here we go loop-de-loop

well, seems it's time for my weekly obligatory blog entry to recap...i can't let more than a week go by, lest i start getting emails asking about my mental or physical well being. haha

so, the highlight from last week was a long trail run through some of the coastal wilderness parks here in southern california with matt and jessica (who, by the way, played shutterbug...check out the shots she took). the two of them needed some serious mileage as they both work their ways up to ultra distances, so i put together a fun route linking together three of the coastal parks, complete with plenty of up and down, grand views, speedy single track and as little urban involvement as possible.

we were joined by a super groovy swiss couple, adrian and judith, at top of the world where we started the run. the loop went from aliso creek/wood canyon down into laguna coast wilderness park, connecting to crystal cove (el moro), looping the entire el moro portion of the park (including the infamous bfi hill), back into laguna coast, up the insanely steep stairstep trail, down into aliso creek and out to the aliso creek/wood canyon trail head. all told it was at least 21.5 miles of incredibly challenging trails.

i got to spend lots of time chatting with matt, jess and her swiss friends. i'll tell ya, those two (matt and jess) are great companions on the trails. i really enjoyed the opportunity to be out cruising through the wild parts of orange county with the two of them. they'll make an ultra trail runner out of me yet! thanks for not being too upset at some of those hills, guys! i know they were tough! just remember that nietzsche quote...

tri training continues to go very well and i'm absolutely enjoying the combination of workouts. this friday i'll be doing a mini-tri to work out some of the transition logistics and get a slight feel for how the body will feel as i move through all three sports. then saturday smsmh and i head down to sandy eggo for the rbf meet up prior to the rock 'n roll san diego marathon. there's a whole load of folks running this one, and it'll be a blast to cheer and support everyone! expect a race report and copious photos on monday!

cramming

i have several friends that are taking classes right now and this week seems to be the big cram week for finals. so, to show my support for them, i've decided to cram today too. my cramming is a little bit different, though. today started with a bike commute into the office in the pre-dawn hours. i love zipping along the san diego creek trail and into back bay just as the sun crests the santa ana mountains. the only thing i could do without are the flippin' bunnies that keep trying to make me crash.

this afternoon i continue the cram by putting in a nine mile run up to smsmh's folks place in orange. immediately following the run, it's into the shower, change and off to our 'fit and fun' program for the olive crest kids and an evening full of soccer, football, dodgeball or whatever they come up with. this is the routine on thursdays, a training cram session.

the one thing that has made the routine much more acceptable is the fact that i just got a set of keys to the exec. washroom. no more towel baths in the server room. i get to use a proper shower when i get to work now! so, today, the amazing hip is no longer stinky...i'm squeaky clean!

dead bees, ghandi

strumming my harp

just like mia said, sometimes when a blogger goes ua you automatically assume the worst, but that couldn't be further from the truth. true, i've been reduced to once a week entries, but that's primarily due to how insanely busy things have been lately.

first, let me say to all of you blogging triathletes, i don't know how you do it. train in three different disciplines AND find the time to blog? i thought i was good at juggling a busy schedule, but dangit if blogging doesn't end up taking a back seat. wow. so, i've been ramping my mileage back up and adding in some considerable cross training. i'm back up to 50 miles a week or so, about a quarter of which is on trails. along with that i've been doing some fun brick workouts in an attempt to get used to transitions and get the body used to doing multiple sports. bricks rock. seriously...there is something awesome about jumping out of a pool and pulling on the shoes to go for a run. i am absolutely LOVING this stuff.

i am rejoicing that boston is over and my past year of selfish running has come to a close. training for a boston qualifier really meant that i had to train at my paces and train hard. that left little to no room for training with friends and family that might have wanted to run considerably slower. now that the goal race is over, i can focus more on just enjoying training time with friends. i've had the distinct pleasure of being able to hook up with darrell twice for his long runs, was able to run with matt and jess at malibu and will get another chance this weekend for a very groovy 21 mile trail run with the two of them again.

