I Love LA! (LA Marathon Recap)

I've always wanted to run the LA Marathon. I've got a soft spot in my heart for Los Angeles. I lived in LA for 5 years and went to UCLA while I was there. Sure, LA is crowded, expensive, has lots of traffic, and some superficial people, but there are also lots of great people, lots of fun things to do, and I just have so many great memories of living there! So, yes, I actually dug up this video. It's really funny! It's so 80's! They played this song at the starting line and it got me all pumped!

Randy Newman- I Love L.A

Usually the LA Marathon is the first Sunday in March, but too many churches along the route have complained that it hurts church attendance when the race is on Sunday, so they moved it to Memorial Day. The risky part in that is the weather could be a little unpredictable--either it could be blazing hot, since it's almost summertime, or, it could overcast with the marine layer and cooler temperatures.
I had a lot of friends who were running the race, but I went to LA the day before with my friends, Lindsay and Kyle, and we stayed at my friend, Leslie's house. Both Lindsay and Kyle were participating in their first marathon! Welcome to the asylum, girls!

Here we are the morning of the race!

Thankfully, the weather worked in our favor. It was overcast with temp's in the 60's for the entire race!

And three weeks after I slashed 18 minutes off my marathon PR. . .
I did it again! (Another 18 minutes!)

3:58:18 !!!

For the longest time, my marathon PR stood at 4:34, which I did at the San Diego Rock N' Roll Marathon in 2005. That was my first marathon. Then I somehow got slower. Three weeks ago, I ran the OC Marathon and got a 4:16. Of course, that was the day after I ran the Palos Verdes Half Marathon. I didn't even run much the last few weeks. I've been doing lots of Crossfit. But then yesterday I went out and ran the LA Marathon in 3:58! I still can't believe I did that!

My goal for the LA Marathon was to beat 4:16. My "lofty" goal was to break the 4-hour mark, which would require me to stay below a 9-minute mile for 26.2 miles. Lately, since I've incorporated Crossfit into my training, I've found my speed has really picked up without any extra effort. I've been running faster, but still at what felt like a comfortable pace. It's been exciting to see my speed finally improve, but I wasn't sure I could maintain that speed for 26.2 miles.

When the race started, I found that within the first few miles, I had settled into an 8:38 pace. I stayed there for the first 11 miles, when I slowed to an 8:42. At the half-way point, I was on pace for a 3:50 marathon which sounded unbelievable to me! At that point, I knew a PR was definitely within my reach, assuming I didn't get hurt or anything.

By mile 16, I was definitely feeling the fatigue. I kept looking at my Garmin 305 and watching my pace continue to slow down. But I could tell that a sub-4:00 finishing time was still within my reach. I kept debating in my mind whether I should go for the sub-4:00 or should I just relax and be satisfied with getting another PR. I have the Holcomb Valley 33-miler in 3 weeks and didn't want to regret pushing myself so hard.

When I reached mile 20, I was just under 3 hours into the race. That meant that as long as I kept my pace below a 10 minute mile, I would get my sub-4:00 finish. That's when I decided I had to do it! I don't have any more marathons planned for a while, since I want to get back to running on trails, so I decided, THE TIME IS NOW!!!

Staying below the 10-minute pace was tough! I had my music playing loudly on my iPod shuffle. I even passed a girl I knew out on the course, but I didn't even say, "Hi," because I totally had my "game face" on! (I don't think she saw me.) With the exception of a giant blister on the arch of my foot, I wasn't in any pain--just fatigued! My focus was entirely on finishing under 4 hours.

Crossing that finish line with a time of 3:58:18 was such a proud moment in running for me! It was kind of hard to process right away, though. I was actually in a total daze from accomplishing my goal, and also because as soon as I stopped running, my legs suddenly felt very weak from pushing myself so hard! My legs kinda felt like Jell-O! I got my medal and some guy wrapped a space blanket around me. But I was completely "out of it" for a minute. Then my eyes suddenly started to burn! Either my sunscreen or sweat started running into my eyes. I tried to get some water from one of the volunteers, and she thought I was crying! Actually, several people asked me if I was okay. I took a few bottles of water and washed my face and then drank as much as I could. I sat down and stretched for a little bit, and then went to go find my some friends who came to watch us finish.

