Trail Run: Night Running!

Sometimes the only thing better than running on the trails, is running on the trails at night. And the only thing better than running on the trails at night, is having a good buddy running those trails with you.

Enter my friend Rachel who I helped pace during her 65-mile solo run in honor of her late father last year, and who helped keep my sanity in check for most of my first ultra experience. She (along with our friend Ryan) recently signed up for the San Diego 100 mile race coming up in June and figured she had to hit the trails and learn what it's like to stumble around the dirt roads at night.

So after we got off work, we rendezvoused with our headlamps and warm clothing and made our way to Santa Ynez Canyon a little before sunset.

The run started by covering about a mile through the lush canyon of Santa Ynez. This always makes for a nice warm up before the real climbing begins. We encountering many stream crossings along the way due to the week's worth of rain we got hit with last week. Those are always fun. After emerging from the canyon, we began our first climb of the evening just as the sun was starting to set off to the west. We took our time to run when we could while hiking the steeper parts.


Climbing out of Santa Ynez Canyon


Overlooking Topanga State Park

Once we hit the fire road, we ran down a bit and went down Nature Trail to Trippett Ranch. After a quick bathroom break for Rachel, we hit the scenic single tracks of Musch Trail. It was muddy at parts but we didn't mind it at all. We spent our time catching up, taking pictures and just admiring the scenery all around us.


Running up Musch Trail...all smiles!


Taking a moment to take in the view from the very scenic Musch Trail

Once we emerged from the trail, we began a steep climb up to the summit of Eagle Rock. It just so happened that we were blessed with running under a "Wolf Moon" tonight and it was definitely prominent and magnificent. I tried taking a shot of it on my little point-and-shoot, but all I got was blur. I suck.


At the summit of Eagle Rock

After a taking a minute to enjoy the view from the summit, we switched on our headlamps and I pulled some warm clothing from my pack and we continued on. We rounded the fireroad on Eagle Road to Hub Junction and then finally started back in the direction we came.

The descent back into Santa Ynez Canyon is always a little tricky at night so we made sure to tread carefully (I almost ate it here on my last evening run). Back in the canyon we took the dark, windy road back under a canopy of trees, merrily hopping over/through the streams again. Here's a quick video of what it was like at night:



We finished with double-digit miles under us and capped off the evening with a can of Pepsi, an homage to my idiocy that's been long-running now between Ryan, Rachel and I.



This is how we roll on Friday nights y'all. Hope you enjoyed the recap. Join us next time!

Trail Run: Westridge to Sullivan Canyon

Finally completed the full designated run with my trail club (about 10+ miles) and also got in my longest run post-injury. The club started a little earlier than anticipated so I started out with some members of the Coyotes (another trail club) during the initial ascent up Westridge. After a couple of miles, I decided to pick up the pace a little and run solo.

I also did something rare today and decided to run with an iPod. Had a couple of songs stuck in my head that I wanted to listen to over and over again until it got beaten out of my head. Anyway, after finishing the climb, I turned left on dirt Mulholland, caught up to a couple of other members from my club and made our way down Sullivan Canyon back towards the finish.

Sullivan Canyon was AWESOME. Because of the week's worth of rain, there were several parts of the road that was flooded and resembled streams more than actual trails. Feet got soaked and muddy, but so what - all a part of trail running! Check out this quick video of what parts of it were like:




Parts of Sullivan Canyon looked like this.


The drier parts were also nice.

Anyway, after a few miles on Sullivan, we veered up this super-steep goat trail that led up near the trailhead. I was relegated to a gasping hike at this point and after what seemed like an eternity, we spilled out back to Westridge, finished the run and grabbed post-race snacks with the other members.

All in all, a great day to get a run in and get a little dirty. Cheers.

Meeting New Runners

One of the oft overlooked and nice things about running is being able to meet like-minded folks that share your passion for this sport. Whether it's during a training run, at a race, or running with a club - for me, it never gets old and it's something I vowed to do more of in the new year.