the diversity that tri training and trail racing brings to the schedule is something that i've been looking forward to for quite some time, and now that it's here, it's tiring and time consuming, sure, but i am in heaven. absolute heaven. so, if i'm lax about blogging and keeping up with blogs, you'll understand and know to look for me up on cloud nine if you need to reach me.

malibu creek trail challenge

"why do we do this to ourselves?"

that was the question i asked jessica and smsmh as we pulled away from our house saturday morning at 5:15 on our way to the xterra scramble - malibu creek trail challenge. we were all quite sleepy and more interested in pillows and comfortable mattresses than single track and sports drinks. yet, on our way we were. the hour and a half drive up to malibu went by quickly and without incident (ignoring the other sleepy and erratic drivers in the pre-dawn traffic) and before we knew it, we were at the start, collecting our numbers and preparing to run.

there was a heavy marine layer blocking out the sun and view of the canyon, which i'm sure helped remove the anxiousness of what was to come. not seeing the mountain you're about to climb, in this case, was a good thing. we wandered around the starting area, chatting and watching the other runners get prepared. jess and i chatted about racing, pacing and the logistics of the course while smsmh documented the event on the camera.

soon, the call to the start was made and we headed down the road to the starting area. we were continually scanning the area, looking for matt, but i had no idea what he looked like and wasn't having much luck spotting him. i did bump into the previous vp of sales for my company, a fellow runner that had been trying to get me to run this race for years. it was good to reconnect with him and find out how he'd been doing. he and his crew were in high spirits and joked with us as we waited for the start.

soon, a tall, dark haired guy wandered up...it was matt! the start was delayed by about 10 minutes, so we had a chance to talk a bit before we headed off. when the start sounded, team rbf headed out together, lightly jogging towards the back of the pack. matt had joked that he expected me to make the loop twice before he finished. yeah, right, matt!

about a half mile into the course, we came up on some folks going pretty slow and i moved left to get around them. i looked back and saw jess and matt trotting along right behind them, and it looked like they didn't have plans to pass them. our time together was short lived as we waved goodbye and i set off on my own race. i picked up the pace and started moving up through the ranks. the first two miles were fire roads, so i was able to pass folks without any problem, but shortly after the mile two marker, we were funneled into single track as the long line of runners snaked it's way through the bottom of the canyon. it wasn't until the bottom of the climb that i was able to break out and start moving up again.

i didn't know what to expect of the hill. all i knew was that people were talking about it as if it were a mythical beast, a near four miles of uphill and 2000' of elevation gain. the first mile or so of the uphill weren't too bad, and i was thinking that if it kept this angle, i'd do fine and not loose too much time. i powered through that first mile somewhere around an 8:30 pace, feeling really good. but then we began to climb up out of the canyon the hill got considerably steeper. mile after mile of nose-scraping incline greeted us. hairpin turns, saddle crests and blind corners each revealed more relentless climbing. somewhere during the second mile of the climb, i caught up to a gal that was going about the same pace and did my best to stay with her. my pace dropped down to the high 10's/low 11's and i focused on just keeping my feet moving. this climb put to shame anything i'd experienced before. but i wasn't in pain, wasn't defeated and was actually having a blast climbing up to the summit.

after nearly four miles of relentless climbing, we hit the aid station at the summit. i refilled my bottles and caught up to the gal i'd been pacing with. i thanked her for being my race day rabbit and we chatted a bit as we powered through more short, steep sandstone single track. as i cruised through the rollers along the ridge line, the fog was soup thick and the trail felt other-worldly. visibility was only 50-100 feet and there were times that i felt like i was running in circles, hopelessly lost. before i knew it, we were on the steep, downhill portion of the route and the focus was no longer on breathing and not red-lining, but keeping my footing and not letting myself get going faster than my legs could handle. i pushed as hard as i could without going out of control and really enjoyed careening down the tight turns and switchbacks.