Here I am finding my friends, Leslie and Maren. I look really happy!

So, I thought I would dig up something from January's blog post. . .

RUNNING GOALS FOR 2009:

• Run my first 50 miler
• PR in the marathon
• Get faster!
  
• Stay injury-free
• Gain my running confidence back
• Do at least 3 other 50K's

So far, it looks like I'm right on track! I've PR'ed in the marathon twice, improved my speed, stayed injury-free (knock on wood), and am definitely getting some confidence back in my running.
What's next? I am doing the Camp Pendleton Mud Run in two weeks, and then my first ultra of the year, Holcomb Valley 33 Mile a week after that. Yes, I think I'm on track for my 2009 running goals!

Chariots of Fire

Last night, I sat down with a couple other runners and we watched this movie!



Earlier in the day, my friend Kyle and I got inspired to watch a running movie. We drove up to Malibu to run the Xterra Malibu Creek trail race. It was fun! I ran the 22K and she ran the 6K. When we signed up for the race a few weeks ago, I tried to talk her into running the 22K, but she felt that was too far. I kept saying, "Of course you can run 14 miles!" She is also training for the LA Marathon, like me, but she insisted she wanted to run the 6K, which is only 4 miles.
So, on the drive up, she pulled out some running shoes with spikes and asked me if I thought she would need them! I was like, "Um, I don't think so. . . " I don't know anything about running shoes with spikes! I was thinking, this isn't a track meet! I've never seen anyone wear spikes on the trails. That's when I started to realize that while we are both runners, our approach to the sport is very different.
So we get there and my race started at 7:30 and her race started at 8:00. The 22K was so much fun! (Okay, I've never ran a race that wasn't fun, but I digress.) We ran up Bulldog, which is a 2.5 mile climb over about 2,000 feet. This course was almost identical to the Bulldog 25K which was my very first trail race in August 2007. So being out there brought back so many memories!
When I finished my race, I found Kyle near the finish line. She was wearing TWO medals. I asked her what the bigger medal was for, and she told me she won first place female in the 6K! I was so proud of her! Wow! Then she pointed out some of the other elite runners she had met while waiting for me to finish my race. I finally understood why she insisted on running the 6K. And now I hope she will stick to the short distances, since she is obviously very good at it! I'm so glad she had a good time AND won 1st place female. Later in the day, I noticed she had updated her Facebook status: "Kyle is now addicted to trail races!" Yeah!

I've learned that people who consider themselves runners often have very different approaches to the sport. Some people are sprinters. They like to run the short distances, really fast, like 5K's and 10K's. They are constantly working on improving their speed and form. Then there are the long-distance runners who like to run half-marathons, marathons, and ultramarathons. These runners are often putting in the big mileage to improve their endurance. There are street-runners and trail runners. There are casual runners, who get out and run a couple times a week because they know it's good for their health. And there are the more serious runners who constantly have their calendar filled with upcoming races. No matter what type of runner you are, what I think is important is that you get out there and run because you love it! Some people don't like running at all, and that's okay too!

I love the opening scene of this movie and the music. And while it's kinda cheesy, it just makes me think about how much I enjoy being outdoors, running, enjoying nature, and enjoying the way my body feels when I'm running. And that is why I keep looking forward to my next running adventure!

How I Spent My Weekend. . .

Saturday, May 2

Palos Verdes Half Marathon
Time: 2:10




Sunday, May 3

OC Marathon

Time: 4:16:39 - PR!
I slashed my old PR by 18 minutes! And I did that one day after running a half marathon! Sweet!

