next aid station would be at the water pump, which the organizers called Deadwood because it is close to Deadwood Cemetery. When Pigeon and I stopped, she filled her pack and I filled my bottles and pack as well. We ate a few things from the aid-station and as we were leaving I asked Pigeon if she wanted to soak the bandanas we had around our neck. We’d stop at a few streams and soaked them along the way putting them on our necks to keep us cool but the pump water is COLD. It felt pretty awesome to soak those and have a nice cool cloth around our neck as we continued on our way toward Michigan Bluff.

The rest of the trail is the same section that we ran just two weeks ago. You can read about that run here and see the photos. It felt like we were on the home stretch and I was still feeling really well however, I knew that we’d soon be entering the El Dorado Creek Canyon and that massive descent which murdered my knees just two weeks prior.

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Up until this point, my knees and been feeling pretty good. There were some sections where I would feel a twinge or two but nothing that ever prevented me from moving. El Dorado Creek Canyon leading to Michigan Bluff is a 5.5 mile descent. That is five miles running deeper and deeper into a canyon that doesn’t exactly scream smooth easy trail. It is rocky, technical at times and down right painful when you are battling an IT problem (Iliotibial band). Pigeon’s knee was bugging her from her earlier fall so she wasn’t flying way ahead of me like she had two weeks ago but she was moving a helluva lot faster than I was at times. Occasionally she’d stop and turn and would catch me winching in pain every other step. I may have been wincing, but I was still smiling!

When we got to the bottom, we crossed the bridge and started making our way back out of the canyon towards Michigan Bluff where we knew another aid-station was waiting for us.

admiring the views
admiring the views

As we were climbing, Pigeon started coming back to life. She had a little more pep in her step. Maybe she knew we were close, maybe she had overcome whatever it was that was bringing her down but she was back to her usual self.

As we climbed, we came across two guys who were sitting on the side of the trail. They were not together but they were probably 5 feet apart. One was dry heaving and the other looked like he was dizzy enough to pass out. Pigeon asked the first guy (Mr. Dizzy) if he had any salt on him. He said no and was kind of wish-washy about wanting to take one. I handed him two salt tabs and we told him to take them.

Then Pigeon moved on to the next guy who when she approached, about vomited at her feet. Knowing my feelings about this, she quickly turned to me and said “you may want to look that way for a bit!” 🙂 This guy had a girl with him and she was trying her best to encourage him. He said he wanted something solid, no more gels (who can blame him). I handed him my last granola bar (gluten free baby!). Pigeon also told him that I had ginger chews so she told me to give him one and I did and then I quickly ran back down to Mr. Dizzy and gave him a ginger chew too.

So at this point, we said good luck and continued our way up the hill. I had a gel left in my pack and I think one more package of ProBar Bolts but I was done with wanting any of that.

When we reached Michigan Bluff we were greeted by Ann Trason (SO COOL) manning the aid-station along with some other women. There were a lot of stragglers who were hovering around this aid-station. I wanted something solid and I quickly dove into some plain potato chips and even and a few pieces of a PayDay candy bar which I have not eaten since 2010. This was sort of a slow aid-station so I ended up filling up my pack myself which was totally fine, I wanted to be on our way.

Pigeon and I started walking and eating at the same time. We were heading to Bath Road which would be our final climb of the day.

I had completely blocked out the section leading to Bath Road. It was a bit up hill with some definite run-able sections. We were moving along at one point, when all of a sudden we hear BAM! I screamed and jumped a mile. Then BAM BAM! Again. These were not shot guns, this was a regular gun. Don’t ask me how I knew the difference, maybe it is too much TV but I could tell, this was more of a handgun than a shot gun and the sound was coming from in front of us and not off to the side.

Pigeon, the girl we were running with and myself were pretty petrified. I pulled out the whistle that comes with my hydration pack and started blowing. Pigeon told me to keep blowing my whistle and the girl we were running with started yelling “hey!” at these people. We could see them and their gun off in the distance. They were standing over a cliff and we couldn’t tell what they were shooting at whether it was a target or if they were just shooting over the cliff. Whatever it was, it freaked me out and when they saw us (and heard sirens in the distance) they stopped shooting and started getting into their car. Well that sure made me run faster!

