Saturday, September 20, 2014

Trail Runner Problems...

I set out today to run 20 miles and see the rest of the North Face course.  Unfortunately the crazy busy-ness of franchise work and holiday work over the past two weeks and being sick caught up with me.  I felt so sluggish and tired...ugh.  But, on the plus side, I learned so much and had so much fun over the past two weeks, I wouldn't change it. I can handle a slow run....haha....

Going up the first two trails...way, way up, I was able to actually try some of the strategies I've been thinking about with those hills.  Went pretty well in a lot of places and was the fastest I've climbed some parts of the trail.  I didnt know that while I was running, and I still felt sluggish.  I figured I'd get to Cardiac, and go from there.

I got up to Cardiac, and decided to head down Dipsea, rather than do the extra Matt Davis/Dipsea loop.  I was still feeling pretty tired, and I still hadn't figured out where the course went between Oceanview and Muir woods, so thought I would figure that out.  So, down Dipsea I went....almost literally...stupid mud...and, that's where the adventure began....

I get to the Ben Johnson trail, which I've done one other time, that I can remember.  It was the one I thought maybe I could run down last week and rolled both ankles several times - lots of fun.  So this week, I thought I would take it slow...maybe last week was a fluke or something.  After I got through the part that was real crazy, I started to jog again...unfortunately, it didn't take long to roll my left ankle again....awesome.  It was then that I realized something....I'm terrified of this trail.

After I rolled it and walked it out a bit, I realized I didnt want to run anymore and roll it again....at least until I was off this particular trail.  So, I walked (really awesome, since I already felt slow and sluggish)....and made sure I was watching where I was going.  Of course, I watched the ground so closely that I didnt see the tree branch I ran into....fabulous....stupid trail, I hate you.....and I hate it more that I'm afraid of you....especially since I don't really know how to get over it.  I'm just hoping if I do it enough, eventually I won't be afraid anymore.  I can handle the scary steps in Pirates Cove now, so I don't think it's impossible....I hope.

That terrible trail ended at Muir Woods, and picked up another trail that wouldnt have been so bad, if I wasn't so exhausted.  I tried to run as much as possible, since I really wanted to get away from Muir Woods and all of the tourists.  As I was running up part of it, I'm pretty sure I came across a couple who had just gotten engaged...

I got up to Alice Springs camp (not sure if that's what it's actually called, but it makes me think of Outback and Cheese Fries, so let's go with it) and began the descent on Fern Trail.  I really liked this one...easily runnable and very few spots that the trail could try to kill me.  This went down and met the Lost trail, except this time, I wasn't lost.  Unfortunately then it headed up...and up...and up.  Hope you like stairs....I finally got to the top, and thankfully, the sign wasn't broken, so I knew exactly where to head for the next part.....

Unfortunately, more up.  And some lady in wedge flip flops and an outfit fit for an office.  She looked relatively miserable....but looked at me like I was the crazy one, probably because I was covered in sweat and mud....it's a trail...you're supposed to be covered in mud...haha.  Anyway, once I got up, the view was beautiful.  And some how my foggy day had turned beautiful and sunny.  I went the wrong way on the next trail (why would the intersection have a sign...that would be too easy)....luckily, there was one not too far ahead and I quickly righted myself.  I found some more trails that I really liked....relatively flat, some slight descents.....and really interesting people.

The first guys were more annoying than anything.  Heard me come up behind them, and rather than share the trail like normal people they stepped into the middle of it so I really had no way around them. Annoying, but it was so pretty and they headed up towards the road pretty quick, so I didn't really care.

Next, I came across a lady who thought I was a mountain lion coming up behind her....yeah.....nope...just me.  But, thanks, I think....

