Catalina State Park training run...Change of plans

I scrapped the TTR Esperero Canyon run for tomorrow. With 2 weeks out from my marathon, I thought it would be better to do 2 'back to back' runs that are a little shorter. It is billed as an advanced run, and I decided that I didn't want to risk any problems at this point. Plus, I thought the Catalina State Park training run, which was held today in preparation for the upcoming race on April 11th, would be a good run to get in before the Bataan marathon. The course is just filled with sand, and well, so is Bataan.

So, I showed up to do the 10.75 mile course and ran into Martinho, who I haven't seen in a while. He just celebrated his 61st birthday and is so fast, that he usually places in his age group in most races. He ran with me the whole time, even though I was slower. There were only about 2 or 3 other people doing the longer course, with most of the 30 or so people that showed up opting for the 5.5 mile training run. I didn't even recognize anyone else there. Martinho and I looked out of place though; at 45 degrees this morning, we were the only ones with tanks on - everyone else looked dressed for winter! I warmed up pretty quickly, so I was glad I didn't overdress.

It looked like it was going to rain the entire time, but we lucked out. As soon as I drove away from the trailhead, it started pouring!

We ended up doing about 10.5, but I kept it slow to keep from wiping myself out before the run tomorrow. The total elevation gain was 1,237, so it was pretty mellow. Just watch the sand, though! It will wear you out.

Tomorrow, I plan on doing about 16-18 miles, ending up with about 42 - 44 miles for the week. Then, taper time!

Law of Probability and Trail Running

Since plans fell through to run with someone else this weekend, I ran by myself out at Catalina State Park. Having no commitment to someone, I took the opportunity to sleep in a little and I headed out a little late, arriving at the park at 8am. I'm always a little nervous/excited heading out on a longer trail run by myself. Not sure why, but I think I worry about what I might encounter (i.e. critters), but also, whether or not I'll be able to stay energized running by myself and not having companionship to pass the time. It turned out fine, as usual.

I knew the Catalina State Park trail race packet pick-up was going to start at 10:30am at the park, and rather than make two trips out there (1 hour round trip driving each time), I thought it would be good to get my run in later in the morning and then right when I got done, I could get my packet. I did the whole race course, plus a little extra, for about 12 miles total. The course consists of the Canyon Loop trail, an out and back on the Montrose trail (where it forks to go to Romero Pools), the Nature trail, and an out and back portion of the Bridle trail. I did all of those twice, which is what we'll do during the race, and then I did an extra loop on the Nature trail and a little extra out and back on the Bridle trail. I would guess around 12 miles. I wanted to do 13, but I got too late of a start and it was just too hot. You can tell how high the sun was by my shadow in this picture:

The wildflowers were still out, although no rain has everything drying up quick:

And dang it was hot! Getting started after 8am made for a super challenging run. The desert was heating up quick. I wore sunscreen SPF 70, so I wouldn't get sunburned, but I still got too much sun on my chest and shoulders. Luckily, the race will be starting at 6:30am, so it should be great! I'll be switching to evening runs soon, as darkness steals my morning run time day by day. So, a little heat training was probably good, because it is still pretty hot in the evenings here in sunny Tucson. The water I saw out on the trail will probably be dried up by race weekend:

The Law of Probability header is related to seeing rattlesnakes. I guess if you run trails enough, the stats on seeing rattlers goes up, too. I haven't seen very many while trail running, but I saw 2 today! One was crossing the trail in front of me and I heard him before I saw him. I was polite and let him pass, snapped a few pics, and ran by him when he was almost off the trail. Boy, did he send off a rattle when I did that! Made my heart beat faster. That's what I love about trail running - it is so exciting and adrenaline-filled! Another one I saw was off the trail, and the only reason I saw it was a guy was bent over taking a picture of it. This rattler was not happy at all, and the head on this one was up off the ground about a foot or so in strike position. This happy hiker was snapping pictures like there was no tomorrow. I made a comment about the snake not looking too happy and I moved on along!

It is pretty sandy out there - great workout for the ankles and calves!

Running alone, which I do for most of my runs, I think of all sorts of stuff. Today, there were a gazillion ants out there on the trail; over and over again, I pondered how many thousands I killed on today's trail run (and other bugs I may have done in). It really bothered me! I also wondered if I'll be able to face my increased responsibility at work, how I can become more effective in helping others, and how I'll do with my upcoming training (trail running in the dark! more on that later). I came to the conclusion that God will help me deal with all of my problems! He always has. Not sure what to do about the ants/bugs dilemma.

There are still plenty of open slots for the Catalina State Park 11 mile trail race, so come join us! Should be a lot of fun. There is a 5.5 mile option as well. When I picked up my packet, Steve, the RD, didn't recognize me because I wasn't wearing pink (he always says, 'pretty in pink' when he sees me!) Can't wear pink everyday when I'm running, but I almost do. :)

Sure was pretty out there today and I had a good time. It is always good to run with others, but I'm glad I feel comfortable enough in my own skin to run alone with all the thoughts in my head (no ipod!)