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When we reached the bottom before our climb up to Bath Road, there was a stream. In 2010 it was much higher and we needed a rope to help us cross. Now, the stream is not so high but it was pretty darn crowded!

Everyone stopped to cool off in the stream
Apparently everyone got the memo to wear blue!

Pigeon and I once again used our bandanas to wipe off our faces and put them around our neck. Bath Road is paved and leads us to the Foresthill Elementary School and ultimately the finish. In 2010, Bath Road and I did not get along. I was done at that point, completely toast (mostly due to the ankle and knee pain I had) so this year, I had some unfinished business.

We didn’t run up the hill the way we did in 2010 but I do feel like I probably could have run portions of it which made me feel good inside that I had the energy and the mojo. Instead though, Pigeon and I just power hiked our way up the road.

We were joined by a group of 3 who were extremely chatty and trying to be funny. Some times they were and sometimes, not so much but it was still entertaining and we just rolled with it. When Pigeon and I reached the top and got to Foresthill Road, we started running and we ran ourselves all the way to the finish.

We’d done it. We completed the training run again! It felt good for me to be able to finish and not feel so completely depleted like I did in 2010.

The fourth and final aid-station at the end
The fourth and final aid-station at the end

This year I bypassed the massage tent and instead we went to my car and just tried to clean ourselves up and we hit the road home.

We laughed on the way home about how naive we were in 2010 trying to do this run with very little experience under our belts. That’s how you learn though. That is how you do it sometimes and while the outcome could have been much worse, Pigeon and I are strong runners and when we are together, we seem to be even stronger. We help each other out and we motivate each other when the time comes.

Now, two days later, I have to say, I feel great. While two weeks ago, when Pigeon and I ran in the same canyon, I could barely walk for 3 days straight. I was much kinder to myself when I got home after this run. The kids were in the pool so I stood in the pool too all the way up to my knees. I rolled my quads on the foam roller that night as well. The next day at work, I used The Stick to knock out any additional kinks that I was feeling in my quads. I feel amazing. Stronger.

It was a great day and I couldn’t be happier with myself despite the sour weeks I’ve had leading up to this run. It really is a matter of mindset sometimes. If you talk yourself out of something, you are destined to have a miserable time. Reading my old blog reminded me how much I love everything there is about the Western States trail. While I don’t need to race and be competitive, I am most content when I can just have an awesomely fun day out on the trails with my ultra running partner.

And coming home to two awesome kids and a hubby who fully supported me and this run, was pretty awesome too.

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Finally, here are the stats for the day (edited to add: 32 miles in 8 hours). Check out the elevation gain AND the elevation loss. Pretty crazy.

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Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

(Edited to add: I hardly ever proof my posts before posting so please excuse the typos and terrible grammar. I do eventually go back and edit … eventually).

 

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GETTING EXCITED

Okay, for weeks now I have been “ho-hum” about running. We’ve just been in super busy mode with the Peanut’s new swim team practice schedule and work has been busy lately. The weather is turning nice outside and the last thing I want to do is be inside in an office all.day.long but, it pays the bills, particularly swim team bills.

BUT tomorrow, tomorrow is another legendary day for me! Tomorrow is Day 1 of the Western States Memorial Day Training Run. 32 miles on some pretty spectacular trails!

2010 Photo
2010 Photo

I did this run in 2010 and you can read about that by clicking here … I just re-read my post from that run and giggled my head off. It was a fun day, despite some aches and pains, I had a blast.

Now I would be completely lying if I didn’t say that I was totally dreading this weekend up until a few hours ago. I’ve been tired, exhausted and running around like a chicken with my head caught off mode for quite a while now. I even skipped my morning session at Breakout Fitness today because I wanted to have a few extra hours of sleep. It helped but I love my TRX.

