Running for (in) the Jersey

I am sure we have all had the issue of things like vacation or business trips interrupting your routine.  Well last week I spent 5 days in beautiful New Jersey.  Yes you got me right, they don't call New Jersey the Garden State for nothing.

Well facing a 3 hour time difference and excellent food, I still made sure I got out for a couple of runs.  I was staying in Hamilton,

 
NJ which has the beautiful Veteran's Park.  There were a few beautiful dirt trails and a few asphalt trails.  However, it was enough to motivate me to get up at what would have been 3:00 AM (PDT) the left coast time, however I did it.  

Now food wise, I didn't do so well.  You can only get the best cannoli and Italian food in the country in New Jersey; however, I was still able to keep my routine.

Well today I will be running my first race of the year.  This will be just a fun 5K; however, this will be the first run the family has done together in a couple of years so I am realy exited.  I will post shortly about that.

Moving towards a routine

The end of Indian Creek Ravine at Shell Ridge

Well, I've cracked a couple of nuts over the last couple of weeks.  

First, I have been working on a routine.  Routine is priority number one.  For the last couple of years I was focused on a specific mile or time frame.  This would mean that I had to run a specific amount of miles per week and they had to be over 4 miles to be beneficial.  However, this was self defeating and not fun since I was not ready for that kind of run in my current condition. 

And really I have a truly boring running trail near me.  While the Iron horse trail does and has served a purpose, it is easily beat by my workday runs on the Embarcadero when I was in San Francisco or the trails nearby.

Well a few months ago I was talking to a workmate who mentioned a trail that was about a 10 to 12 minute drive from work.  Being familiar with the area, I knew I could drive about another 3 minutes for another less "big hill" at the beginning of the run that would serve as a way to get my running legs back.

My goal was to find a something relatively short (hear I go again), like a 2.5 to 3 mile loop.  I wanted also a nice long stretch of downhill single track that I can work on pace while also a nice but not too steep up hill to work my climbing skills back in.  I also wanted a way to cut the run short without too much backtrack.

Well I found it in Shell Ridge.  This was my wife and her friend's old stomping grounds the last running go-around.  I really needed something with a lot of variation, not the flat droning of the old Iron Horse cement trail.

I even ran into a rattlesnake the first day!

The Rattlesnake the first time out. I ended up jumping over it!

Now the key, like I said is a routine.  So I have found time to run three days a week at Shell Ridge with one day of bicycling thrown in to break up the running.  Also,  I make sure I get out.  One day I realized I would need to keep my run short.  So instead of making up an excuses of why not to run, I went ahead, drove to the staging area and ran 1.5.   That is actually really huge for me.   In the past I would have chalked up a shorter run like that as a waste.  However, I am having a much better time running and don't mind as long as it gets me out of the office.

So here's to moving back into a routine.  My biggest challenge will be next week when I am in New Jersey for work.  A 3 hour time difference means that I will need to get up early to get a run in.  However, even if it is short, at least I maintain my routine.

Getting back into it

Start, stop, repeat.

So have you ever caught yourself in your own version of the movie Groundhog Day?  What I am specifically talking about is getting the motivation to get going, get moving.  You know you need to find ways to de-stress.  You know you enjoyed trail running and it greatly helped.  You loved cycling until it became your primary mode of transportation to and from work.  You even loved writing this blog as a way to get your words on paper.   All of this helped de-stress.

But what happens when life just gets in the way.  You are back working at a company you enjoy, but this time you, in the words of Lin Manual Miranda, "Not going to blow this shot!"  Yours schedule and priorities shift.  When you are working to get the help your son needs in school because of his own anxieties and ADHD, you shift focus.

Well, here I go again, trying to revive this blog, trying to get back and enjoy running and cycling.

I am back to basics, just like I was 10 years ago.  Of course this means I am 10 years older and two years from 50.  I always wanted to do a 50 miler when I am 50; however, there is absolutely no way in my current physical condition. But there is enough time to at least get back to doing 50K's by that time and who knows if I can even achieve that scary elusive but seductive 50 miler.

So my current and humble goals are as follows:

• Run the Bear Creek Trail 5K in 35 minutes.  This is in August
• Run the Walnut Festival 5K in 29 minutes.  This is in late September
• Run a 10K in October like the Rocky Ridge or Lagoon Valley
• Surf City Half Marathon February 4th, 2018

And I do have one week of running down.  I have found a nice 2.8 mile trail loop to run.  It has a little bit of elevation and will be nice to run laps later as I get back my endurance.  Anyway, that catches me up.  Now off to the trails.

Snow on Mount Diablo

Included you will find the most recent pictures of snow on Mount Diablo.  Keep in mind, this is March in California, so to have snow around the 2,500 foot level of the mount is pretty awesome.

