If you have followed this blog since the beginning (which is probably no one but Pigeon and maybe my NJ family) you may recall back in 2010 when I was training for my first ever ultra.
I was part of the Fleet Feet Ultra Training Group (the first one there ever was) and that is where I met Pigeon, Coach Nikon, Captain Kirk, Kuni the Beast, Miss P and a whole host of others who I still see both on and off the trails.
But what stands out most that training year was the RAIN. We had multiple runs where we were soggy, muddy and just down right drenched. I would venture to guess that was the last time we had a “real” wet winter here in Northern California.
One of my favorite 2010 shots – Puddle Jumping! Photo by Coach Nikon
This year is starting to look and feel more and more like that crazy water-logged 2010 year did.
Gray Skies Again!
Last Saturday I found myself running with Pigeon and Stonegate. We decided to run 16 so we carpooled to the Auburn Damn Overlook (ADO) together.
We knew that rain had been forecasted for the most of the morning but when we started our run it was only spitting.
We set off for the canal with plans to run down Cardiac hill and out towards Avery’s Pond. I happen to love this section of trail.
Good Old Cardiac!
After a rough work week (eeerrr month), I had energy to spare and was pretty excited to be out running.
Pigeon is working herself back up to where she left off last season and was content to let me and Stonegate run off ahead like two little kids in a toy store. 🙂 And boy did we!
The mud was thick and slippery and there was no use trying to dance around any puddles. Needless to say, our socks and shoes were pretty wet fairly early into the run.
The trails were pretty busy with various groups and people out running or walking their dogs. Every once in a while the rain would come down a bit harder but for most of the run, we were dry (well, minus our feet). I even took off my jacket after a while and ran in a t-shirt as I was getting quite hot.
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We ran past Avery’s Pond and eventually turned around and made our way back the way we came.
Fallen Tree!
Oddly enough, a tree had fallen after we passed it and was blocking the trail on our way back. Thank goodness it fell well after we had run by.
The colors were so pretty!
Stonegate is signed up for the American River 50 Miler, her first 50 and it was neat showing her exactly what she will be running on her last 8 or 9 miles.
Taking it all in.
Like I said before, I just love these trails. They cleanse my head and fill my heart every time.
Soon we hit the bottom of Damn Hill where Cardiac starts back up.
Pigeon and Stonegate fueling up before the climb
We paused to have some food and take in the river which was actually flowing one more time before climbing our way back up Cardiac towards the Overlook.
Once we reached the top, we stopped to take a few more photos. Stonegate wanted to get a better shot of me and like any good friend would, she climbed through the canal to get to the other side just to take the photo!
She also cleaned her shoes in the process.
The rain started to come down pretty hard the last few miles but it felt good. We knew we were almost done and we all had smiles on our faces.
I know we need the rain because we have been in a drought for so long but running in the rain always requires a bit of extra work and tends to slow down the run (darn mud) overall. No matter what though, it always makes for an adventure and I am looking forward to many more of these wet and muddy adventures as training season continues!
I haven’t run in Auburn in quite some time. Well, pretty much the last time I set foot in Auburn was during the last few miles of AR50. I have been running, just not super far or anywhere outside of my little town. I could slowly feel my mojo for running seeping out little by little. I needed something to bring it back front and center. Something that would get me excited again to run trails again. One place does make me happy. Auburn (and Tahoe but Auburn is closer).
Which is why I reached out to Stonegate and Burning Girl. Pigeon was working this weekend so I knew she was out and she is also tapering for her big race next weekend. Burning Girl bailed last minute so it was just Stonegate and I. We were both eager to get out on some Auburn trails and just have a good run.
Due to some obligations that Stonegate had, I agreed to pick her up at 6 am and that we would be running by 6:30 so that she could be home in time for the rest of her day. This was hard as the night before, Vans and I had visited our favorite sushi restaurant and I know from past experiences, that sushi and wine before a long run, don’t generally mix. Luckily, things worked out just fine in that regard.
The sun was up and the parking lot was surprisingly active that early in the morning. Stone gate and I quickly gathered our gear, hit the restrooms and were off down the trail. It was a beautiful morning. We knew it was going to get hot but so far, there was a light breeze and the views were gorgeous.