I’ve also had some aches and pains and some pretty pathetic runs this week that all lead up to me just feeling pretty down and unenthused about Saturday’s run. Yet, it is a 3 day weekend and while I still work at the store on Sunday, I will have Monday off to be with my girls.

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As I was walking outside on my lunch hour (in this 96 degree heat), I realized I needed to change my attitude around. So I read my old post from 2010, and that was it. Now I am excited to run. While the heat is going to be pretty intense (they are calling for 100 degrees), it SHOULD be a great day.

I will be running with Pigeon again and this year we are doing things a little bit different (more on that AFTER the run). She’s in super training mode but she knows how much I like to have fun on the trails so I am sure there will be some laughter along the way.

It will be a long day for Vans and the girls too but I am sure they will keep him busy laughing too….

She did this, on her own.
She did this, on her own.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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COLOMA RIVER RUN RACE REPORT

I must apologize. It used to be that I would go for  a run on a Saturday and then be super excited to come home and blog about it. Lately, either I have been running from one event to the next or I just haven’t had the time (or energy/motivation) to blog.

This past Saturday was the Coloma River Run (5k, 10k or 10 mile option). I signed up for the 10 mile option and was super excited as this was a big deal for Gold Country Run and Sport.

GCRS Booth
GCRS Booth

GCRS Girl and I arrived at the race at 7 am to set up the tent, booth and to pick up our race packets. This was a pretty small race in terms of set up. They didn’t have a specific place for us to put our tent so it was up to GCRS girl to pick a spot.

Once we were up and running, we picked up our race packets and started talking to those who came to the booth or were friends doing the race.

TiggerT was doing the race too and I knew she would be arriving soon. Sure enough she showed up with her smile although she did admit that something about this race was making her nervous. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she had not been running much trail (at least with these types of hills) in a few weeks.

I tried to assure her that she would be fine and I figured that the three of us (GCRS Girl, TiggerT and myself) would be running together most of the race. Everyone else that was associated with the store was doing the 10K option or had their heart set on a PR.

TiggerT, Me, GCRS Girl
TiggerT, Me, GCRS Girl

The race is really low-key and all 3 events started at the same time. There wasn’t much fanfare about it all, it was more or less “ready set go!” I’ve run this loop before with TiggerT quite a few years ago so this was the first time in a while that I had been out on these hills. The elevation is nothing compared to where I have been running lately but the hills go up forever and ever.

I have never run with GCRS Girl before so it was kind of fun to run with someone new. She’s a very strong runner and she was tackling the hills right off the bat. Me? I was content to stay with her but I wondered how long we’d continue at that pace with these hills.

At one point, the course divides and the 10k runners go in one direction and the 10 mile runners in another. When this happened, it definitely felt like we were the only 3 doing the 10 mile option as there were not many people around us.

Right on cue, we came to another long hill. GCRS Girl and I just powered up and we lost TiggerT. I knew she wouldn’t be far behind us.

Pigeon and TiggerT would probably say that I am a “talkative” runner. I can run in silence if that’s needed but I always just find something to chat about … as long as I know the person. I don’t go chatting it up with random people. 🙂 However, Pigeon and TiggerT are not overly chatty. GCRS Girl is just about as talkative on a run as I am! I’ve met my match. We pretty much talked nonstop for 10 miles straight!

So pretty!
So pretty!

At one point we were hiking up a climb and we hear the pitter patter of running feet behind us … TigerT!!! The first words out her mouth were, “Please don’t start running!” We all laughed and continued hiking up the hill … except when I said it was time to take a photo.

You run with me, you have to take photos.
You run with me, you have to take photos.

TiggerT would stay behind us and GCRS Girl and I would just run and hike and talk the remainder of the race. I learned a lot about her on this run! TiggerT told us that our chatting was keeping her going and she was content to just listen since GCRS Girl and I were huffing and puffing from trying to talk and run at the same time. Sneaky TiggerT! 🙂

I wore my Garmin but it was a deceptive course. I kept thinking we were much farther along mileage wise but when I would glance down at my watch, I would see that we were only at mile 5 or something!