i was feeling fabulous as we bottomed out and began the return to the finish. i knew that there was a final hill before the end, one that people had warned us about, saying, "don't discount that last hill". mile 12 rolled around and we started into the final climb. the trail at this point was beautiful orange dirt, single track and flanked by high stands of coastal scrub. the kind of single track that makes you feel like you're flying as you cruise through it. i felt really strong as i tackled this final climb and pushed hard through all the twists and turns. i hadn't been passed by anyone on the uphill, and only three guys had passed me on the downhill...all three i caught on this final climb. the last guy to catch was this obnoxious fellow who was wearing his ipod with the volume cranked so high that two people behind him, i could tell what song he was listening to.

the four of us moved quickly along the trail, and when the single track widened, the second in line shouted, "behind you, on your right" and ipod boy, jamming to his favorite tune from tool, was oblivious. he shouted again and eventually had to push past ipod boy. the same thing was repeated by all three of us as we tried to get past this guy. i was tempted to push him down the slope...after a handful of people shout in your ear and then push past you, don't you think you'd get a clue? i guess not. anyway, by mile 13 i was past him and able to start upping the pace to put in a good finishing time. as we came off the hill and onto the fire road that would lead us to the finish, i spotted a guy that i had yo-yo behind on the climb and marked him as the guy i needed to pass before the finish. someone shouted "500 to go!" and i began my kick. i quickly closed the gap, but soon realized that it was further than the nebulous 500 and began to fade a bit. my rabbit began his kick, too and i did my best to hang with him. finally the finish line was in sight so i poured on what little sprint i had left but was only able to come across the line a step behind him. better to finish on his tail than to pass him at the line, i figured...that would have been rude.

anyway, i felt wonderful once i'd finished. i hadn't killed myself on the course and i was just really excited to have put in such a strong run over such a difficult course. i had hoped for a 2:00-2:15 finish time, but was happy to have pulled off a 2:16:20. 2:00 for that course was much too ambitious and after finishing, i thought that even a 2:20-2:30 would have been spectacular for me. i grabbed some of the post race chow, washed off my legs (i had a poison oak scare, but it just turned out to be irritation from all the brush i'd scraped against) and waited to cheer in jess and matt.

jess came in next and was smiling as she finished the race. we laughed and talked about just how brutal and relentless the climb was. then matt cruised in, laughing as he crossed the line, knocking an impressive 25 minutes off of his time from the same course two weeks ago. the marine layer had held and we'd been blessed with perfect conditions over the entire course. and this trail racing thing? oh boy am i hooked. there is nothing like tearing along beautiful single track, really challenging yourself. it feels great to be expanding my race horizons from just the regular road race.

and a final word about these folks from the web. i can't begin to say enough about this community of bloggers that i continue to meet up with. each opportunity to meet you guys ends up exposing me to some amazing people. jess and matt are no exception. both of them are fun, genuine and positive people. jess weathered all of my really lame puns, was a trooper for getting up for the pre-dawn departure and was just a really positive person to be able to share race morning with. matt, in his calm and confident manner, was the picture of a very genuine guy, someone you'd immediately count as one of your closest friends. thanks both of you for such a wonderful race experience!

why do we do this to ourselves? because we can.

weekend adventure

so...i'm still somewhat recovering from boston and the running mileage has yet to be piled back on yet, so i've begun cross training in earnest in preparation for the tri season. this weekend, with a lower end run on the schedule for saturday, i decided to do a sort of brick workout. i'd been wanting to get out to el moro and run the trails, since the mustard is just amazing right now. so, i put an el moro loop on the schedule, followed by a 20 mile ride up the coast, a short break for lunch and then another 20 mile bike return.