Stonegate caught me staring at the amazing views.
We ran and talked all the way down the trail. When we rounded a corner I gasped out loud. Stonegate totally thought that I had seen a bear. I laughed. I hope I won’t squeal like that if I run into a bear. I didn’t the last time!
No, instead I gasped because I saw that some trail fairies had come and built such a beautiful bridge so that we no longer had to try and jump across the stream.
New Bridge at the Watering Hole!
It may not seem like a big deal to most, but it isn’t easy to get down this far on the trail running or hiking let alone carrying tools and machinery. It is a beautiful bridge.
We came upon No Hands Bridge pretty fast and took advantage of the porta potties that are there before climbing our way back up towards Cool.
Soon we hit K2. We paused at the bottom of the hill, not quite ready to start out climb. The trails were pretty busy already with people hiking. We even ran into someone hiking down K2. I always see people hiking down …. why is it I am always hiking UP K2? 🙂
When we finally reached the top, we stopped to catch our breath before running again. Stonegate had some flashbacks from her Way Too Cool 50K race as we were running towards the fire station. She now understands the love hate relationship with that little fire-road where you can see the station but know you have to run around to get there.
We reached the fire station and decided that neither of us needed water or the porta potty. So, we just turned around and started making our way back to the trail.
The route back always seems to take a little longer. Mostly because quite a bit of it is going up hill back to the overlook.
We paused on No Hands for a quick selfie. Always have to have the selfie on a good run like this.
When we were making our way back towards the overlook, the hikers and families were all over the place. It was so good to see people out enjoying nature. On one of our climbs back up I saw this person just bouncing down the trail towards us and I smiled. Jumping Bean was headed out on a run with some friends. We both squealed and managed sweaty hugs. We chatted for a bit and I introduced her to Stonegate. It is always so nice to see her. She is such a sweet and genuine person. She too is running Quicksilver next weekend.
The climb back up definitely was as hard as it usually is. For a 14-15 mile run, it can always surprise you how hard it can be to make your way back to the car when the temps are rising. We probably hiked more on the way back but we kept moving (and talking). It took us just over 3 hours to complete this run.
When we got to the car, we immediately grabbed what we needed for a quick soak in the canal. No matter what, Stonegate wanted to make time for that and I will always oblige a nice cold soak after a good run like that.
That run will either boost your confidence or give you a reality check. It was nice to see that my fitness hasn’t completely left me high and dry. I am looking forward to some big runs later this month and now at least, I know that I can survive although it may be a bit more work than I originally planned.
The rest of the weekend consisted of bikes and more bikes. We went on a family bike ride on Saturday evening followed by a few races for Vans and the girls on Sunday morning/afternoon.
Vans riding on the prison grounds
There is a bike series near by called Race Behind Bars bike series where you get to ride your bike on some amazing trails that are around Folsom Prison. I’ve run these trails last year and will again for the trail runner version of this same breakout series.
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The girls and I sat and watched Vans complete 3 big loops around the prison grounds. We tried to entertain ourselves between each loop.
Elsa aka SqueakerThe Peanut and I chilling in the shade.
When Vans finished his race, it was time for the kids races! The girls decided at the last minute that they wanted to sign up and do the race. I was blown away because usually, racing events is not exactly their “thing” … but today, they were excited.
Dad pinning on their race numbers!Mom signing the papers and release of liability hahaThe girls were ready ….. and easy to see in PINK.
They kids stood on the starting line. The MC guy came by and asked them all for their name and age. The Peanut proudly said her name and age over the loud speaker . Squeaker however, just whispered that she was 3. 🙂 She was the only one on a strider bike and I do believe that my girls were the only two GIRLS in the entire race. 🙂 (proud mama for sure)
The Peanut did awesome. She is handling her bike so much better and I do believe she actually had fun. She almost passed a boy coming into the finish shoot.
Peanut and her ribbon!
Squeaker had to use her legs since strider bikes do not have pedals. She ran and ran and ran. Vans ran along side her too wearing his mountain bike shoes AND mountain bike helmet still. 🙂
Go Squeaker Go!
I am not exactly sure how long their race was but I do know that they had to go down this hill and then back up. It was a mixture of paved bike path, grass and dirt.
