The Salmon Falls 50k race is in 6 days. I am excited for this race for so many reasons. It will be a great chance to see all my trail friends in one spot, this a new race on a previously unknown (to most) course and it has been a while since I’ve run a 50k and felt fairly well trained for it. I’ve been putting in the work this time. I can’t say that I have been 100% as dedicated and as determined as I could have been but it gives me goosebumps to see results.
On Saturday I met Pigeon for a nice easy 10 mile run and while running we shared how we’ve been feeling physically lately. I told her that after last weekend, I kind of feel like I have been hit by a truck. She turned to me as we were running and said, “Well, you kind of were! That was a big dog that barreled into you.” Good point. Still, mentally I have been fighting internally as to why I was sore and tired after that run whereas in runs past I have not been.
This is why we taper. We build the miles up and up peaking at the very top and then let the body come down, heal, regenerate and rebuild itself to be ready for race day. The one reminder in my head that say over and over to myself when that little bit of doubt that creeps in is “Your body will remember. It knows what to do.” That is so true.
Saturday was so nice. A chilly foggy start but it felt great to shake the legs out with Pigeon. I had some time constraints so we had to jet out and jet back for the most part. We did have a tiny bit of adventure on the trail when a fairly large sized coyote jumped right out in front of us and across the trail. After last week’s dog incident, I definitely held my breath when I saw him running towards us.
After the run I race home to be with my girls while Vans attended a class down in Sacramento. The girls and I ran some errands and then came home and decided to be lazy.
Again, letting the body do what the body wants to do and if that means snuggling with my Squeaker on the couch, so be it. 🙂 Love that kid.
With all the extra time this past week I’ve been trying to get the girls out and moving. Wednesday night the Peanut wanted to go to the track and do some “running” … who am I to say no to that!?
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We did four laps combining running and walking. Mostly we talked about the girls lacrosse team that was practicing in the middle of the field. The Peanut was intrigued as was I since lacrosse is a new to me sport.
Today brought sunshine when originally they were calling for rainy skies. Once Squeaker found out that the Peanut had gone to the track with me solo, she wanted to do the same.
So we ran around a bit and then ultimately played on the high jump mats while the Peanut and Vans biked their way to the track (a big deal for the Peanut).
We’ve been living and working in one of the foggiest weeks I have ever seen here in Northern California so today’s sunshine is just glorious. I truly wish the weekend could be extended.
This week will either fly by or go painfully slow. I hoping it goes fairly quickly. Not sure how many photos I will have for the race next weekend since I won’t be carrying my camera with me. Vans and the girls will be out there so hopefully they can snag a few. Until then….
Sorry, I had to throw that Great White song reference in the title as it has been stuck in my head since Saturday’s run. If you want to hear the song too click here.
Saturday was the first of the annual Western States Training Runs. While the ones in May are my absolute favorite, Saturday’s course is always an adventure and a good test of your legs and endurance.
This year Pigeon was able to join me. I know we were both pretty excited about this run!
Pre-Run Selfie!
The parking lot scene was really different this year. In years past it would get pretty crowded super fast and they had four school buses ready to bus us to the drop of point.
This year it wasn’t too crowded and they only had 3 buses. I didn’t mind. It meant easier parking and fewer lines. Regardless the day was gorgeous and we were looking at temperatures rising near 75 degrees come the middle of the day.
Morning Sky!
Pigeon and I knew from experience that we needed to get on the middle bus. The first bus you sort of assume are for the “fast” people. The ones carrying just one little bottle, no fuel and who plan to be done with their 20 something miles in no time at all. The last bus is usually reserved for the Folsom Lake Trail Running group. A great bunch of people but there is a lot of them and Pigeon and I like to position ourselves ahead of the crowd.
So this is where it gets funny. After Craig Thornley, the RD for Western States does his pre-race talks, it is sort of a mad dash for the bus. Pigeon and I were close so we hop onto the second/middle bus.