I got in 37 miles for the week and 2 weight workouts. I was going to do Bikram yoga, but my in-laws are coming into town and I needed to clean the house. Can't do it all, but I try.

Catalina State Park trail run

This morning, I headed out for a training run for the upcoming Catalina State Park 11 mile trail race. Julie (my new friend from Colorado), Shari (my trusty trail running partner in crime), Shari's friend Jen, and I met out at the park today to check out the course. We arrived right about 6am, and it was just getting light enough to be able to hit the trails. Our plan was to do 2 loops of the course, which is 11 miles (some people can choose the 5.5 mile option only). Jen was out on her first trail run, I think, so she was only going to do about 8 miles. The course is a 'reverse the course' from the race in April. So, we go down the steps (all 92 of them) this time around, but up a big hill instead (and you still have to go up the other big hill on the Nature trail either way). Seemed just as hard, but it is a fun and beautiful course. It was Julie's first time on the full course, and I think she really enjoyed herself, too. She has good stories to tell and the time passed fast.

Julie, Renee and Shari

The park is glorious right now! I'm not used to seeing it after so much rain. Everything is very green and the wildflowers are in full bloom. Morning glories have taken over and are covering everything with the bright blue flowers and vines. There were also tons of these purple flowers which were amazing! Definitely a great place to be this time of year. Morning glories are actually considered a 'noxious weed' in Arizona (they spread like crazy). The reason I believe they have classified it as such is because they are highly allergenic and of course, Arizona has enough problems with allergens.

The tens of thousands of little blue flowers didn't bother me today, but Shari was really suffering with her breathing. The morning glories were everywhere! Really pretty, but not if they are bothersome to someone! I sure hope Shari feels better.

Julie, Renee and Jen (Isn't she tan? Holy cow, I look like a pale white girl next to her)

This is a fairly sandy course, which feels great on the body, but gives the lower legs a real workout! There are some rocky areas, but not too bad. We had to rock hop across a few creek crossings, and there are some hilly/uphill sections along the course.

If you haven't made it out to Catalina State Park recently, go check it out. Better yet, join us for the race on Saturday, September 27th.

This puts me at 35 miles for the week (four 6 mile mid-week runs and about 11 today). I'll be taking tomorrow off from running to get back into the Bikram (hot) yoga. I feel a little creaky and think it would be good. I'll be upping my running mileage a bit and getting serious about marathon training soon and I want to make sure I'm really taking care of my body. I skip the hot yoga all summer because it is already super hot in Tucson, and sitting in a hot room just doesn't sound fun. Now that the weather is cooling off, it shouldn't be too bad.

Oh, and I consumed raisins again during my long run today, and they were great. I just get a small snack bag, fill it up and snip a corner off. Then, I squeeze them out to eat them. I don't have to worry about touching them, because they are sticky. Works great!

What a fun morning. I think all of us felt like little kids out there today, running in the sand, rock hopping, running screaming fast on the downhills (thought I heard a 'wheeee' out of someone today) and just having a blast. Trail running in the desert is a real kick.

Catalina State Park trails and hill repeats!

Shari and I ran a little over 6.5 miles on the trails of Catalina State Park (Canyon Loop, Montrose and Nature Loop trails). We did hill repeats on one of the hills on the Canyon loop. Here I go again for my third round of running up the long hill:

We saw an amazing cardinal at the end of our run. He was hanging out in a twiggy tree near the parking lot. This is what trail running is all about - getting out there and connecting with the whole world of nature.

On another note, I was tagged by Sarah first to play a little game called "six word memoir". I was also tagged by Angie later on.

Here are the rules:

1) Write your own six word memoir

2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want

3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere

4) Tag at least five more blogs with links

5) Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

After some thought, I decided to use the last phrase on the post I had a couple of days ago:

My Life is Such a Gift.

Not only do I have a fantastic husband who loves me, but I am surrounded by family and friends who love me for who I am, too. I get to experience so much in life that many do not get to. I am blessed with good health, a thankful heart, and more opportunities than I can imagine. I had a difficult childhood and have made it through that and many other obstacles to become a healthy, happy, and strong woman. Thank you God for that gift!

I'm tagging Catra, Bryon, Scott and Marathoner in Training.

Catalina State Park 11 mile Race - Training Run

About 50 people turned out for a training run for the upcoming Catalina State Park race on April 12th. There are two options - 5.5 miles and 11 miles (2 loops). I'm doing the 11 miles, so I ran about 10 miles with my friend Shari and saw a few other friends and familiar faces (Mark M. and Martinho R.). We cut off about 1 mile of the course, which had a slight incline, just so I wouldn't wear out my legs.

There was water running out there, so we did get our feet wet. It felt great, since it was warming up fast. I wore my white Moeben sleeves, but only for the first 3 - 5 miles.

There are a few areas of hills/elevation gain, but not much. There is a set of 'stairs' on each loop, about 90 or so.

We did see a snake on a side trail. For some reason, I'm not too afraid of snakes (I do try to watch out for them - it just isn't one of my big worries about trail running). For the most part, they seem to avoid trails and people. Disclaimer: I know nothing about snakes and just made up that last statement. :)

I got in about 28 miles this week. Perfect for a taper, although my legs are tired from the speed and climbing I have been doing. Time to rest now. I got a deep tissue massage today, which was wonderful, and it really loosened up my legs.