In that spirit, on Tuesday morning I reponded to a 'tweet' by the good people at LA Marathon and got up early to meet some runners for an out-and-back run of the last 3.2 miles in Brentwood. Only problem is that I went to the wrong Starbucks on the street we were supposed to meet at (there are 2), and by the time I realized it and showed up to the 2nd location, they had a good 15 minutes on me following the 6:30am start time. So I basically started pounding the pavement hoping to either catch up to them, or come across them on the way back. Thankfullly, Peter (who works for the race and led this run) and several LA Marathon Legacy runners (participants of the race since its inception in 1986) were standing around the 'finish line' talking on Ocean and Santa Monica by the time I caught them.


With Peter at the finish line of the LA Marathon course

After catching my breath and introducing myself to these good folks, we all started back together and shared in some great conversation which always makes the miles tick by faster. Before we knew it, we were back to the start, shook hands and parted ways.

On Thursday morning (yesterday), I finally answered the call of the SoCal Coyotes - a local trail club comprising of some really strong runners - and hit up the local Westridge trail. I ended up showing up JUST as they were taking off because I spent a good 15 minutes in bed engaging in inner dialogue about whether to stay in my warm bed, or get up at this ungodly hour to brave the wind, rain and cold. Ultimately, the side of me that said that I would NOT regret getting up as opposed to regretting staying in bed, won out.

While I brought my camera with me, I think I was too cold and it was too wet out to bring it out. Besides, I've done this trail numerous times. We did the usual approximately 3.5 miles up (which is almost a continuous climb up a fireroad) and then back the way we came. I got to meet a couple of nice folks on the way back down and shared some ideas about upcoming races.

The only shitty part of that morning was that somewhere between the Whole Foods stop on my way back and at my apartment, I lost my @#$&% wallet. Put a major wet blanket on an otherwise great morning.

Anyway next month, I'm looking forward to seeing my running friends again when I run the Surf City Half and also when I volunteer at the Twin Peaks 50/50 trail race. March will be even busier...til then!

LA Marathon Course Preview: Miles 14-20

Another Sunday, another beautiful day in LA (for awhile anyway). It was the perfect opportunity to go exploring another portion of the LA Marathon course with Danica, aka Chic Runner.



(In case you missed it, you can read about our run through miles 20-26.2 last week here.)

We knew there was a week-long storm blowing through by that evening, but on Sunday morning, we were treated to crisp air and sunny skies - perfect running weather. After placing one of our cars at the finish, Danica and I drove over to mile 14 where we would begin our 6 mile journey from the Sunset Strip.





It would take us a few minutes to get going thanks to her uncooperative Garmin (affectionately dubbed "Claude"):



Once that was taken care of, we headed westbound on Sunset for just a couple of blocks before turning south down San Vicente. Here, you are treated to a very nice descent for a couple of blocks before hitting Santa Monica Blvd. A right turn took us into West Hollywood towards Beverly Hills.


Danica running down San Vicente Blvd

Along the way on Santa Monica Blvd, you'll see celebrity favorite Dan Tana's Restaurant and the world famous Troubadour - both off to your right.





We hit Mile 15 shortly thereafter when the course heads south again down Doheny Blvd officially taking towards Beverly Hills, albeit mostly the residential part.





Another turn right took us down the Burton Way for a bit where we paused to take a photo of Mile 16 of the course in front of a funky art piece and some palm trees.





A little further down and we would once again veer left, this time down a little street called Rodeo Drive. Yes, one of us turned into a giddy, wide-eyed mess upon entering (hint: not me). You could almost hear the harps playing and angels singing, calling our girl home.




"I'm HOME!"









At the end of the Rodeo is the famous Wilshire Beverly Regent Hotel made famous by "Pretty Woman".



Taking a right down Wilshire Blvd, we went on to hit mile 17 of the course.



Shortly thereafter, we saw some road closures on Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd. When we asked one of the guys working security detail, he informed us that the Golden Globes Awards will be taking place there in a few hours.

Psh, of course. So LA.


Danica at the Globes! Kinda.

We then turned and headed down the very wide, almost freeway-like Santa Monica Blvd once more and would remain on it for awhile taking us from Century City into Westwood. Miles 18 and 19 of the course comes down this way and while mostly flat and/or downhill, we encountered our one and only brief uphill right after mile 18. No problemo.