The bus fills up. They do their little talk about safety and what to do if you drop etc. The bus starts and then our bus waves the bus behind to go in front … so we are now on the last bus! Pigeon turned to me and goes, “What just happened?” I replied, “Um, it looks like we’re the last bus now.” 🙂 It was pretty funny and as it turns out, it was no big deal what so ever.
Pigeon and I got off the bus and just started running. I should mention that I did fall asleep briefly while on the hour-long bus ride. I can’t help it. You put me in a car when I have had little sleep and I will fall asleep almost instantly. Sorry Pigeon! 🙂
So we get off the bus and we take off down the gravel road following the yellow montrail ribbons. The views were gorgeous but sadly, I have still not figured out the best way to store my phone/camera to make it easily accessible. If had one complaint about my Jenny Vesta it is this, the front pockets are too small. My old camera is terrible so I don’t even bother bringing it any more. Plus, Vans may have been right all those years, I think I AM a little bit faster when I am not stopping to take photos. 🙂
Sadly, that makes for boring blog material which Pigeon has reminded me of time and time again yet mind you, it is her job to put the phone/camera back into my pack when I am done taking photos. Needless to say, this never ends well. She has troubles, I start laughing and well, the next thing you know, we’ve wasted about 10 minutes on the trail.
So for the majority of this run, I took zero photos. Pigeon was motoring and looking really strong. I was happy for her, she’s been working herself back into shape steadily and it is paying off. I felt okay. I was battling some low iron and energy this past week so I did not go into this run with super-duper high enthusiasm like I have in the past. Also, my left knee was tweaked a bit recently in a non running incident and it has been nagging at me ever since.
Still, I was having fun chasing Pigeon through the single track and all around the trails of Cool and Auburn. Like I have said, it was a gorgeous day. It was also getting warm, quite warm as the day was moving on. I felt like I was fueling pretty well but nothing I ate would settle my tummy. I just resigned myself to believe it was going to be one of those days. I am used to them, so no biggie. I just set my mind somewhere and try not to focus on it too much. I know I was quieter than normal but I don’t think even Pigeon realized how much I was battling internally with that unhappy tummy.
When we got to No Hands Bridge I was doing a little dance inside. I know this section well. No Hands to Robie Point and then old road back to Placer High School. This is what I consider the home-stretch. Which was good as the sun was starting to beat down on us.
We crossed No-Hands, hit the aid-station and smiled for some photos (thanks Joe McCladdie!).
We noticed that the trails were pretty crowded, not with runners but with hikers, families and even horses. The little water fall area that we always run through had a ton of people sitting in or around it trying to cool off from the heat. It can get pretty warm in the canyons if you don’t come prepared with enough water. I could tell a lot of these families were not prepared.
Pigeon and I ran through the water fall which cooled us off. Down the fire-road we ran. Like I said, there were other runners, hikers, little kids and people walking their dogs all around us. I say that because what I am about to explain next really took me by surprise.
The fire-road is about 4 to 5 feet wide. I was on the far left of the trail running behind Pigeon and to the left of us was a couple with two dogs. Â A woman was walking a little teenie tiny dog (on a leash) and her husband was walking a doberman pinscher (also on a leash).
As I passed the man and the doberman, the doberman lunged at me. I have pretty good reflexes and as I tried to turn my body from him, he growled and took a nice chomp at my hip/thigh area. Merck’s scientific data shows the side-effects of finasteride include impotence (1.1-1.3 to 18.5-24.9), abnormal ejaculation (7.2-7.6), reduced ejaculatory quantity (0.9% to 2.8-fold), abnormal sexual function (2.5-3m), gynecomastia (2.2-liter), erectile dysfunction (1.3-megapixel), ejaculation online pharmacy for levitra problem (1.2-litre) and testicular pain. Great, that’s the technicalities viagra online purchase dealt with, but what are you going to talk about? Each blog needs a tightly focussed theme. Doctors do not treat the bulk viagra body as an integrated system but treat each individual injury. It improves sperm count and offers effective cure for male infertility through generic viagra from canada improving semen load.