The finish line was just busting with cheers for all the kids (and dads) making their way into the finish line. My heart melted a little bit when the Peanut stood at the finish cheering her sister’s name.
Squeaker and her medal!
Both girls finished and both were smiling ear to ear (and also very thirsty). Squeaker despite being on the strider bike, did not come in last! You go girl!
After the bike racing was over, we headed over to the Folsom Zoo area and just hung out with friends, having a picnic and watching the kids play on the play ground. There were also wild peacocks walking about … I was so not loving that part.
Overall, it was a fantastic weekend spent outside the majority of the time being active as a family. I love weekends like these. Yes I have mountain of chores and errands to do still, but I love seeing my family so happy. Get outside. Your body and mind will thank you.
Happy Trails!
~Trailmomma
PS: I want to send many many Trailmomma vibes to my training partner Pigeon! She is running Quicksiler 100K this weekend. I won’t be out there cheering in person, but I will definitely be sending as much positive energy as I can muster to help carry her! Go Pigeon Go!
Friday marked two weeks out until my 50k race. This past weekend was the last weekend for high mileage before we start tapering. Ahhhh, taper is such a nice word although I’d venture to say that most of my training felt like a taper.
Stonegate, Burning Girl and I decided early on that no matter what, we were running long on Saturday. Despite it being the last day for our kids’ soccer games, we had to get our miles in. Halloween falling on a Friday night did not make things any easier.
Happy Halloween!
Bright and early Saturday morning Stonegate picked us up and we drove to the Auburn Damn Overlook. I decided that we would try and repeat the run that Pigeon and I did a few weeks ago. You can read about that bear-tastic run here. I have not run this route often and I was a bit nervous that I would either get us lost or we would run into the bear or both. Luckily, only one of the two actually happened. 🙂
Our Halloween night consisted of a torrential down pour and crazy winds. We even lost power at my house. Saturday morning it was wet and drizzling, but considerably better than it had been the night before.
We arrived at the Overlook, quickly moaned and groaned about what we should wear on this run and set off. Within the first 5 minutes I had to stop and make sure we entered the right part of the trail but once we were on the canal trail, I was okay.
I have to giggle because both Stonegate and Burning Girl were squealing with “ooohsss!” and “aaaahhhss!” They were in trail running heaven and we had barely even started. I was getting excited for them. I love running with people who can appreciate the trail as much as I do.
Soon we reached the top of Cardiac Hill and just like Pigeon had warned me, I noticed the DO NOT ENTER signs that represented the private property boundary lines. Down the trail we hiked. It wasn’t long before I realized that something did not seem right. We saw an off shoot that led us to a road which I knew wasn’t where I wanted to go, but I knew the road would lead us to where we needed to be eventually.
The trail!!!
So we ran a little bit of pavement until we finally reached the trail that I was looking for and it was breathtaking. The mist in the air and the river really just made the start of our so much better.
Burning Girl was beside herself. She even said within the first few miles that this was hands down, her favorite so far. I have to agree, it really is a beautiful route. The different “eco-systems” that you run through makes it so that you look forward to every mile (on the way out, on the way back … not so much).
The single track awaits!
While Stonegate and Burning Girl were loving every moment, I was on high bear alert. After my run with Pigeon, I just could not relax. Every sound had me turning my head. It wasn’t until we ran past a couple of lady runners that I finally was able to relax. In my head, I figured that they had chased away any bears. 🙂
One of the best features of this trail is that it rolls. Up and down but never too steep. Some of the hills require some hiking but we really ran the first half super well. I was in the lead and maybe I should have slowed us down a bit, but it felt like a nice steady pace.
Soon we approached our first bridge. I wrote about this area and the “awesome” signage back in 2010 when I was training with my Fleet Feet Group. You can read about that hilarious run here. Good times.
As it turns out, Stonegate and Burning Girl were just as impressed with the signage as I was the first time that I saw it. Sadly, you can’t see what the signs actually says in my photo. 🙁 I will give you a hint, it has to do with big furry cats that may be in the area (if you want to see what the sign says, click here).
Ya, we’re not scared.