We had to cross the same stream twice on this run and I had completely forgotten about that before the race. I christened my new trail shoes by running through a shin high stream and red clay mud. Awesome.

At least on the last mile we had to go through that same stream again so our shoes were washed clean. The three of us finished and for some odd reason, it felt like we were in last place! hahaha There was no one else behind us and it just felt like everyone else was already at the finish enjoying the raffle!

GCRS Girl and I crossed the finish line, posed for a photo …

Gold Country Run and Sport
Gold Country Run and Sport

… then we took off in the car as we both had to race back home to catch our kids mock swim meet.

Coloma
Bye bye Coloma

The Peanut has been swimming since she was 2, almost 3 years old. When we moved into our home that has a pool, I was quite adamant that she learn to swim. We enrolled her in Steve Wallen Swim school where she took lessons for twice a week for over a year before moving her down to once a week.

This past winter, instead of lessons we did Steve’s Swim Clinic which is a 45 minute session where essentially all she did was swim lap after lap after lap. She handled that pretty well and Steve asked us if we were going to put her on a swim team. Vans and I had thought about it but didn’t know how the Peanut would fare. She’s very shy and she does not like being the center of attention ESPECIALLY when there is physical activity involved. However, she KNOWS how great a swimmer she is and she has confidence in herself when it comes to swimming so we decided to go for it.

swim clinic
swim clinic

We first signed her up for a swim team summer clinic so she could get to know the coaches and the pool (outside vs inside). It was hit or miss every practice with crying or not crying, participating or not participating.
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Fast forward now to swim team, she’s familiar enough with the pool, the coaches and even some of the kids. Practices have been going well (minus a few days here and there).

Mock meet
Mock meet

When it was time for the mock swim meet, Vans and I thought for sure this would be the test of all tests for the Peanut. She had a team suit compliments of GCRS Girl (thank you!) so she looked the part compared to some other kids wearing just their every day suit. I think that made her feel more “on the team” if you know what I mean.

Her first heat was a 25 yard freestyle. When I told her it was only 25 yards, 1 lap of the pool she looked at me like I was bonkers! “That’s it?!” she said!

When her group was called she got on the starting block (I didn’t think 6 year olds started on the blocks). Swim meet starts are a bit different compared to anything else the Peanut is used to … first they blow a whistle, then someone counts down from 3 and then there is a buzzer and then the swimmers dive in.

Um, yea….neither Vans nor myself knew any of that and none of the coaches explained the starting process, let alone practiced it at any of the practices leading up the mock meet.

So when the whistle blew the Peanut jumped into the pool and with all her might started swimming down the lane. Someone had to jump in after her and of course it is terrifying having your leg grabbed when you think you are alone in the pool! It totally scared the Peanut and she started to cry. Vans was video taping. When the whole crowd saw that she had started sobbing there was a collective “awe!” throughout the crowd which caused the Peanut to cry even HARDER. She was mortified and could not be talked into swimming her lap. Needless to say, she was disqualified for that heat. 🙁

Watching and learning (now)
Watching and learning (now)

Vans and I both apologized to her and explained that we had no idea. I even told her that I would have jumped too! That seemed to make her happy. Vans practiced the starting sequence with her over and over as we had some time before she was supposed to swim again (a 25 yard backstroke). She was quiet most of the afternoon so I was worried.

Finding her courage
Finding her courage

When they called her group over to the ready bench to line up and head to their lanes, she followed. When she got to her lane I saw her standing and staring at the pool. Luckily in this heat, there were others who went first. I saw her watching. For backstroke, you start in the pool holding onto this board. She’d never done that before either.

waiting at the ready bench
waiting at the ready bench

The smart girl that she is, she watched every heat before her closely. When it was her turn, she got into the pool and grabbed the board. Whistle, 3, 2, 1 buzzer! She was off! The Peanut’s favorite stroke is the back stroke and she was swimming straight down the middle of the pool! She was moving at a pretty good pace and she looked beautiful doing it.

lane 6 backstroke
lane 6 backstroke

Towards the end, she veered off course just a bit and then saw the flags above and over estimated the distance between the flags and the wall. She stopped using her arms and just started kicking as fast as she could. She turned and touched the timing mat just as we had told her to do. She had done it! She swam her first swim meet lap! She hopped out of the pool with a huge smile on her face. High fives were given and I could see the energy racing through her veins. The Peanut may not be athletic but she can swim and is only getting better. I am so proud of my girl.