At this point, I was having a lovely time on the trail, but was a little worried about getting back on Dipsea.  I knew I still had to go down to get back to the beach, but who knows how Dipsea will get you there.....generally with a lot of up in between....At the meeting of Dipsea and Sun, I had a lady ask me where a bathroom was.....ummmm....yeah....so not the one to ask, let's be honest.  I'm pretty sure most of the bathrooms I used in Nepal changed my opinion of what's defined as a bathroom.  haha....well, that and the random port-a-potty I used at the meadow earlier.  Really, it's the woods....there arent bathrooms....but, I was nice and told her there would be some at Muir Woods and Muir Beach, but I didnt know how far it was to either.  It was kind of fun to pull out my strava route and show her where we were and when those places were in relation.

The rest of Dipsea down to Muir Woods was pretty easy and pretty uneventful.  To the guy I almost blew my nose on, I'm sorry....

Of course, I get to the bottom, and expect it to be flat between Muir Woods and Muir beach...it was when I made up my own way last weekend.  But of course, this is the North Face course...and nothing is flat.  I pull out my strava and check the route....yup...cross the road and up Dipsea.....and up and up.  As I climbed and climbed, way more tired than I should have been, I thought about what might be waiting at the top...another good view maybe?

Or not....the trail literally t-boned into a fire road....a fire road that I was coincidentally heading back down.  Really??  Thanks North Face....I can't wait to do this at mile 38....but, had I not climbed up, I would have missed the lady asking me for directions:

  • Her: Do you know which way to go
  • Me: Where are you going
  • Her: We thought maybe Stinson beach....
  • My Thought....well, that's a nice thought, but based on the sign I passed a half mile ago, it's five miles to Stinson, ten round trip...and it's 3:30...that sounds like a long walk in the dark....
  • Me: Well, I'm not sure, but let me look at my route.
  • In the meantime, she shows me her map and points over way to the left (Muir Beach is in the bottom right)
  • Me: um....well, no....we're here...by Muir Woods....and I show her the dot on my phone.  
In the end, she thought maybe they would head down towards Muir Woods....hopefully that's what they did.  Or the guy she was with (pretty sure it was the guy I passed who was peeing in the woods...) has a better sense of direction or knows how to read a map...

I make it back to the car, grabbed some water....had I not been completely out, I may have continued to torture myself and climb up Coyote Ridge, but instead just walked over to where I had seen a water stop for a race earlier.  Was curious what the race was, but it was gone.  In the end, the run was about 16.5 miles.  Not too bad, and maybe if I schedule an early oil change next week, I can get out and get in a 20 miler.....and see the rest of the North Face course.

Speaking of North Face, they posted the course tonight....luckily, it's what I thought it would be based on some strava courses.  Which means after next week, I will have hopefully seen the entire thing.  Unfortunately, I'm a little worried.  I dont move fast enough to be afraid of the Ben Johnson downhill....and I need to be faster overall....hopefully the additional day of running will help with that....and maybe I'll add another.....we'll see.  Hopefully there's enough time to get as good at the muir beach/stinson part as I am at Pirate's Cover, Marincello, and Miwok....well, good for me that is....and, I guess it's a good thing I know those trails well, based on the course notes I'll be covering bob cat, miwok, and coming down old springs in the dark (with a headlamp) on race day....eeeek....I feel like I should practice that.....

I think that's it for now....over and out...

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Sick + Lost = Long Walk

Well, the headlands and Mt. Tam are always an adventure.  I set out today to hike or walk, since I was still fighting the head cold from Wednesday, but still wanted to get out there.  I mapped the part of the north face past Muir Beach last week, along with a bunch of other pieces so I can get in the rest of my long runs on parts of the course I don't know as well (and parts I do for the really, really long runs).  I had mapped a 20 miler that did most of the North Face course once you pass Muir Beach.  My thought was I could walk 10 of that - Muir to Cardio, down Dipsea to Ben Johnson to Fern to Lost trail (fitting name ;) to several others, before heading back to Muir Beach.

But, of course nothing ever goes according to plan, hence the adventure.  It starts out easy enough, parking was way easier than I thought it would be, despite the late start.  I tossed on some sun screen, pulled out the water, put on the headphones, and I was off.  I'm pretty used to Redwood Creek and Heather cutoff at this point, and I have a plan to run them, of course today I only planned to hike, so I continued to plan and look for where I would run during the race as I hiked.  I hit Coastal and continued to do the same thing....now I just need to run it.  haha.