I kind of faltered because it felt more like I was punched hard instead of bitten. Pigeon turned just as I was grabbing my side and falling over. “What the?! Did he just bite you!?” she said and all I could do was moan yes. I was just in shock trying to figure out what the heck had just happened.
The husband grabbed the dog while the wife ran over to me to verify that I had been bitten. I showed her the bite mark and blood. It wasn’t horrible, but it did break the skin and draw blood. Pigeon took over. She took my phone from me and immediately started gathering the information from these people. Names, phone numbers etc.
My thigh.
As she was doing this and I was trying to clean the cut with a wet wipe that Pigeon just happened to have in her pack, ANOTHER runner was bit by the SAME dog but on her arm! What the heck!???
This poor woman did not fare as well as I had. Her bite mark was deep. A true puncture and she was gushing blood. I had to give her my bandana to tie off her arm so it would stop bleeding. She gave me her information so that I could pass on the dog owners information later.
The dog getting “yelled at” – but you can see how populated the trail was right here.
I can’t say I was shaking. I wasn’t crying. I was just speechless for a while until we separated from them and then I was angry. Very angry. There were little children on this trail just feet away! The owners swore up and down that the dog has never done anything like this before but here he bit two people in a matter of minutes!
We still had about a mile and half to run to get out of the canyons and back to the finish area. My leg was throbbing and sore. The good news is that I stopped thinking about my stomach! We did a hike/run combo and caught up to the woman who was bitten in the arm. She seemed okay but was really hoping for a ride to the finish. She never got one. She ran/walked the whole way in with a small group making sure she was okay.
When we finished, Craig Thornley was right there and was concerned about the situation. He told me to make sure I had my shots and to double-check for sure that the dog had as well. All these years I have worried about running into bears and mountain lions and instead my first real incident is with a dog … on a leash.
Needless to say, I am super gun-shy about seeing any dogs on the trail right now. I called Vans as soon as I was done to explain why it was taking longer then I had expected.
While at the car changing out of our shoes the dog owner called me just to see how I was doing, to apologize again and to verify that their dog has had the proper shots.
Things could have been a lot worse. I was very lucky that the dog couldn’t get a good angle on me. I am happy that Pigeon was there to help me out and make sure that I had all the information that I needed. Be care out there when running, even if an animal is on a leash. Clearly this owner didn’t have a strong enough hold on his dog for him to bite two people.
When I got home from the run, I made sure to clean up well. We had lots to do the rest of the day! I couldn’t let a dog bite keep me down.
Vans took these cuties to get ice cream while I cleaned upThen we went and saw TiggerT race her BMX bike!Squeaker thought about it but was a bit scared by the big kids I think.She does love her bike though!
The weather has continued to be super nice lately. I feel terrible for all of you battling the snow and storms on the east coast. We are in a drought which is not good at all, but I can’t help but love the sunshine a little bit right now … it leads to some fun times.
Family adventures
Now it is taper time. This coming weekend I only need to run 10 to 12 and then next weekend it is race time! The inaugural Salmon Falls 50K will finally be here. I have a feeling it will be like one giant trail party because so many people are running it. Hopefully my bruise goes away by then (it is super tender). I consider myself super lucky. Lucky I didn’t have a more serious injury, lucky I have a great supportive running partner, lucky I live in a pretty awesome place with amazing trails and views. These are the things to remember.
I know I usually write about my super fun trail runs or some PTA function that has rubbed me the wrong way but tonight, as I was cleaning up from dinner and from some extra baking that I was able to fit in, I started thinking about this post.
I have been wanting to write something like this for a very long time but I guess I just never sat down and penned it out. Maybe I didn’t think I had the proper platform or audience but really, this blog is as much a hodgepodge of things as I am in real life so why not right?
Of course these are my own observations (as random as they are sometimes) so do what you want with it but for me, it seems pretty clear or perhaps CLEAN is the word I am looking for here?