Our swimmer
Our swimmer

With the confidence of her swim meet still coursing through her veins, Vans decided to throw a bike race into the mix! Sunday he took the girls to Folsom where they raced their little bikes. Some struggles were had (a broken chain for the Peanut and a wipe out by Squeaker) but they both finished and received their ribbons.

Biking in tutus
Biking in tutus

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I am beyond proud of my girls. In my last post, I talked about fear and both of my girls conquered their fears this past weekend. They both tried something new (to them) for the first time and they succeeded.

As my good friend, Sally Edwards says:

When was the last time you tried something for the first time?

Winners!
Winners!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

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FUN IN THE CANYONS

With Miners Revenge behind me, it is time to get back into building miles again so that I can be ready to pace Pigeon at the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Miler in July. Last week was a hard week for me. I took a couple of classes at Diane’s that made me so incredibly sore, running last week was a struggle. I did manage some hill repeats one night although it wasn’t a pretty sight.

When Pigeon reached out to me to plan our Saturday run, I was a little nervous. She gave me some options but she really wanted to get some time on her feet in the canyons which involves a lot of climbing (both up and down). My shaky tired legs were a bit nervous.

Saturday morning rolled around and I left the house ready to meet Pigeon and drive to Michigan Bluff. I have run this section of trail before in 2010 as part of the Western States Training Run so I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong.

Parked and ready to start our run!
Parked and ready to start our run!

The drive to Michigan Bluff takes about an hour. Pigeon was pretty good at getting us there without too much trouble. After we parked and started to get ready, we noticed that it was pretty darn cold outside. Her temperature gauge in the car had said 40 degrees! We knew it would warm up but boy it was a chilly start to our run.

Right near the parking area (really just in front of some people’s houses) is a monument dedicated to the Western States Trail and Michigan Bluff’s role as a big aid-station in that race.

Pigeon is looking for the belt buckle that was built into the monument.
Pigeon is looking for the belt buckle that was built into the monument.
There it is!
There it is!

We weren’t alone when we arrived. There was a group of about 15 boys (teenagers?) who were also unloading their cars. They didn’t look like runners to us at all and so we assumed they were hiking. We never fully figured how who they were or what they were doing but they were pretty funny to run past on our way down into the canyon as they were cheering for us and wishing us a great day.

However, not one mile into our run I had a little malfunction with my Ultimate Direction Jenny Vesta pack. I love this vest/hydration pack more than anything but this is the second or third time I have had this same malfunction. My hair is on the longer side and when I braid it down my back, the braid inevitably gets caught in the pack zipper! So we are starting our run and all of a sudden I can’t lift my head! It is tilted back and totally caught in the zipper. I yell out to Pigeon that I need her help. She stops.

Me: “My hair is caught, can you get it out please?”

Pigeon, “We are not even 1 mile into our run and you are having wardrobe issues? Wait. It’s stuck in that thingy! How did you did you do this? I can’t get it out! It’s stuck in the loopy-d-loop thing!”

Me: “Don’t mess up my hair! Don’t undo my braid!”

Pigeon: “I have to! I can’t get it out!”

We were laughing so hard. I never take myself seriously and clearly our runs always have some element of fun to them.

Such a beautiful day
Such a beautiful day

However, things would change a bit a little further into our run. The first 2.5 miles are a pretty deep descent and Pigeon is loving long descents lately. Me? I like them but I can honestly say they are not my strong suit. I’d rather run up a climb than run down a hill. I know, odd.

Pigeon took off down the descent and soon I lost her yellow jersey from my line of vision. Normally this is how we roll. She goes on ahead and I just take up the rear doing my thing, taking photos, whatever. However there is something about Michigan Bluff and the canyons that had me a bit spooked on this run.