After a right on Sepulveda and a left down Ohio Avenue, we were back to our car and hit mile 20 once more.



Done for the day and absolutely famished (you know us), we headed back east and ate brunch at Du-Par's, a popular and long-standing establishment in the Farmer's Market (with 2 more locations in the Valley). We each ordered our own dish AND split a short stack of their famous pancakes.



You gotta love LA. Oh, and you'll love miles 14-20 of this course. We certainly did!

H.U.R.T. 100

As some of you may already know, everyone's favorite Hawaiian and all-around good guy Ryan Gillia will be running in his first 100-mile race starting this morning, 6am Hawaiian time. It's a hometown 100 miler but also widely seen as one of the more difficult races in the world (#17 out of 100 on this list). Yup, it's the HURT 100.


Ryan on the HURT course




I've been in talks to pace the guy (the last 20 miles) for the past couple of months now and I had hoped my injury would have healed up in time to build up that kinda mileage by now but alas, it was not to be. At least he's in the capable hands of Laura and a couple of other runners.


Here's a look at what Ryan will have to deal with for 100 miles, 30+ hours

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you luck man. Run smart, run long, but more importantly, have a blast out there!

(If you want to monitor the progress of the runners, you can do so by clicking here)

Live to Run, Don't Run to Live

Back from a slo-o-o-w tempo run tonight with Stuart. After meeting up with him at Will Rogers shortly before sunset, the two of us got in a brief mile warm-up before charging south down towards the pier. Stuart left me in the dust but I still wheezed and gasped my way during the tough workout with my feet pounding the concrete bike path for all they were worth (ain't much these days).



After about 7 or so miles (went Garmin-less, thanks Danica), I trotted back in the dark to our cars while Stuart finished off his run. I was pretty beat up and my legs haven't been this thrashed in awhile, but it was a good feeling to really go hard again. Also counts as my longest run to date post-injury.

__________________

Speaking of my injury, it's quite literally been a long road back. Weight? Up. Fitness? Gone. But my love for running? It's stronger than ever.

The old adage you don't know what you have until it's gone? Very true here.

Yes, I'm nearly a full 20 pounds heavier than I was around this time last year. And yes, my paces are down by more than a full minute. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried about these two things.

But what of it? You slide all the way down to the base of mountain, your options are: A) waste your time bitching and in turn not budge an inch, OR B) look up the face of the mountain and say I'll summit this mountain once more. Only this time, really take the time to appreciate the view. That pretty much sums up my running lately.

While gains in time and distance can serve as a quantifiable barometer in how much we get back of what we put in, it's not the only thing. 99% of us will never break tape or run neck-and-neck til the finish with the giants of our sport. So why not enjoy the journey a little bit more?

At the end of the day, it's a hobby for most of us. Something we're supposed to actually enjoy. The physiological benefits of it is simply a by-product of breaking a sweat and getting the heart going. It should never be the other way around. Remember that the next time you lace up.

I hope it your case, it doesn't take an injury for you to realize this.

Beautiful LA Sunday (Pt. 2 of 2)

So after Danica and I got our cheer on at the inaugural 13.1 Marathon on Sunday, the 2nd part of our day involved running the last 6.2 miles of the LA Marathon. Our tentative plan is to run segments of the route backwards in the future working our way east (we're dyslexic that way) while enjoying some of the finer parts of LA that comes with the course this year.



Thanks to Danica's friend Chris, a local television anchor and an inspiring athlete in his own right, we were dropped off after the race at the 20 mile mark of the course. From there, we would proceed west towards the beach to run the final 10K. In this spirit, I decided to don last year's LA Marathon bib to mark the occasion. I'm sure people were looking at me going where is the race??


Don't hate

Not to rub it in to our friends out in chilly temps, but by this point - almost noon - the day had warmed up sufficiently and we were already both a little tired from riding our bikes around all morning and cheering our butts off. It was probably somewhere in the mid-to-upper 70's with the sun nearing its apex in the sky.