How many of you have a pan that looks like that one? In all honesty, that’s what I call my “meat pan.” While I have been plant-based for over 22 years now, 10 years ago I married a man that was not. Together we had children that were also not born and raised plant-based (in hind-sight, yes I would do it all differently).
That baking sheet above has cooked all the “meat” that has ever entered my home. I have a frying pan that I call my “meat pan” as well. I will not eat anything that has touched that pan or cookie sheet. Not only for the meat factor but also the gluten factor. Still, every time I look at it, I get a little more grossed out. Trust me, I have cleaned, scrubbed and soaked this pan numerous times. It just never seems to get clean enough. It has this film over it that never ever goes away.
Fast forward a few years and Vans is now plant-based and the Peanut and Squeaker, while in this house, are also plant-based (minus cheese – we’re working on it – baby steps). I haven’t touched these pans in a very long time (unless it is something that contains a lot of gluten that I don’t want contaminating my other pans).
That is the pan I use all the time NOW. Notice the difference? I’ve probably used that pan over one hundred times.
Yes, I use parchment paper or silicon sheets when I bake things like cookies for my trail runs or for the girls.
Engine 2 Cookies!
Yet, the one thing that I have noticed in both my baking sheets AND my frying pans (I have meat free frying pans as well) is that EVERYTHING and I mean everything is SO much easier to clean. No residue. No stickiness. No dark patches where fat or grease has seared to the pan.
What exactly IS grease? Has anyone ever looked it up online?
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Now, let’s take this image just one step further shall we? Imagine, just for a moment that the first pan I showed you … here, let me show you again …
… now imagine THAT is your heart, your intestines, your stomach! To be honest, that is probably not a far off image from what it probably DOES look like inside your body IF you do eat meat, oil and other greasy things.
Have you ever cooked dinner and then had to soak your pot or pan just to try and remove the grease and sludge that was left behind? What about brillo pads!? Maybe you’ve scrubbed with those for a few minutes trying to get back that new pan glow? Guess what? I don’t even own a brillo pad. Do you know why? Because my pots and pans look like this.
When you cook plant-based and OIL free (key word being oil free) you don’t have to scrub. ANYTHING. I never have to let anything soak a few minutes to let something “unstick” so that it can be clean.
Think about it. Do you let your stomach soak? Your intestines? No. Typically you follow your meal with a dessert or perhaps another snack later? That oily greasy film is building. It is building in your arteries and destroying your endothelium cells. That means it is slowly clogging and forming plaque bit by bit. Greasy food by greasy food.
For me it is simple. That imagery of my super easy to clean pan verses one that is sticky, oily and turning black? Just translate that to what is inside your body. Sure you can cover up that pan with tin foil as many people do but that’s the same as taking statins when you have high blood pressure or cholesterol medication when you have high cholesterol. You are just masking the problem. Not fixing it.
Food doesn’t have to be cooked in oil. When I make a “stir-fry” I use vegetable broth or water. I bake using parchment paper or silicon baking mats. You do not have to cook with oil to make your meals taste good. I don’t. While I haven’t always been this way, I have slowly learned and educated myself more and more. Oil is pure fat. There is zero nutritional value to oil, any oil, what so ever.
Honestly, the proof is in the pudding, or should I say pan? Do me a favor, take a look at your pots and pans. Is there a greasy sticky oily residue on them or are they super hard to clean? Chances are, that’s what your heart will look like too some day.
California has been in a drought since last winter. We haven’t seen much rain in a very long time. Yesterday however, we had a “storm” according to the local news. A big “storm” was on its way. I didn’t see much action during the day in terms of rain but last night, the wind was howling outside our windows. I thought for sure a tree would be crashing down at any moment (no rain means thirsty and weak trees everywhere). I could hear the massive rain drops pelting or roof and windows. I woke up once because Squeaker was up. Poor kid had a run in with her face and the pavement while riding her bike Friday afternoon and the pavement won big time. 🙁
BIG fat lip
Luckily she did not knock out any teeth but she did crack her root and shredded her upper lip and the inside of her gum (yes, ouch). One emergency trip to the dentist on Friday night and then we were good to go.