I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many talented runners! They inspire me to think big and to have the courage to test my limits! When I ran my first marathon almost 4 years ago, I never imagined this would be possible! My legs felt fresh when I woke up this morning to go run the OC Marathon. I felt really good for most of the race. However, the muscle soreness is starting to settle in! Hahaha! I'm thankful for my foam roller, hot yoga, ice, massive doses of ibuprofen, antioxidants, and sleep!

Old Goats 50 Mile--A Running Party!

Me, Molly, and Alexa find a patch of snow to cool our bums on the way to Santiago Peak!

This year I volunteered and paced at the Old Goats 50 Mile race. Last year I ran the 50K, but this year there was no 50K option, and since I am not in shape to be running 50 miles, I was more than happy to volunteer! A lot of my friends were running this race, and a lot were volunteering. I love seeing all my running friends, and the only time we get so many of us together is at a big race like this one! That's why it's like a big party! For the local trail running community, it was the place to see and be seen!

Steve Harvey, our amazing race director, giving instructions to the volunteers after the runners started. All the volunteers stepped up to make this race one to remember!

I was at the Bear Springs aid station--mile 34 and 40. I waited up there until Molly came through. This was her 1st 50 mile race, so a few weeks ago, I asked her if she would like someone to run with her for the last part of the race, and she accepted my offer! So I went up and helped set up the aid station and helped the runners as they came through until Molly arrived.
The first runner to arrive at the aid station. Volunteers Pam and Joe.

But before any runners passed through, we had a couple of "race crashers." Okay, they weren't really crashing the race. It was Doug (a.k.a. iDad) and Kirk. It was Doug's birthday and he was turning 70 years young! So for his 70th birthday, he decided he wanted to celebrate by running 70 miles, split up over 3 days! 20 miles on Friday, 30 miles on Saturday, and 20 miles on Sunday. In this picture, Doug is holding up "2" for day 2. I hope I am as young as he is when I turn 70!

And the running gene runs in this family because a short while later, and the first female runner arrived at our aid station, Michelle Barton (Doug's daughter).

As the day went on, the aid station got busier. I saw so many of my good friends and runners who I look up to. There were so many amazing athletes and quality people!





When Greg arrived, he was a tad bit grumpy! A few rocks got the best of him on the rocky stretch between Trabuco and Holy Jim. But hey, just be glad you can still run strong! Bruised and broken ribs heal, buddy! And he just kept running. . .

Yeah, baby, wear it with pride!













LT was there too! He runs ultras just for training. Look for this guy along with Robo and dog, Brandi at the Ragnar Los Angeles relay. They are the only 2-man team running 187 miles from Santa Barbara to Dana Point. They will be raising money for a pet rescue organization. Check out their website and donate today!
http://www.ultrabeasts.com


Lorraine was also there. She's a phenomenal runner. I remember seeing her at races before I ever met her. Instead of running shoes, she wears Crocs! She has a problem with her left Achilles tendon, but found that she could run in a pair of Crocs pain-free!




Finally I saw Molly making the final climb up Holy Jim. It was now time for me to leave my aid station and start running!










As we made the 3 mile climb (1,600') from Bear Springs to the summit, we came across some signs placed along the side of the trail, with interesting sayings like, "Stairway to heaven," and "Your prayers will be answered." This one says, "Angels await you."

In the picture is Alexa and Molly.




Sure enough, at the summit, were E-Rod, Skip, Jenn G., Tracie, and Jean, all dressed in their TrailHeadz shirts and angel wings and halos! I'm sure this was a very welcome sight for many of the runners. Basically, they ran a marathon, and then climbed 4,000' over 8 miles to Santiago Peak (5,687') which is the tallest point on the course and the tallest peak in Orange County. This was the mile 37 aid station and from here, it was a bunch of rolling hills with some "little" peaks the rest of the way down the mountain to the Start/Finish.
And of course, what's an angel without a harp! Jean Ho is amazing! She actually brought a HARP to the peak! And then proceeded to play it all afternoon to provide some serenity to the very tired runners once they made it to the peak. I wonder how many runners thought, "Oh crap! I'm hallucinating! Does anyone else see a girl playing a harp?"