The bridge sign however … definitely made us think twice since the water was really flowing underneath. ]
Still, despite the wet, despite the “scary” signs, the girls were having a blast. The best thing about an out and back run, is that you have no excuses. No matter what, you will always have to run back the way you came to get yourself back to the car.
My legs were definitely tired on this run. I think the speed workout we did on Thursday was to blame but overall I felt okay. I am still battling some random tummy issues, but I guess I just have to get used to it. I have good runs and I have bad runs. This one, was definitely one of my better ones.
When we reached Avery’s Pond, I shared with the girls the story behind it and how it makes Pigeon and I laugh every time we pass. It might not have been as funny to them as it is to us, but no matter what, when I reach that pond, I smile.
The rest of the run out was pretty chill. We didn’t get lost (yea!) and when we reached Rattlensake, I knew that we only had to go a short ways before it was time to turn around.
When we reached out turn-around point, we stopped and fueled. I had to take off some layers as I was starting to get hot. I had finally reached that point of being wet vs being sweaty.
Look at that color!
It was a glorious day on the trail. The rains may have come and gone, but they left such beauty behind. Finally the foliage was starting to change. We’ve been in such a drought that you can see how much the Earth appreciates the rain when we do get it.
Our route back was a bit slower. We definitely hiked up a few more of the hills than we did on the way out. Burning Girl mentioned that she had to laugh because the hills that she thought I would hike, I ran and the ones she thought I’d run, I hiked. 🙂 I admit, I like running steep climbs but not steep and long. Pigeon always gives me grief when I go running up a hill. Sometimes, the adrenaline just takes over.
One thing that I have to mention are the puddles. Clearly it had rained. The trails were wet and muddy and VERY slippery at times. MOST of the time, there were ways around the puddles that were laying in the middle of the trail.
I know the dangers of dancing around puddles. I’ve had my share of ankle rolls so when I can’t run on the side, I will just run right through them. Running through a puddle is so.much.fun! Most people are afraid to do it for the fear of wet shoes and wet socks but they dry! They dry so unbelievably fast and the wet water feels so amazing on your feet.
Since I was the lead runner, I have no idea what the girls behind me were doing. I didn’t hear the splashing that I heard when I would run through a puddle so I assumed they were running around them. A few times they laughed at the way the back of my legs or the back of my skirt looked.
Soon however, they had to run through the mother of all puddles out there. I missed getting a photo on the way out because they were hot on my tail, but I made sure to get one on the way back.
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So much fun!!!! I love runs like this!!!! It was on our way back that we talked about Stonegate and the fact that she has only ever run 20 miles. She’s never run past the 20 mile mark. She hurt her back training for a marathon and never made it to the 26.2 distance. Like the stud that she is, she’s skipping the 26.2 and heading straight for her first 50k.
We were on way back, hiking up Cardiac when my watch dinged mile 21. PARTY TIME!! We stopped and high-fived her and celebrated a little bit for her awesome milestone.
21 miles! Woot Woot!
Once the celebration was over, we had to keep climbing. Once again, we got a little turned around climbing up Cardiac. There are a lot of “Private Property” signs and “Enter at Your Own Risk” signs but I swore up and down that this was the way we needed to go. I knew that the Cardiac Bypass was not the trail we wanted (FYI – the signage on this trail SUCKS).
But we made it. We popped out finally by the canal and were some what over joyed to be done with Cardiac. We walked for quite a while to get our lungs and legs back.
The temps were a bit chillier than they were by the water but we were determined to finish. I think we walked more along the canal on the way back then we did the entire run. No matter, when we reached the car, we were done! 24 miles in the books. Our longest run to date completed. It felt good.
Overall it was a good run. The girls worked on their fueling. They realized how much water they need or will need when it comes to our 50k. We also realize that we won’t be running quite as fast come race day. The elevation for the 50k is pretty steep and we know the adrenaline will get us at the start, but we also know we need to conserve.
I am looking forward the views that I have only heard about and seen online. I told them at the very least, if they stick with me, they will be stopping quite a bit for photos. They didn’t seem to mind. 🙂
Time just seems to be flying by me lately. I swear that just yesterday it was the first of October and I was super excited for my favorite month and now, BOOM we have less than two weeks left! Halloween is just right around the corner. The girls couldn’t be more excited about it.