Granted, not more than two months ago Robert “Bob” Root was lost for two days and then ultimately found on this same trail!!! Also, Facebook has been inundated lately with bear and mountain lion sightings all throughout Auburn and other areas. I am petrified of seeing either on the trail (more so the mountain lion).

So of course it was absolutely natural for my mind to go to dark dark places when I was running solo down these long descents where the trail was narrow, foggy and totally in the middle of no where. Sure Pigeon would be waiting at various turns or cross sections, but within moments she’d take off again and I would be mentally picturing in my head some gruesome scene played out around every corner. I know, I know, not smart but that is the way my brain works. I had my cell phone in my pack but of course I had it turned off and all I could think about was “if I get eaten, my phone isn’t ‘on’ so they can’t track my phone!” I need to stop reading scary books the night before I go on these trail runs. Clearly.

Pigeon waiting for me at the bridge.
A blurry Pigeon waiting for me at the bridge.

Did I share any of these thoughts with Pigeon? Did I tell her how petrified I was? Did I tell her that my heart rate was spiking not because of the physical activity but because I was totally imagining some vampire meets the hunger games scenario in my head? Nah. Instead I would just run my little heart out so that I could get as close to her as possible.

Soon we were climbing which is a good thing because then I was close to her! We were hiking our way up the trail when I heard something off in the distance. Pigeon turns and looks at me and I am smiling.

Pigeon: “What? Why are you smiling?”

Me: “Nothing. Nothing at all. I didn’t hear that gun shot did you?”

Pigeon: “Nope. I didn’t hear those gun shots either.”

Granted, they sounded miles away and it sounded very much like target practice.  Whatever, some sick twisted part of me was thankful for the gun shots as I was hoping it would scare away any four legged creatures that might come eat me.

She has no idea the thoughts going through my head
She has no idea of the thoughts going through my head…

We continued climbing, up and up we would go, switch back after switch back. There was no one on the trail. It was quiet except for a few birds and the lizards darting through the leaves.

The sun would come and go all day long
The sun would come and go all day long

Eventually we made it to Deadwood Canyon. I remembered this section of the trail from 2010 although it looked a lot different.

Deadwood Canyon
Deadwood Cemetery

So of course the curious side of me gets going: “Why is it called Deadwood Cemetery? Is it a real cemetery? What does it mean?” Pigeon has no clue but luckily there are some state park educational billboard things out there to ease inquiring minds (like mine).

Gold Rush!
Gold Rush!

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These little bits of history were kind of neat. They also calmed me down a bit because if there are state park info boards like this out there, that means we were closer to possible civilization!

The Pump!
The Pump!

The water pump in the above photo was our destination but we had not quite achieved the mileage we wanted so we decided to keep going. As we were running away from the water pump I saw 3 girls running in our direction.

I MAY have been a bit overly excited to see people on the trail that I MAY have squealed “PEOPLE!! PEOPLE!! HI PEOPLE!” Pigeon was pretty mortified but then again, she had no idea WHY I was so overly excited to see these three strangers.

We chatted briefly with them but the time had come for me to come clean with Pigeon and I shared with her how terrified I was earlier on our run. She was shocked and had no clue and couldn’t understand why I would be so frightened. I have a very over active imagination and sometimes it gets the best of me. 🙂

Soon however we had reached our destination, Devil’s Thumb. I have been out at “the thumb” a few times. Once as a volunteer for Western States and then again in 2010 when Pigeon and I ran up and through it. I have to say, I was shocked by what is now left of Devil’s Thumb.

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Fires have destroyed the trees
Fires have destroyed the trees

Charred.
Charred.
There is the thumb though!
There is the thumb though!

Pigeon and I took a few moments to wander around and look at all the damage. It truly was heart breaking to see this area just burned almost beyond recognition!

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We gathered ourselves together and decided to turn around. Neither one of us wanted to go down to the bottom of Devil’s Thumb only to go back up (the climb is brutal and we’ll be doing it in about 2 weeks anyway).