Heading back down the mountain, Molly and I ran into someone we like to call rePete! rePete was also doing his first 50 miler! Gotta love the Dawn Patrol! BTW, Steve Harvey likes matching your bib number to your age. Molly is 38 and Pete is 27. iDad Doug wore number 70, of course!






And so from there, Molly and I had a long 13 mile run back down to the finish line. She is such a trooper. She pulled a quad muscle back at mile 9! And she kept on moving forward. As the race went on, and especially as we ran downhill, the pain in her leg continued to get worse. I did my best to encourage her along, although we spent much of that last stretch walking. We bummed some ibuprofen off another runner. At times, Molly just wanted to listen to her music so we hiked along in silence. There was never a doubt in my mind that she wouldn't finish the race. She was determined! Since we were doing so much walking, the sun began to set and we knew we would be finishing the race in the dark. Thankfully I had my headlamp with me, which I brought just in case. Pretty soon, E-Rod ran up next to us. He was there volunteering at the peak and was going to run with Alexa to the finish, but due to a change in circumstances, he was running on his own. By the time we reached the Trabuco trailhead, it was completely dark. Of the 3 of us, I was the only one with a working headlamp! We had 3 miles to the finish line and it was all rocky fireroad, going down the Main Divide.
Because it was so dark, and the ground was so rocky with only one headlamp to light our way, the three of us found ourselves linked hand in hand, stumbling our way down the Main Divide! We felt like Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz saying, "Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!"


I was so excited for Molly to finish the race, just shy of the cutoff. But who really cares about time? When you say you ran 50 miles, no one says, "Well what was your time?" Who cares??? You ran 50 miles! How many people can even say they ran a marathon? Molly was eager to finish the race since she had her husband and kids and some other family members waiting there for her. One of my favorite moments was when we were coming out of the trees about 100 feet away from the finish line, and I heard a little kid say, "Mommy!" It was sooooo cute! I was so proud of her finishing the race, despite being in so much pain.

Volunteering at a race is always fun. First of all, I love giving back to a sport that is such a big part of my life. If it weren't for the amazing people I run with, I would not be the runner I am today--not that I'm an amazing runner 0r anything. I have so much room to improve. And hopefully before the year 2009 ends, I would like to run my first 50 miler. When you volunteer at a race, you see how challenging it is and when you see so many other people doing it, you realize that with the proper training, it is something you can do too!

Winter Trail Run Series 21K

I'm finally back to running trail races! Two weeks ago I ran the WTRS 15K which was the first trail race I had done since June. It felt good to pin on a bib number again. And yesterday I ran the WTRS 21K. The WTRS races are on some of the rockiest trails in the area. This is the perfect place to roll an ankle or lose your footing and fall on your knees, face, butt, hands, elbows, etc.
Since recovering from an ankle sprain last summer, I found it was a long, slow road to run confidently again. I was so paranoid of running downhill and falling. When I started running trails again, I would sometimes roll my ankle and feel a sharp pain at the injury site. One day I got this idea to try yoga and see if that helped my ankle. In yoga, I did a lot of ankle strengthening and balancing poses, and it seriously has helped so much! I actually noticed a difference within two weeks of starting! Now, I still sometimes roll my ankle, but it doesn't hurt. I want to get to the point where I don't roll it at all.
The 21K race course starts at Bluejay Campground off Ortega Highway and climbs 2.5 miles up the Main Divide. Then there is a long descent down Trabuco Trail and then a challenging ascent up Horsetheif (one of my favorite trails. . . not). And from there it is rolling hills back to the top of Trabuco and then down the Main Divide to the start/finish line. Trabuco and Horsetheif are just littered with lots of loose rocks. I was anxious to see how I did on some trails that were perfect for falling down. Also, this week, I developed a little outter knee pain. This could be an IT band issue developing. So I was curious to see how my knee would fare.