Of course the time is also flying when I look at my 50k training plan and see that we only have three weeks or so until race day! Gulp. My training has been less than stellar compared to races past but I do what I can do, when I can do it, which seems to be my M.O. for most of my races.
I am so behind in so many other areas of my life right now, why not tack on lack of mileage for a 50k? My blog has been suffering lately, I am behind in my Rouxbe assignments and now add lack of training. Vans has been traveling lately for work so my time for other things is limited but I have been enjoying my solo girl time with those two cuties above.
I did get in one last long run before Vans left on his trip. Last Sunday Burning Girl and I decided to do the route that we had done with Stonegate Girl just two weeks prior. I was pretty confident that I knew the way … famous last words.
My “P’s” – Pearl Izumi & Picky Bars.
Burning Girl picked me up and we drove to the Auburn Damn Overlook. The sun was up so I wasn’t too worried about the dark and I wasn’t even worried about seeing a bear like last week. We were on the other side of ADO and for some reason, in my head, that means I am safe. I know, not the best theory but I am going with it.
Off we ran down the hill and onto the single track. It was pretty darn cold compared to just two weeks ago. We were just chatting it up and we realized that without Stonegate Girl, we had to do a lot of the talking. 🙂 Which of course means that I was not paying close attention to where we were running. Yes, I took us down a wrong turn. We realized it pretty early on but we just kept going with it. We knew that the river always had to be on our right to be going in the right direction.
Up. Down. Over boulders. Under logs. We did it all. Soon we popped out onto a section of the trail that did look very familiar to me. I felt like this was the “secret” trail that I had been on a few weeks ago when I ran with another group. However, all of a sudden, things stopped looking familiar and we came across quite a few forks in the trail or turns. We’d stop, look around and make the best decision of what WE thought looked right. 🙂 Burning Girl is so easy-going. She wasn’t worried one bit but I was getting a tad bit nervous and could hear Pigeon yelling at me in my head. 🙂 Soon we came across this interesting piece of Blairwitch art.
Not scary at all.
Burning Girl thought this was pretty cool and so we stopped to take some photos. I felt very secluded but was hopeful that this trail would pop us back out onto the main trail where we needed to be.
Come on trail! Lead us!
We just kept running. I stopped talking and was being more aware of my surroundings. I didn’t like that some of the trail had a rock ledge above us. I always fear that something will be sitting on that ledge.
Finally however, we connected with the main trail and I was flabbergasted as to where I had made the wrong turn. We clearly came down to the river way too early and it bugged me. Burning Girl said to let it go, she loved the adventure.
Familiar Trail
I have to say, even when we were back on the normal trail, there has been lots of work lately on the trails, leaving them looking a bit unfamiliar at times. Still, now I know what I did wrong and I know where to turn next time. I swear.
The rest of the run was pretty fun. We ran into a LOT of other ultra runners out on the trail. On our route back we ran into numerous hikers and horses. So no need to worry (Dad), we were never far from someone out there. All in all, we got 15 hard miles done in a decent time and then soaked our legs in the canal again (which was WAY colder this time around).
In some other exciting news my fabulous Great Aunt Debbie came for a visit! Technically she is Vans’s Aunt and the girls’ great aunt – is that right? But we all call her the Great Aunt Debbie. 🙂 She came down from Idaho and we have not seen her in quite some time.
Luckily Facebook allows her to keep tabs on us and the girls and she is always my number one reader and commenter on this blog (Hi Debbie!). I wanted to share that she has lost 25 pounds recently! She has done so by really cleaning up her diet and added more exercise!
She reaches out to me from time to time for nutritional advice. She’s always been plant-curious, meaning she’s been thinking and asking about plant-based living. She does eat some meat but she’s really increased the greens and added foods like quinoa to her repertoire. I was super excited for her visit because she always asks me for recipes for the meals that I post on my Trailmomma Facebook page.
A lot of what I have been making lately is either part of my Plant-Based Rouxbe cooking assignments OR from my two new favorite books. Mostly, I have to say, they have been from my two favorite books (Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook and My Beef With Meat) … and I wanted to share those books with my Great Aunt Debbie so that she can learn more about living plant-based and why it truly is the best and healthiest way to live.
Look at that skinny mini!