Our run back was good. Pigeon stayed with me for most of it. We ran into those teenagers again who said hi. The first section of the trail however, involved a large descent and would end with a large climb (the reverse of what we ran out).

Pigeon stayed a little closer to me on some of the downhills. Maybe she didn’t want me to be afraid or maybe she just was taking it easy but at one point, she stopped dead in her tracks which scared the living day lights out of me. Now normally my brain would just think “did she see a mountain lion?” but instead, I had heard what she heard … a motorcycle!

What?! We are on some random single track trail in the middle of no where and it sounded as if there was a highway near by! Nope, barreling around the corner was a guy on a dirt bike.

Blurry but you get the idea
Blurry but you get the idea

Luckily, there just happened to be a big rock off to the side that could fit the both of us while the motorcycle dude passed. He also shared with us that there was another guy behind him so we stayed put on our rock. Thank goodness for that rock! It totally saved us from either getting run over by the bikes or worse, getting poison oak by jumping into the bush.

our loving rock
our loving rock

We continued pounding the downhills with Pigeon moving quite a bit faster than myself. We did see a lot of people though on our return trip which was more reassuring. However, my IT band started to yell again a bit at about mile 13.

With the sun peaking out behind various clouds, our return trip was gorgeous. I had to stop to take a few photos (or maybe it was to rest my IT … maybe both?).

So pretty!
So pretty!
The last bridge!
The last bridge!

Once we got to that bridge, we helped a couple of hikers find their way and then it was a LONG 2.5 mile climb out of that canyon to the car. Pigeon managed to get ahead of me on a few of the switch backs and tried to be “funny” by dropping a rock down from above so that I would freak out. It ALMOST worked but I was onto her. 🙂

We paused a few times to say hi to a few runners along the way and then it was just climb climb climb. Once again, Pigeon stopped, only this time she screamed like a girl (and I say that in the nicest way possible). I grabbed my vital organs (my heart and chest area) and yelled “what!? what!?”

She pauses, ” a lizard!!!”

She screamed because of a lizard. Okay, I may scream because someone’s random dog (off leash) creeps up behind me or because some venomous turkey is on the trail, but she screamed for a lizard!? Okay, maybe this lizard was larger than normal and she almost stepped on it.

Blurry photo compliments of Pigeon
Blurry photo compliments of Pigeon

We laughed our butts off for a bit on that one and then continued on our way. Soon enough, I was D-O-N-E with this 2.5 up hill climb. I wanted to move so I started running. I ran various stretches of the uphill with Pigeon kind of giggling behind me at my attempts.

She had run 15 miles on Thursday and had some tired legs under her so she was content to work herself up that climb with a solid power hike. Me? I am barely in the shape that she is and I wanted to run to add an extra workout to the day (um, I had mega sore quads this week which I attribute to all the downhill but still, a reminder of what we conquered).

Overall it was a great day. I struggled with some highs and lows. My motivation is on the low side since finishing some of my key races but I want to keep my fitness levels on the up and up because:

1. It feels amazing to be able to go out and run the canyons on a few days notice;

2. I have a Western States Training run in 2 weeks (that is 30 plus miles); and

3. I have to pace Pigeon anywhere between 20 and 30 miles for Tahoe Rim Trail in July and I want to be ready.

This run also gave me a chance to try some new fueling and experiment more with running with my heart rate strap but secured a little tighter.

My favorite part of the run was all the laughter. Pigeon and I generally have a fun time on the trails and I always know she’d never leave me or risk my safety. I was out of my element a bit but it was also a little invigorating! Not saying I’d go out and run that route solo like a few of the other runners we saw (no thank you) but it does make me feel good inside and out.

Once again my recovery was nonexistent. My body was quite sore come Monday and I didn’t really rest much at all. Stretching MUST become my new best friend otherwise, I think my running days may be numbered. I see Dr. Lau this week and I am sure he will tell me the same thing.

This coming weekend I have a 10 mile race that I am not so sure how to tackle. Part of me wants to run hard and gauge my fitness level, part of me wants to run it easy so my body can fully recover and part of me wants to run with TiggerT who is also doing the race and would be somewhere in between. I have never been on the course before so really I am going into it with no real expectations. I just want to run.