I'm short on time today and I don't want to bore the 5 people who read my blog (hi, mom!) with the many thoughts that ran through my mind during the race or telling you about all the aches and pains I had. So I will try and sum up the experience in some sort of bulletpoint fashion. This may become a new format for me. Who knows? Well see. . .

WTRS 21K Recap
Weather: Overcast, 50s-60's--Perfect running weather!
My Pace: Slow :)
Knee pain? 3/10. . . Not a sharp pain, but just an annoying, nagging, dull pain.
Ankle rolls = ZERO!
Falls? None! And I flew down Trabuco. I think I'm finally starting to get over my fear of falling and running downhill. It's really all in my head!
Snow report: Along Trabuco and parts of the Main Divide were patches of snow from a storm we had last weekend.
Trail Fashions: I wore my cherry gaiters and giraffe moeben sleeves. Got lots of comments on the sleeves. Giraffe is the hot new animal print, ya know!
Cool People? YES!!!!
Aid stations: Okay, I'm going to spend a little time on this one. These aid stations are set up at various points throughout the race for runners to refill their water bottles, get some sort of electrolyte-enhanced drink, and some food for needed nourishment to continue on. Without people who take time out of their busy schedules to volunteer at these aid stations, none of these races would ever happen. So I want to thank Kirk and Kiera for being at the top of Trabuco, and I also want to thank Beiyi and Rachel for their aid station at the top of Horsetheif! It was so great to see them. I always appreciate the support, and more than anything, stopping to chit chat with the aid station volunteers is always a great boost for the spirits! It's even better when it's people I know! And thank you Annie and Steve for being at the Trabuco/Horsethief intersection so no one would get lost!
RD: Baz. What a character! If you are a guy and he calls you an A-hole or a piece of s***, don't take it personally. That is pretty much how he refers to all members of the male gender.
Trailheadz? In the house! We had Molly, Jeff S., Leon, iDoug, Michelle B., Jon, E-Rod, Jean, Mike B., Lori, Charlie (out of hiding), Jeff W., and LT and I know I missed a few others. But there were lots of red shirts there!

So in summary, it was a great race! Great weather! Great people! I rode with Molly and Jeff S., and driving back home, we were all talking about what a fun time we had! Now I've got another one next week in San Francisco!

2008 Recap and 2009 Goals

This past year in running definitely had it's ups and downs for me--and I'm not talking about running hills. The first half of 2008 was nothing short of amazing! January started off with running the XTERRA Boney Mountain 21K, followed by Calico 30K one week later. In February, I ran the WTRS 18K, and after some longer training runs, I felt ready to run my first 50K, the Unknown, in March. Then I ran the Old Goats 50K in April, Laguna Hills Half Marathon in May, and then the Holcomb Valley 33 miler in June. I was in the best shape of my life! And I was having a blast! My body was quickly recovering from long runs. Every training run felt great. So I decided to attempt my first 50 miler in August. I signed up for the Mt. Disappointment race, knowing it wasn't the easiest of 50 milers, but I figure it's better to try and fail than to never know what might have happened.
But then, I had to put my dreams on hold. On a training run in July, less than a month before Mt. Disappointment, I was running down a steep, overgrown trail when I stepped in a hole and fell over and sprained my ankle. It was very disappointing. Here I was at a high point in my running career and suddenly my running world came crashing down all around me. I didn't want to aggravate the injury at all and with my doctor's advice, I decided to take a break from running to let it heal completely.
Since then, I've been back at running, but it's taking a little time to get back to where I was before. I've had to back out of several races I was planning to run, due to my taking some time off last summer. In November I started training again and found I was still able to log the same kind of mileage I was prior to my injury. I was hoping to run the Twin Peaks 50K in December, but I think my dropping out of that race was ultimately a lack of confidence.
The first half of this year was truly amazing! I've learned in life that I am happiest when I am on track to achieving my dreams. And up until the day I got injured, I could really feel my dreams starting to become a reality. One day I hope to be doing 50 mile races, 100 mile races, and multi-day races. But, as someone said the other day, "ultrarunning is a microcosm of life." You will inevitably suffer some setbacks, but what is important is that you deal with your challenges, pick yourself back up, and keep pressing forward toward your goal.