She was super stoked to get these and she’ s already made a few of the recipes and is sold! I am super-duper happy. These books and their recipes are EASY. Really easy. I don’t have the time lately to prepare elaborate meals (although I do for my Rouxbe assignments) but I truly believe in the Esselstyn Family and their message about plant-based eating. It makes sense and for someone (like myself) who has a high family history of heart-disease, it is a no-brainer. The 100mg tablets make it easier to deal with male impotence. levitra lowest price Many studies have proven that viagra 100mg usa these psychological factors are usually blamed for the condition. In the side effects of tadalafil 21st century, online prescriptions are the way to declining. Men instead of viagra generico mastercard being ashamed of disclosing about it to their doctor should face it and has no permanent cure to it.
However, I do enjoy making some of the more elaborate meals that Rouxbe asks us to make. They are time-consuming though and I find that I can only make most of them on weekends. One dish at a time.
Home-made Veggie Broth used to make Cabbage Soup
The cabbage soup above was a shocker for many reasons. I had no idea it was THAT easy to make your own vegetable broth. Really, 90 minutes is all that it took (I did have an issue with throwing away all the veggies though). I also didn’t think I would like cabbage soup much but I was wrong. It was tasty! I made the above Esselstyn style – without any oils.
Cashew bechamel aka Creamed Greens over Brown Jasmine Rice
I am not a cashew sauce fan. Mostly because I do not like the flavor and I do not like the amount of fat it can add to a dish, but in honor of my assignment, I made the above and I admit it was pretty darn tasty. It also makes A LOT of sauce … so I have been sharing it with friends.
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings – these were GOOD!
Other than cooking when I can and running when I can, I still feel like life is flying by. I look at my girls and see how big they are getting. My blog happens when it happens. I’ve been reading a little more lately too, trying to find time to squeeze that in to let my brain rest at night (something I am not very good at doing). With Vans out-of-town, I have also been getting more sleep. Not every night but most nights. Some nights, it is the usual, I am up late finishing laundry, packing lunches, prepping meals and trying to squeeze in a few Rouxbe assignments but I make sure to follow it with a night where I do not do that and instead I read in bed. No tv. It’s been really nice actually.
Stress can come in many forms. It doesn’t always come from work, it can come from the things you enjoy like cooking and blogging and worrying (about not running enough). So, I am trying hard to calm my mind. I even woke up early one morning and stretched. That was it. I did some core work but mostly, I stretched my achy muscles and it was wonderful.
I have a lot to be grateful for in this world. I have two beautiful girls, a wonderful husband who supports my running as well as other craziness and friends and family that I cherish more than anything. So for me, I plan to stay on this planet a long time and combat the genes that were given to me as best I can. Healthy eating, exercise and mindfulness is the name of my game.
After last weekend’s difficult run in Auburn, I was ready and anxious to up my miles. Training for this 50k has been more difficult than any other previous race that I have trained for. Although I have to say, even my prior CIM (California International Marathon) training sessions in the fall were getting harder and harder to squeeze in mostly because of family obligations. Now with the girls being more active and actually having games and events on the weekends, training is taking a back seat once again.
Luckily I am starting to realize my time limitations and have been making efforts to say “no” to things that would otherwise take up my time. My Rouxbe course is also getting a small bump lately. I am not behind in my assignments, but I am not as far ahead as I used to be and I also find myself doing multiple crash lessons one or two nights a week.
Sadly, this blog is also taking a hit from my limited time but luckily today I have a post! An exciting one at that! There will also be photos! It may also be a bit long so settle in.
Saturday was the usual in our house. Soccer game. Homework. Housework. Blah. One major thing did happen on Saturday afternoon that would set the tone for Sunday’s run. I was glutened. Now I have been glutened before and typically my reactions vary from mildly extreme to not so bad. Mostly, when you have Celiac Disease like I do, the damage is internal and if gluten is not avoided it could produce serious life threatening issues. Well, I made myself a sandwich on Saturday with what I thought was gluten free bread. Bread that I have had a few times before although not recently. I am not a bread eater anymore and gluten free bread is expensive to purchase. I typically only buy it from an online dealer once in a while and I buy in bulk and freeze.