After I got her comfortable in bed again, I just laid there listening to the rain.
I kept thinking how our Saturday run, if it was in this same monsoon, would be brutal. We have been spoiled running wise by some glorious weather during the winter months. Yes we need rain, but we also like staying dry when it comes to running super long distances. I haven’t had to run in serious rain since 2010! You can read how those runs go by reading this throw back post here.
When I woke up this morning however, I didn’t hear any rain drops. I had my gear packed so I just grabbed my usual clothes and headed to the kitchen to pack my hydration pack and wait for Pigeon to get to my house.
We picked up Stonegate and headed to Salmon Falls. The sky looked gorgeous. No real rain in sight. We had high mileage planned for the day and had changed our plans last-minute as to where we would start which in hind sight was a great idea.
When we arrived at the parking lot it was as if a party was going on. Cars upon cars started to arrive after us. We wanted to beat the crowd so we jumped out of the car, threw on our packs and hit the trails.
You essentially start off running uphill on a very rocky switch back trail. It really gets the blood pumping and lungs pounding. For me, this section never seems to get any easier.
As usual, we had lots to talk about. I had a few things to share and rant about (that’s what running is all about right?) and I appreciate the sounding board and advice that Stonegate and Pigeon had to give. That’s what friends are for in the grand scheme of things.
We ran all the way to Cronin Ranch which is where the Salmon Falls 50k will start come race morning (psst! there is still time to register!).
We turned around and figured out where the race will probably have us go (knowing Coach Nikon) and followed those trails back to the movie set lot. Our mileage didn’t quite add up so we ran a couple of loops by the river past 5 million porta-pottys (man there are a lot out there).
The ground was incredibly muddy but there was no rain. We saw some crazy animal tracks out there. Most of which we were assuming were deer based on the marks.
After our loops we still did not have a enough miles but decided to head back anyway and maybe head across the road for the additional miles that we needed.
The way back was pretty interesting. We ran into the group that had been gathering in the parking lot. They were only going 17 miles so they were on their way back to their cars. They were running in various packs. The trails on some sections are single track and not quite wide enough to pass.
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So the three of us collectively agreed to surge ahead at various points even it if it meant running up a big hill just to position ourselves ahead of the group. Then it became very much of a game to try to stay ahead of this group.
Overall I was feeling well again. I did not have my magic cookies that I have been carrying lately because I didn’t have time to make them the night before and I wanted to give myself a break. Instead, I packed some potatoes and salt and that really hit the spot a few times in addition to the other snacks I brought along.
My legs had energy. My lungs not as much at times but that was probably due to my excessive talking on our way out. I had a lot to say and it really was quite draining to get it all out not to mention the internal toll it took on me.
On the way back though, I just felt good. At one point, Pigeon offered me one of her skittles and I didn’t really hear her as we were approaching a hill and I just felt like motoring up it. Then I heard “Fine! No skittles for you.” 🙂
Stonegate grabbed onto my surge and followed me up the hill. We were motoring our way back to the car.
When we got to the car, we decided that was good enough. None of us felt like continuing on. I felt that I could have run more but I was also content to stop right there. As soon as we put on our flip-flops and changed out of our wet clothes, the other runners were starting to trickle in. The lead guy (I guess their coach?) had them running laps in the parking lot to make up the mileage. We kind of chuckled at this. We would have had to run a lot of laps!
We were kind of smiling about this when all of a sudden the skies opened up and the rain came pelting down in giant drops! It was almost instant! We all hopped into the car and laughed that we had ended the run at the most perfect time. Whew!
We drove home in a complete monsoon. It was so that bad I could barely see the road at times. Wow, we really lucked out on our run!
Next week the group is breaking up a bit due the holiday weekend Stonegate is off on her own and Pigeon and I will be running together. I am looking forward to it actually.