And now, here are some things that made this year memorable!

BEST RUN OF 2008: The Unknown ?K--though not an official race, was my first ultra and the first time I ran anything past 26.2 miles--it was in the 31-33 mile range. Other things that made it great: beautiful, non-technical trails south of the Ortega Highway in South Orange County, perfect running weather, amazingly well-stocked and well-staffed aid stations, and the best part of all--meeting, for the first time, a lot of super talented trail runners from our club--the SoCal Trail Headz. Everything about this race was perfect! And the fact that this was my first ultra made the day even better.

HIGH POINT: Finishing the Old Goat's 50K. I wanted to quit so bad, due to having a cold and feeling exhausted from mile 8 on. But thanks to the encouragement of those around me, I was able to finish the race! And as a bonus, I managed to beat the only other girl in my age group for 1st place in the 20-29 year old female age group. Then I turned 30 years old the next day!

LOW POINT: Spraining my ankle. I took nearly 3 months off running to let it heal. I'm so paranoid about re-injury. Even though I am back to running trails, I can tell it's still not the same. Better watch that.

DAWN PATROL: I am so thankful to have a group of friends who help keep me on my training schedule. At least twice a week, we meet at El Moro State Park in Laguna to go for a 8-10 mile training run. We usually start at 5:00 AM, wearing headlamps to find our way. While it is painfully early, it is SO WORTH IT! On these days, I get to watch the sunrise, have panoramic views of the ocean, Catalina Island, Mt. Baldy and the San Gabriels (which are covered in snow right now), Orange County's twin peaks, and all the beautiful city lights below. Best of all, I get to enjoy the company of some great runners like Jeff S., Molly, Mike K., Pete, Natasha, and sometimes more people! Who knew you could have so much fun at 5 AM!

LAGUNA COAST WILDERNESS: The great thing about running in Laguna is we have so many different options starting from the Ridge Park cul-de-sac. You can run down into El Moro Canyon and explore the many trails there. There is the 12 mile Nix Center loop. You can also head down to the 133 and cross the street to get to Aliso and Woods Canyon and just keep on running forever! We never get tired of running there.

RUNNING GOALS FOR 2009:

• Run my first 50 miler
• PR in the marathon
• Get faster!
  
• Stay injury-free
• Gain my running confidence back
• Do at least 3 other 50K's

Don't try this at home

A lot of times, ultrarunners are asked why they run so much. "Why do you run 50 mile or 100 mile races? Why do you keep putting your body through this? Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" And an answer I frequently hear when people ask this is: "I don't know. I guess because we're stupid!"
Well, seeing myself running down this path of stupidity, I spent my last three days doing something I always advise against--I went on a running binge! Since I started running again last month, my training has been very inconsistent. It is really hard to get back into the habit of waking up early to run and then cross training later in the day. But, lately I've been feeling really good, strong, and healthy. My sprained ankle seems to be a thing of the past. I've had a few really good, strong runs in the 8-10 mile range.

Feeling a need to do another ultra before the end of 2008, I looked at my race calendar. I am signed up for the Santa Barbara 9 Trails race. It's 35 miles over 11,000 feet of climbing. That is more climbing than many 50 mile races! I signed up for that about a week before I sprained my ankle. But, I know there is no way I would be prepared for that kind of intensity with so little time left to train. The next race I'm signed up for is the Twin Peaks 50/50 on December 13, which is 31 miles and 7,700 feet of climbing. This gives me two more weeks to train, and there is less climbing. It sounds so much more doable!Orange County's twin peaks from Laguna Coast. Modjeska Peak is on the left. Santiago Peak is on the right. You can see the 73 Toll Road and the 133 down below.