I had my sandwich and within two hours I was violently ill. I am talking seriously ill. I have not been that ill for many many years. Let’s put it this way, I do not throw up. Ever. I cannot even be around it when others do it, like my kids or Pigeon when she has a tough ultra. Nope. I fear it and yet, I found myself hugging the garbage on Saturday afternoon for dear life. Not good.
Still, I was determined to get my run in on Sunday. So I let myself heal the rest of Saturday. I hydrated. I tried to take in food. I told myself if I can eat and hydrate enough Saturday evening that I could run. If I could not force myself to do those things, then I couldn’t run because you cannot run on zero fuel and be dehydrated.
Sunday morning I woke up and felt okay. I made sure I got enough rest the night before and while my stomach felt like I had been punched a million times, my energy was okay. I was able to consume some food and water which was also a good sign.
Pigeon and I drove to the Auburn Damn Overlook and waited for the sun to rise a bit before heading out. Pigeon planned our run. She wanted to take me on a different route, one that I have not been on in a very long time. She had run both Friday and Saturday so she was testing out her tired legs and I was just trying to get in 20 miles as best I could. Jumping from 15 miles the previous weekend to 20 miles the next is not the best training so don’t follow my lead here. 🙂
I shared with Pigeon at the start about what had transpired the day before with me and she was concerned and asked me if I was sure I could manage today’s run. I told her yes but that it may require a few stops along the way. I stop often no matter what so no big deal.
Our run started out along the canal. It was such a gorgeous morning. The air was cool but it was bound to warm up. The trail was empty minus some dog walkers. Pigeon and I just caught up on what has been going on in our lives the last month or so while we quick stepped around this very rocky technical trail.
As usual, Pigeon was testing out my memory asking me which way to go whenever we would hit an intersection or fork in the trail. Soon we came upon a parking lot and low and behold, it had a porta potty! I hollered that I was stopping. Pigeon asked for my camera … this would be a common theme throughout the day … her asking for MY camera.
Let’s get Trailmomma in front of the porta potty!
I told her that this was not exactly exciting blog worthy images but she insisted that I always take HER photo and now she wanted to take mine …. and boy did she!
Nice. Real nice Pigeon. 🙂
After that little break, we continued on. The sun was mostly up and the sky was just full of amazing color. I wanted to stop and take a million photos but Pigeon assured me to just keep going and that I would have my chance soon enough.
The canal trail leads you along until you come to the top of Cardiac (hill). Going down Cardiac is tough enough but remember, what goes down must come up and I knew that this hill would be revisited later at the end of our run. Still, we were about to head down and follow that river you see in the distance below.
There is my beauty shot!
Once we were at the base of the hill I knew exactly where I was. We were running the American River 50 course backwards. I haven’t done this since my group’s training days way back in 2010.
It is an amazing single track trail that just winds around and down and follows the American River. Occasionally it pops you out into a clearing with a view of the river. It is just gorgeous and this morning was no different.
Pigeon and were running and it was quiet. I would fill the silence once in a while but I was focusing mostly on my tummy and what was going on inside. I was drinking and fueling but it still felt like I was being punched in the gut.
As we rounded a corner, only about 5 miles into our run we both heard a loud SNAP of a tree branch and then a big THUD. We stopped. We both instantly knew that was NOT the sound of deer.
We stopped and crouched low.
Just up the hill (and off the trail from us)Â was a mama bear and her cubs! Holy crap! I have never ever actually SEEN a bear while running. I have seen one across the river in Tahoe. I have seen some in photos but I have never EVER in all my years running, come across one on the trail. With no one else around … out in the middle of no where.
Both Pigeon and I have whistles on our hydration packs meant for such moments. Did we grab them? Nope. We both grabbed our cameras!!! I was already low and slowly walking backwards as the mama looked as if she was coming down onto the trail. She saw us and instead encouraged her cubs back up the hill. They were playing.
Pigeon asked me “Do you want to continue?” I kind of didn’t but once we saw the bear was moving away from us, I was thinking that maybe we could keep running but I was a little concerned about our return trip and any other animals we might find along the way. As it turns out, this was going to be one heck of a nature run for us!
Still shaken by the bear moment, I was on high alert after that. The good news was that it made me stop thinking about my stomach! I would run and just keep my eyes out looking all around me. On open trails like the photo above, I would calm down a bit feeling safer.