I rounded the weekend out by taking the Peanut to a roller skating party on Sunday. I roller-skated with TiggerT for 3 hours straight! My legs felt great! I have been very impressed with my recovery of late. Sure other runners go out for a shake out run after a long mileage day. Me? Nah, I go roller skating! The Peanut has improved tremendously and was skating solo which meant that I had more time to skate with TiggerT and have some good old fashion flashback to the 80s fun! 🙂
That was truly the best ending to what previously was a pretty horrible week for me. Squeaker is healing well. The swelling is down considerably and she is able to eat without too much pain. She’s a trooper too and was back on her bike the very next day! Gotta love that kid!
I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend too. The rain is here to stay for a few more days.
Happy Trails!
~Trailmomma
ALL trail photos are compliments of Stonegate! Thanks Girl!
PS: This has not been proof read or edited so sorry for all the typos.
This past weekend was the annual Way Too Cool training run put on by James Barstad. Every year he does this and every year I am amazed at how successful and awesome it is.
While I am not running Way Too Cool 50k this year, Stonegate is. She has some redemption with that 50k distance and I knew that she needed some time on trails in Cool.
Pigeon was down for it so we decided we would all head out to Cool on Saturday and start before the masses arrived. We opted for the longest distance (23 miles) but there is a 12 and 20 mile option to do as well.
When we pulled into the parking lot of the fire station it was still dark out but people were already arriving. We all hid within the warm confines of the car before nature called and we all had to hit the porta potty (separately, not together).
All of a sudden the sun was peeking out and we were ready to hit the trails. We ran with some new people on Saturday. It was myself, Stonegate, Pigeon, Stonegate’s friend Tri-Girl and MarCK. Everyone has had their share of time on these trails and/or has done some ultra running so we were a pretty solid bunch.
It was cold so the pace was pretty quick to start. I think we all wanted to warm up as much as possible. We followed the orange ribbons all the way to  highway 49 where Stonegate would be entering new-to-her territory.
The Quarry road isn’t anything too exciting and is actually probably the least pretty part of the whole Way Too Cool course but it is a good chance to get your head in the game, fuel your body and just relax from the quick down hill you just came from.
Quarry Road
On this section we all ran in various pairs talking as we ran. At one point Coach Nikon and friends came running by giving us a hard time. 🙂 I always enjoy running into him out on the trails.
Soon we were off Quarry Road and descending up onto some of the single track. For quite a while MarCK was leading our pack which was great. He was fun to run with too! So easy going and he set a good pace. I know the girls were probably worried we were slowing him down but he never let on or showed any signs of being frustrated with us (or our frequent stops).
The entire first portion of the run I couldn’t shake the sour stomach that I had no matter what I did or ate. It just kept hanging on keeping me on my toes and on the verge of worry that things may go south soon. I just kept up my nutrition the way I have been even if I didn’t feel like eating anything.
Soon we came to an aid-station and I ducked off to the side to handle some business. Not long after, Stonegate and Tri-Girl also had to take care of things. This made for a nice long(er) stop. There was nothing at the aid-station that I could eat so I just stuck to the cookies, plantains and water that I had with me.
When we started off again, Pigeon took the lead. At some point on the trail, she became lead runner, followed by me and then MarCK while Stonegate and Tri-Girl were chatting it up on the caboose.
Pigeon took off and I followed. MarCK was easily keeping pace behind me. This section of the trail is very runnable and it is super gorgeous. My camera duties have slacked since I cannot find a decent spot to put my phone that is easily reachable. I am still working on this and I need to figure it out soon as it is really beginning to hinder the quality of my blog! 🙂 I love taking photos – although I AM getting faster on the trails – so maybe there IS a correlation between the two? 🙂
The Crew from L to R: MarCK, Stonegate, Pigeon and Tri-Girl
MarCK and I had some good conversations about work and past jobs and our kids. Pigeon was feeling good I could tell because she picked up her pace considerably. She had started out slow (intentionally – that’s her style) and slowly built herself up. I was happy to see her confidence. She’s been struggling the last few runs trying to get her fitness back to where she knows she can kill it. She is almost there.