So I decided to start cramming for an ultra. Again, this is something I would never advise, but I decided to try it anyway. My strategy was to take it day by day and see how I felt. If I felt seriously sore or any major joint pain, I would stop. My main reason for doing this is to see if the Twin Peaks 50K in 4 weeks was a real possibility.

I started my running binge at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday morning at Laguna Coast with Pete V., Molly, Jeff S., Cyrus, Natasha and Beiyi. I feel so lucky to know lots of people who like to wake up early to run. . . in the dark! There was a beautiful full moon and we saw the sunrise around 6:30. It was a beautiful 9.1 mile run!

You could see the sun rise in the east, and the moon set in the west.



Day 2 of my running binge was another Laguna Coast run. This time, it was just Molly, Jeff S., Beiyi, and I. Jeff showed us some new singletrack that we had never been down before, which added another mile and a half to our run, so we finished with 10.5 miles. By the end of that run, my legs were SO TIRED! I wasn't sure about doing the 16 miler I had planned for Saturday morning, so I decided to see how I felt later that day.
On a side note, during Thursdays run, Molly and I were talking about these new trail running shoes by Brooks that are this awesome electric green color! They are so cool-looking! I saw a girl wearing them on the trails a few months back, and I looked for them at 3 different running stores, but no one had them. Then Molly found them on Zappos.com, and ordered a pair. I went to Road Runner Sports to get some new running sunglasses, when I spotted the shoes on the wall, beaming bright in all their green glory! I made a beeline for them. An employee saw my interest in them, and asked me if I wanted to try them on. I said, "I need these in a size 9, and no, I don't need to try them on." Brooks always fit my feet well, so I paid for them, and, when I got to my car, I took them out of the box and put them on the passenger seat so I could look at them on my drive home!

Do these make you green with envy?

My legs were feeling surprisingly good as I went to bed Friday night, so I got all my running gear together for another early morning run. I didn't get much sleep that night, and when my alarm went off, I started thinking of excuses, but then I saw my pretty green shoes and knew I had to get them dirty--but not too dirty!

The sign only applies to mountain bikers. . .
(Lori, lsdChris, me, Jamison, Greg, Mary, Maya, Alexa, Wendy, Jeff W., Melanie)

So Saturday morning we took a trek up the Santiago Truck Trail, which reopened only a week ago. It had been closed down for over a year since the Santiago fires in October of 2007. I had never been on these trails before, so I was looking forward to some new trails!
The wind gusts were gnarly! I thought it was ironic that we were running on some recently reopened trails in the Santa Ana winds--conditions that lead to fires, and closing down these trails the year before.
We had a good-sized group of 11 people who showed up for the 16 mile run to Old Camp. It was warm and windy. We took a break at the flagpole. Greg was excited to see that the journal he had placed there in April 2007 had survived the fires.

It was a beautiful, clear day, but, looking at the flag, you could see how strong the wind was blowing. (By the time we finished our run, a large fire broke out in Chino Hills/Yorba Linda--one of my favorite places to run.)


I was pleased to find that the 16 miles were kind to my tired legs! I actually felt really great the entire run! In fact, I felt better during the 16 miler than I did during the 10.5 mile run the day before! It seems my body is getting back to "normal" and it was very encouraging, with the Twin Peaks 50/50 coming up. I took this 3 day running binge as a test to see if I could be prepared enough for Twin Peaks.
So, against my own advice, I dove headfirst back into my usual running routine. I ran 35.6 miles in 3 days! Today is Sunday, and I feel great! Anytime you ramp up your mileage, you're putting yourself at risk for an overuse injury. It's always good to listen to your body. Any aches and pains are signs your body is telling you to slow down.

More pictures from my running spree!

Such the gentleman, Jeff S. carried mine and Molly's headlamps
after the sun came up! (Mine is the pink one!)

Jeff and Molly running up Bommer in Laguna Coast

Mary, me, Greg, Jamison, and Jeff W. bracing ourselves
against the wind on the Santiago Truck Trail!