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.
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!
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.
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.
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…
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!!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
Happy Trails!
~Trailmomma