Just so long as the course elevation looks nothing like it did last Saturday!

Oh you know, just 6,000 feet of climbing and descending
Oh you know, just 6,000 feet of climbing and descending
Elevation!
Elevation!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

 

 

 

 

 

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LIVING LOCAL (EDHTrails.org)

Recently our little Peanut turned six.  From the start, we wanted to do something different for her birthday, something a little more active … something outside. One day when I was watching the Peanut ride her bike, an idea hit me, Safetyville USA! I had never been myself but I have heard great things about Safetyville and Vans said that the place has been around since he was a little Vans. The Peanut has really progressed in riding her bike so this place was perfect!

The Peanut and some of her friends.
The Peanut and some of her friends.

If you don’t know much about Safetyville, it is a mini replica of Sacramento complete with buildings, stop signs, railroad tracks and real working traffic lights!

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You can see the size ratio of the lights compared to the adults.
You can see the size ratio of the lights compared to the adults.

We totally lucked out on the weather as it had rained the day before but that Saturday, it was gorgeous outside. Jersey Dad was still in town to help us set up and get things moving.

When I was organizing the party, I realized that the Peanut’s guest list has grown tremendously over the years. Between friends she has known since daycare, to close friends we have known forever ,to her new friends in kindergarten, the list went on and on. Luckily the place accommodated a large guest list and really, the more the merrier when it came to cruising around Safetyville.

Cruisin'
Cruisin’

What I did not want (or need) was huge piles of presents.  I know it is customary to bring presents to a party and I know that kids (especially six year olds) really look forward to all the presents but I knew that the Peanut would be happy with a few little things and so, Vans and I talked and decided to do something different this year.

Donations to EDHTrails.org
Donations to EDHTrails.org

We used evite.com for our invitations instead of the usual paper invitations. I happen to like evite.com because I can insert the date and party information directly onto our phone and we also limit the amount of paper produced.

Through evite.com we were able to notify guests that we were offering an “in lieu” of presents idea. When I told the Peanut what I was doing she didn’t understand. She thought she would receive NO presents on her birthday but when I assured her that she will have plenty to open, she was okay with what we were asking her to do. It made her happy to help.

I reached out to Mike on Trails over at EDHTrails.org. You may remember when I posted about EDHTrails.org in this post here. Well he got the approvals he needed to begin this journey of brining a quality trail network and skills loop to EDH. Vans and I could not be more excited.
But, there are personalities who are still unaware with overnight cialis delivery this medicine. Thousands of men around the globe have discount pharmacy viagra tested and trusted the effects of kamagra pills and they are easy to manage at home. This is crucial to helping you perfect good driving skills, so that you are most prepared and viagra sale mastercard safe when driving. Therefore, this process continues in the bile viagra pfizer prix ducts, liver, sphincter of Oddi causing the stones’ formation, blockages, and inflammation.

As avid trail runners and mountain bikers, having a trail that connects to our own street seems pretty sweet not to mention that it will provide a place for our kids to ride and play.

EDHtrails.org
EDHtrails.org

Vans and I support what Mike and EDHTrails.org are doing and since having moved to EDH a few years ago, I would say our love of “living local” has grown. From my work at Gold Country Run & Sport to Van’s support of Mraz Brewing Company (our local brewery) all the way to El Dorado Hills Natural Farms we are loving our local businesses and community.

Fresh berries from EDH Farms at the party.
Fresh berries from EDH Farms at the party.

When all was said and done, most of the kids (and parents) agreed that they had a fun time at Safetyville.

See, even the parents had fun!
See, even the parents had fun!

Overall, the Peanut was able to raise $135 towards EDHtrails.org and have enough presents to open and play with for hours.

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While the idea to donate to a charity or cause isn’t new, I  have to say I really loved it and I look forward to doing it more in the future. Santa Claus knows we have more than enough toys in our house. Sometimes giving back or giving to those who need it more, is a win win situation.

Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

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