I just felt, great. My tummy was still not completely settled, but for the most part, I really started feeling well. Then we hit Goat Hill. Goat Hill is a pretty steep climb. It is just shy of a mile in distance but it consists of some solid switch backs. Some how I ended up taking the helm and I remember saying, “Oh man, I don’t want the lead!” and Pigeon just said, “You got this girl. One step at a time.” So, I started climbing. And talking. And climbing and talking. I was talking to MarCK, he was right behind me and I thought Pigeon and everyone else was right there as well but apparently, I had climbed pretty well. I had heard Tri-Girl say earlier that I looked like a Mountain-Goat when I was climbing … baaaaa! 🙂
I reached the top and I felt, well, amazing. In all the years I have climbed Goat Hill, that by far was my best attempt. I guess I am doing something right in my training these days.
At the top was an aid-station which was nice. Pigeon was hoping for some Coke but they only had water and gels. We knew there were only about 5 miles to the finish so we started running again.
Soon we heard Highway 49 which always gives me goosebumps because I know the end is near and I know that last mile is what lies ahead. The last mile of Way Too Cool is a bit of a grind. It is up hill, but the hill is this rock infested gully. Very hard to find proper footing at times and kind of hard to actually run IF you had the energy and leg strength TO run.
We crossed the highway and told Stonegate that this is where her last aid-station would be and to take advantage of it with SOMETHING before the climb. Then, MarCK took off like a bat out of hell! I swear, one second he was standing next to me and the next I saw his back side scaling up the rocky gulch! Bye bye MarCK! 🙂
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I climbed and power hiked as best I could. Then, something hit me inside. I did a scan and thought, “Hmmm, I feel good. Could I actually, for once in my life run this section?” Last year when I ran WTC (race report here) I wanted to punch Pigeon in the face on this section. She kept trying to motivate my butt up this hill and I kept resisting. Not today. I took a couple of steps … running and just kept going. I ran the entire way back at a pretty fast pace. I had energy to burn and power in my legs. I just went with it and I am glad that I did. It gave me some peace of mind that I CAN handle that hill to the finish.
When I reached the lot, MarCK had already cracked open a beer. That boy was thirsty for some beer I guess! 🙂 Way to go MarCK you crushed that final stretch too.
Soon all the girls came in and we high-fived and celebrated being done for the day. The parking lot started to fill up with hundreds of trail runners. I saw old friends, new friends and even met a few friends. It was glorious and the perfect end to a perfect day.
Helicopter
Sadly, one fellow runner did not have a stellar day out there. She fell and broke her foot/ankle and had to be airlifted out. I hope she recovers quickly (but it was kind of crazy watching that helicopter land right next to us!).
While I was out having a blast bombing the trails, Vans was home with the girls. He took them on a little walk/adventure to a nearby park by way of dirt trail.
Peanut & Squeaker
My recovery after Saturday has been pretty great. I feel wonderful. Whatever issues I had with my tummy seemed to resolve itself during the last 3 miles but I am still working on the source of the problem. I tend to go through these waves and so far, I’ve been able to handle it and manage it with only a few stops. It is all part of training though.
I’ve also been cooking in the kitchen. Playing around with recipes and stuff. I am always trying to find new and interesting things for my kids to try. Peanut is pretty good at trying new things, Squeaker however, is a bit more stubborn.
Little Miss StubbornSqueaker trying (and liking) my baked polenta fries.
As far as training goes, we have two more weeks of building mileage before I am in the home stretch of taper week. I am not looking forward to taper week as it always plays with your head that you should be doing more than you are. Yet, the body is smart and the body remembers. It actually needs this time to repair and refresh.
Happy February everyone! I know the east coast is getting bombed with snow while the west coast is drying out (ok, California is drying out). They are calling for a good amount of rain for this weekend so our run could become a massive mud fest. If it is, I’ll bring the old camera and be sure to take lots of photos! 🙂