Then I hit Cardiac, which is where I should have called it a day, turned around, and headed home for what would have been a ten mile hike.  But instead, I really, really wanted to see some new trails. So I headed down Dipsea, the same way I came up during the 50k.  Much, much easier going down.  I hit Ben Johnson pretty quickly, and it was actually a lot of fun.  At some point I crossed a log bridge, stepped in water, and ducked under a log all at once.  My foot was wet, my hands were dirty, and I was in heaven.  I had to stop and turn around and just enjoy the fact that this was my playground.

Then I went flying...and went flying again.  Some lady I passed told me I had a really good pace going...if only I had any control...haha.  Then I rolled my ankle...again.  So thankful for the rock tape....I roll the good one, and it doesnt really care, but the bad one...well, it still feels bruised hours later.

I took that trail down into Muir Woods....at some point I passed a couple hiking with Bud Light and a cooler....they had to be mid-50's which made them that much cooler.  Though, while hiking with beer might be fun, let's be honest, I have enough issues staying on my feet - I definitely don't need the help of a few beers.  haha.  Of course I got turned around in Muir Woods and ended up doing some sort of lap which got me back to the same trailhead I came in at...stupid Muir Woods.  So, I went back up and tried a different way (and stopped to take a picture for a family), and found a hill...up to a campground....and then I found Fern trail.  Nice trail....a lot of it runable if it's the one I'm thinking of.  Overall, a lot of what I found was either very runable or will kill me if I try - not too much middle ground.

I took that to the Lost trail, which was a good name, since I was feeling kind of lost. The hill and stairs on that make what I've seen of the Dipsea look like a pancake.  Good God, I thought the stairs would never end...and then there were more.  Finally I reached the top and asked someone coming down what trail they were coming from, and it was the one I needed.  But, shortly in, the directional sign was broken and someone told me the trail only went one way.  I had the Strava route on my phone, and tried to figure it out, but it was too tough to tell....nothing really looked right, but I knew the way they were pointing, back to Muir Woods, wasn't right.  But, rather than actually get lost, I took that way....asked someone coming up again where they were coming from, and they said Muir Woods.  It was a nice trail....would have been a great run had I not been sick and beat up.

I got to Muir Woods, and found myself in a sea of tourists and children and pets and people and ugh....how do I get back to my car?  I got to the exit, wandered through the store, and finally found a ranger.  Of course, I had to wait for the guy with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth to finish telling the ranger about the deers in the woods to find out how to get back, but ok....I'd made it this far.

After expressing his shock that cigarette guy and I weren't together - yes, me in my running gear and him with his cigarette, we look like travel companions....I ask him how to get back to Muir Beach.  He asks if I'm driving.....and had somewhat of a look of shock when I told him I'd wandered down from Cardiac.  He told me I was about 3 miles from the beach, and that I could pick up Redwood Creek Trail past the second parking lot.  I thanked him, and headed off on my way.

I dont think I had ever been so glad to see Redwood Creek trail....I knew where I was :).  I was so happy, I started to jog, despite the sick and the overall wanting to be done.  See I do really well on my trails...haha.

I hated losing my 20 miler today, but there's still time before North Face, and that 50k in October...

In other news, I made sure the adventure would continue past North Face, and signed up for the Umstead 100 mile endurance run in NC in March.  Sometimes I think I'm completely crazy...other times, I think it's totally doable.  It's a bunch of 12.5 mile loops....ugh.  But, I'm guaranteed to see my family and friends at least that many times, more if they're in different locations around the course.  It's also flat, which eliminates the ability to have a break on the downhill, it also removes all of the crazy uphill.  I think the biggest hill is 150 feet over the span of a mile and a half...basically the bootcamp hill over three or four times the distance.  My first climb today went from 600 feet to 1800 feet in just over that distance.  I can do it....I still have plenty of time, right??

I think that's it for now...over and out, until next time....