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We were pretty quiet after seeing the bear. Both on hyper alert now, I quickly jumped when I saw 3 huge deer bounding up the trail off to our left. I called out to Pigeon about the deer but they were so fast she didn’t even see them.
We continued on our way and finally ran into 3 runners! I love when I see people on the trail. In my head, it lessens my chances of being eaten. 🙂
Avery’s Pond is a funny inside joke between Pigeon and myself and when we reached it we both laughed. But the laughter was soon squashed by the site of a man wearing camouflage up ahead on the trail. We said hello and he responded but it gave me the shivers. I think it gave Pigeon the shivers too so we kind of high tailed it out of there trying to create some distance between us since he was hiking in our direction. Always run with someone. Never run alone.
Soon we reached our stopping turn around point.
I was happy to stop and fuel a bit. My tummy was definitely feeling a bit better (nothing like adrenaline to fix that). Pigeon was multi-tasking…
Taking work calls on the trail.
We fueled, hydrated and starting making our way back the way we came. The sun was out in full force now and it was getting hot fast.
We never saw our hiker on the return (thank goodness) and we did pass a solo woman running on the trail! What the heck lady??! Do not run alone and definitely do no run alone with headphones in!!! My biggest pet peeve right there.
When we got back to Avery’s Pond we were welcomed by 3 little turtles sunning themselves on a log in the middle of the lake! They were SO cute!!
3 Little Turtles
These are the kinds of animals I don’t mind seeing! 🙂 Pigeon let me stop and take some photos and then we were off again. Our pace was perfect. Her legs were tired and I was starting to feel the effects of just having low energy due to my stomach but overall, my legs felt great.
Soon we rounded a corner and BAM! Three deer, a mom and two babies went bounding off the side of the trail! Geez! What a crazy run this has been! Our blood was pumping and we were just in awe of all that we had seen so far.
We soon approached the water tower and I was joking that I may have to scale the barbwire fence to use the porta potty. Pigeon noticed that the gate was not actually locked!
Do I dare?
No. No I did not dare. No breaking the law on this run and who wants to pee in a “high voltage” area!? 🙂 Back around the river we’d go. I was trying to remember these sections from AR50 but I think I mentally block out the last 10 miles of that race on purpose.
Finally we reached the base of Cardiac again and started our 3 mile climb. It was hot. Very hot and once again, Pigeon ran out of water so I shared what I had left in my pack with her. It was too warm and dry to climb without any water even though we only had 4 miles to go until we reached the Overlook.
Pigeon made me pose
The top of Cardiac was just as beautiful in the afternoon as it had been earlier that morning. What a glorious day! We didn’t see any other animals on our return after the deer, minus one suicide lizard that jumped in front of Pigeon causing her to leap and scream (hilarious). We did see LOTS of bear scat on the trail though …. they are out there. Always.
Back along the canal trail we ran both internally assessing how we were feeling. At one point, Pigeon let me take the lead and I could feel that I still had pep in my legs. They were strong after 20 miles. This just boosts my confidence level a bit. Slow and steady always finishes the race right? I don’t need to go breaking any records in my 50k next month, I just want to enjoy it and take a million photos! Typical Trailmomma.
When the canal trail popped us back out onto the road we saw the most amazing thing. I had heard some yelling and the next thing I knew I was telling Pigeon to look up!
Hundreds of white balloons!
There was something going on at the park near by and hundreds of white balloons were released into the sky! It was so pretty! What a finish to an absolutely amazing run! Pigeon and I just had smiles on our faces as we trudged up the hill back to the car.
We fueled, we went in the canal to ice our tired legs and we even washed off a bit as there was some poison oak out along the trail. When it was time to get in the car and head home I heard Pigeon curse. I hardly ever hear her curse.
What the??!!
She had dropped her car key and of course, it landed right smack in the middle under the car! I could not stop laughing. These things only seem to happen to us! 🙂
She was able to get the car key and we were on our way home. It was truly one of the most exciting runs in my running history. I am content not to top this … at least animal wise. No more bears please. As for Mountain Lions? If I see one of them while running, I can guarantee you I won’t need a porta potty.