After entering the VA Grounds


Danica abiding by the rules of the road

We started off near the entrance of the Veteran's Memorial Hospital and the first segments of this part of the course involved running through the grounds. It was quiet on this Sunday and this is also where we would encounter the only significant uphill of the course (coming down and up an underpass). After about a mile plus of the windy roads within the hospital, we were let out of the VA grounds and into the affluent and beautiful neighborhood of Brentwood.



For the next 4+ miles, we would run exclusively on the famous San Vicente Blvd where many runners and cyclist enjoy the large road consisting of bike lanes and grassy median that runs the length of the street. LA Marathoners will also enjoy a gradual downhill along this section while running next to beautiful mansions that will make you sigh at their grandeur and if you're honest, major twinges of envy.



We kept our paces modest due to the weather and because we were already a bit worn out from the morning but took the time to take pictures and videos and try to enjoy the day. After running on the median for awhile, we opted to run the rest of the way on the shady sidewalk to our left while pounding back the fluids. Here are some of the pictures we took along the way at the approximate mile marks:











A little after the 25 mile mark (our 5 mile mark) we hit the famous Palisades Park on Ocean Avenue. It is truly a runner's paradise with finely groomed dirt paths cutting through grassy patches as it sits cliffside atop Pacific Coast Highway and a breath-taking view of the Pacific Ocean.

..OR, you can choose to describe it this way as Danica had (what??):



Um...ok. Anyway, as beautiful as the running path was, we were both starving and sapped of energy. So we picked things up a bit and decided to haul ass a bit. My fat and out-of-shape butt could barely keep up with that girl, especially in the last mile when she decided to book it towards the finish at the intersection of Ocean Ave and Santa Monica Blvd:



Awww..





Anyway, we took a quick minute or two to capture the last photograph or two before getting back to my car and booking it to a delicious BBQ courtesy of Nina. We were ravenous and loaded up on delicious brisket, chicken, beer and anything else we could get our hands on.

A perfect cap to a perfect day! Thanks for reading.



(Danica and I are talking about going east of the course so stay tuned for future runs of us running segments of the new and vastly improved LA Marathon route!)

Beautiful LA Sunday (Pt. 1 of 2)

Yeah, I know - it's weird. 13.1 Marathon?

Anyway, the good people at the inaugural event were gracious enough to extend a comp entry, but given that I'm nowhere near running that kinda distance yet, I opted to spectate with my friend and blogger extraordinaire, Danica.


Pre-race.

Armed with two bikes, a tutu (for her), a boombox and plenty of moxie, we rode over and cheered our friends (and strangers) from 3 different spots along the Venice/Mar Vista course. Check that - we cheered our asses off.

After parking our cars a bit ways away, I strapped the boombox to my back and we got on our bikes in the chilly morning to the start of the half-marathon in time for her to meet up with her friend Chris and catch the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. A random and pleasant surprise befell yours truly when I noticed a tall, lanky dude roaming the start area (he did not race) and quickly realized...it's Scott Jurek! He was a very nice dude and after talking to him a bit, Danica and I hopped on our bikes and made our way down the boardwalk about a mile away.

The morning was still quiet with mostly homeless folks roaming the boardwalk. But soon enough, down came the lead car and lead runners. One of whom, was none other than kick-ass ultra chick, Jenn Shelton! Where was I?? What were these ultra runners doing at a half-marathon?





Anyway, we made our way over to a couple of different points and kept spirits high. Out of the boombox came a mix of rock, rap and cheesy oldies but goodies (think Journey and Phil freakin' Collins) that we burned onto disks the night before. Here's a sampling of what we (ok, mostly Danica) were doing to keep the crowd motivated (and laughing at us):





Anyway, it was good times and we really had a great time cheering on the runners while still making it fun for ourselves. Here are a few more pics of the day, with a special shout-out to Stuart, June, Penny and all others that came out this gorgeous LA day to run!


Danica cheering on her friend Chris.


Dorks. (you'll find out why I'm wearing the LA Marathon bib tomorrow..)


Stuart, kicking ass and taking names.


"I shall call you...Mini Me."


The Blog Party.


Shelton, me, Jurek

Ya can't beat January in LA...good job runners!


(*Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2 of our day - running the last 10K of the LA Marathon course)