Catalina State Park hike

Ken and I wanted to take Dixie on a little hike today, so we thought we would try the Linda Vista trail (2.25 miles round trip, with 1,435 feet elevation gain!). However, dogs weren't allowed and we didn't realize it until we arrived at the trailhead. So, we developed an alternate plan and headed over to Catalina State Park since it was so close. We were a little disappointed, but I'll give that trail a try in the next few weeks (I've never done it before). I am really going to be throwing some steep, but short hikes in my training regime to prepare for the Zane Grey race.

We hiked the Canyon Loop trail and Nature trail, for a total of 3.3 miles. It was just perfect, since my legs were a little sore from yesterday's 4 hour run (otherwise, I feel great today - no lasting tiredness from it.)

There was some water running out there, but not much, and we were able to rock hop over most of the streams. Dixie loves the water and was very happy.

These are two of the trails that I'll be running on at the Catalina State Park race on April 12th. I'll also be running a training run on that same course on March 22nd.

I ended up with just a little over 40 miles this week - not bad for taking 10 days off of running prior to that.

____________________________

“Every person has the power to make others happy.

Some do it simply by entering a room; others by leaving the room.

Some individuals leave trails of gloom; others, trails of joy.

Some leave trails of hate and bitterness; others, trails of love and harmony.

Some leave trails of cynicism and pessimism; others trails of faith and optimism.

Some leave trails of criticism and resignation; others trails of gratitude and hope.

What kind of trails do you leave?”

~ William Arthur Ward

Catalina State Park Trails Training Run

Met Laurie and Shari for a training run out at the Catalina State Park trails today. It is for the upcoming 11 mile race on April 12th. However, we couldn't do the actual race course, because of too much water flowing off of the mountains from last week's snow and rain fest here in Tucson. Here are Shari and Laurie pausing at the first of the crossings - we decided we just didn't feel like running with wet feet today and knew that other crossings might be higher, so we turned around.

Laurie finally succumbed to the skirt way of life and looks so cute in her new skirt! We ran the Nature Loop trail, the Bridle trail and part of the 50 year trail. The 50 year trail and Nature Loop trail have a little elevation gain at first, but the Bridle trail consists of a lot of deep sand! The Bataan March marathon I am doing on March 30th has some sandy spots - specifically, about a mile of it around mile 20 of the marathon. So, I'm getting my ankles ready for that race!

We did a little over 6 miles. It is super pretty out there. Laurie came to my rescue with a water bottle, fanny pack and hair tie. I had to make a quick switcheroo with my husband's truck (mine was out of gas, and I had no time to fill it!) so I left a lot of my gear behind. Thanks Laurie!

On another note, I am signing up for the Flagstaff Marathon on September 27th! The race is mostly around 8,000 feet elevation with about 2,200 feet of climbing. It is 100% on trails! I'm a little worried about the elevation, but I'll just have to go a little slower. Laurie is signing up for it to get ready for her Ironman in November, so I told her I'd join her! We'll be heading up to the Catalina Mountains for elevation training this summer.

Catalina State Park Trail Run (or, what happens when you take your eye off the ball)

Laurie and I headed out to Catalina State Park, which is North of Tucson for a little trail run. The trail we had planned to run crossed a wash with a little water, so we changed plans and ran the:

1. Nature Trail (a little steep at first, but great views of the Catalina Mountains),
2. Bridle Trail (pretty flat, lots of deep sand - great for ankles and calves!), and

3. 50 Year Trail (up and over a ridge on fairly rocky terrain)

Around 11 or so miles?

On the way back on the 50 year Trail, I was engrossed in conversation as I can be when I am enjoying a great running partner, when wham! Down I went. Into cactus. My left hand is pretty torn up from the slide on the trail (see gross picture), my left knee is banged up again (how much can you bang up a knee before it revolts?) and I had quite a bit of cactus in my left leg, hands and right arm. I couldn't get out one cactus needle - it is too embedded (ouch!) and it will just have to work itself out, I guess. Laurie was so sweet and happened to have some tweezers back at the trailhead, so I was able to pluck some of the needles out on our trip home.

The lesson? The lesson will be presented until it is learned. I have to keep focus on the trail or else the trail will remind me to do that. Here I am showing off my wounds:

Hey, at least I didn't have to get medical attention! I'm not going to let a little fall stop me from heading back out to the trails!
Great run with Laurie today. Had a blast!

My foot pain has faded, and I'm thinking I might have a arch muscle strain. Doesn't seem to hurt much now that I have fallen!

I wore my new trail Dirty Girl Gaiters today - the pattern is "Iron Butterfly". They were very helpful to keep out all that sand!

When we made our alternate trail plan this morning, Laurie said,

"What's the worst that can happen?"

Seems funny now.

Some apropos running quotes for the day:

"If you want to play the game you have to train."- Unknown

"If you look up, you're going down!"- Unknown

"Adversity introduces a man to himself."- Unknown