up at the crack of dawn, i hit el moro and was on the trail by something like 6:15...only one other car in the parking lot. oh i love having those trails all to myself. it was fantastic. i ran the same loop that flipperhead and i did last june. i powered (that's a relative term) up the first big hill and began my cruise along the south ridge of the park. the mustard was amazing and had grown up so high that for most of the ridge, you couldn't see the rest of the park.

back at the missing link single track, i took a short break to view the park. man, it is beautiful back there. it's quiet, and you're at the highest point, looking down through the canyon back toward the ocean. on a clear day, the green contrasted against the deep blue of the ocean is breathtaking...but today it was typical june gloom. i tore through the single track, giving my customary "whoop". i love that section...it is so much fun to just turn it on and do the speed ballet of keeping upright amongst all the ruts.

the rest of the run went as normal, but i was pleased again with the view when i got to the top of tickertron hill and looked down the north ridge trail toward the ocean. the hillsides were covered with blankets of blooming mustard, more than i've ever seen in the park in the past. i loved it! by this time, there were some hikers and bikers on the trail, but that's always the case on this part of the trail. i cruised the last couple miles into the parking lot, stretched and got ready for the next part of the day.

my bike was still at the office, so i had to swing by there to pick it up, but i was back down at the beach within 45 minutes and heading out on my next leg of the day. it was still fairly early in the day, so i thought i'd have no wind to contend with until the afternoon, but i was wrong and my northward trek was into a head wind. bleh...i hate wind on a bike. i was having a hard time keeping my pace up around 17mph, and by mile 10 i really felt like i was starting to lose energy. by mile 13 i was re-thinking my turn around point and at mile 14, when i flatted, i was seriously considering calling someone to come get me.

i sat on the side of the road, in the middle of a bonk with my tire in my lap, trying to figure out how to get the tube out (remember, i'm new to the whole road bike thing, and i couldn't add 1+1). about this time, a cycling group came by and slowed. one of the guys asked if i needed a hand. i just looked up with a blank look on my face, kind of confused. they immediately stopped, helped me with the tire, gave me a bar and contact info so i could hook up with them in the future. all set, i drafted with them for a little over two more miles until i hit a spot that i could eat and rest comfortably.

i grabbed some grub and decided to just hang out at the beach for a bit to let the food digest. an hour and a half later, i was feeling human again, so i hopped back on the bike for the return trip. thankfully, the wind had picked up a bit and now it was at my back. the legs felt fresh again, and i hammered the return trip, averaging 22mph; much better than the trip out.

it's fun to do these mutlisport workouts, simply because i get to experiment with fueling and learning what my body does when i push it for periods longer than a normal workout. today, with a short run of four on the schedule, i decided to do a real brick workout and see how that felt. i headed to the y at lunch and jumped into the pool to do 1000 yards.

i cruised through the swim, feeling really good and relaxed. when i finished up, i jumped out of the pool and made a bee-line for the locker room. i was a little dizzy and almost flopped back into the pool, but successfully kept my footing, giggled and did a funny jig on my way to get changed. three minutes later i was changed and out the front door and starting my run. my hr was considerably higher than when i normally start out my runs, but my legs felt really fresh and ready to go. it was an odd sensation to be all warmed up and ready to move without putting in the normal warm up miles. i had a hard time keeping my pace low, so i just moved along quickly. i knocked out the four miles pretty quick and ended up back at the y after 55 total minutes of exercise, including transition.

i had a silly grin plastered on my face as i cooled down and stretched. i really like this multisport stuff...i really think it's got it's hooks in me. i hope so because i just signed up and got my usat membership and registered for my first tri on june 10th. woohoo!

running skirt challenge

i've been remiss in posting about mark and his running skirt challenge. head over here for the details. basically, he's trying to get 100 people to donate to the charity of there choice by this friday. we've got about 60 folks so far, so please, stop by mark's site, drop him a note that you're in on the fun and make him wear a running skirt at his next race! it's down to three days, people! get crackin'!