I was trying my panorama feature on my phone, so that is why there are so many panorama pictures. My daughter is in photography class so she joined me on the short hike.

We went out between a couple of thunderheads and it was a brisk 39 degrees with the wind blowing. We are only a few hundred feet above sea level so really unheard of this time of year.

 

Back on Track, Sort Of.....Diablo Summit Stomp in 1 week

To say I have no business running in the Diablo Summit Stop 30K is an understatement.  My training was derailed three weeks by a cold and I am the heaviest I have been since I began running.  And it doesn't help that the rain has come to California for the first time in awhile.   However, this is more of a mental challenge for me with the goal of beating cut-offs and finishing.

I know that may sound a bit bizarre.  However,  part of my problem over the last year or so is motivation and getting my butt in gear.  While the 30K includes 4,400 feet of elevation gain and I know my quads will be thrashed after, I am really excited about this run.

I have a strategy for completing.  I know the course very well.  I know when I need to run and when it is smart to hike.  It is the later point that I know I will  allow me to succeed.  

That said, I am finally well and been on the trails looking for as many climbs and technical drops as possible.  A coworker suggested that I try a local open space that is 8 minutes from work, Shell Ridge.  While I am very familiar with the area, I never thought that it was close enough to work to run at lunch.

So this week I was rewarded with some awesome terrain.  Like I said, it has been very cloudy and rainy so I wasn't sure how sloppy the trails would be.  My perseverance was rewarded with nice climbs and very little slimy mud to deal with.

Once up the trail at the Homestead Park trail head, I was able to connect to the trails I know well.  Shell Ridge is an actual shell fossil ridge.  The primary hill has shells a couple of thousand years old and is pretty awesome to take the kids on.

My favorite part of this open space is the single track.  There is a lot of it to explore.  My favorite parallels Indian Creek and runs through an Oak Glen.

All in all, I know physically I am not ready for the 30K.  This will be a mental over body exercise.  However, the main purpose is to get me kick started.  I would love to do the Surf City Marathon in February, so I am hoping that this event will push me in the right direction.

Phlegm when running, what do you do?

I really had high hopes that my allergies were just that.  That lead to a cold that turned into a secondary infection and a 10 day regimen of antibiotics. Well, finally this week I am finally well, except phlegm that sits at the back of my throat leading to gagging and coughing. My wife calls it my old man cough.   But really it is caused by foamy bubbles that sit right at the top of my esophagus.

Obviously I am not running.  But it does remind me of my last half marathon.  In the last couple of years I have found that there are times when I have this problem when running.  It especially happens when I eat gels or any "juicy" candy.   

When the gag reflex occurs when I run, I start hacking so badly that I feel like I am going to blackout.  So I have a little bit of phobia when it happens.  Because of this, gels just don't work and I have to find other nutrition.  That's not a problem on trail runs.  I love the salted potatoes or chips and watermelon.  However, on road races I am a little up a creek and find I have to slow down and either eat a nut butter or gel, wait until it has cleared and then start up again.

When you Google this subject you will find that causes can be asthma, hydration,  or allergies.  One thing I can tell you is that when I am lighter (under 210 lbs) I don't have this problem and no one could suggest that I am under-hydrated .So it is probably weight related (I am at 240 right now).

How do you control your phlegm when running?

Sicko....weeks Sept. 12th through the 25th.....

Well I don't normally get sick.  But here, actually trying to build back a routine, and the kids go back to school and then bring home the plague.   It is such a lovely cold, first starts in the sinuses, then just when you think you are over it, your lungs fill up with white gu.

So this means that I am will have a shorter window to complete my initial goal.  Brazen Racing has a new 30K course that runs to the top of Mount Diablo and  down called the Diablo Summit Stomp which I have been eyeing.

It is all about strategy, this course.  The first 4 miles are runable before you begin the 9 mile climb up 3,800 feet of elevation gain.  Then you drop for the remaining 5 miles, again very much a quad blowing drop.

There is a 6.5 hour cut off, so really doable.   Its just that big question, do I want this to be the first race in over a year?

 

Matt Davis Trail.....Week of Sept. 5th through Sept. 11th

This was a good week, with a little treat, hiking up then running down the Matt Davis trail which is near Stinson Beach, CA.   This is a pretty technical trail with stairs, ruts, and rocks to keep your feet constantly moving in all directions.  I love technical so this was a treat.  

This trip almost didn't occur; however, family friends suggested going to the beach for fun and suggested the trail.  We have only done it a couple of times and I really didn't want to go, just because I would have preferred to hike / run this with my family and felt I wasn't going to be able to do so.  That said, once everyone got to Table Rock, which is about a mile up, everyone decided to turn around.

This was my chance.  I told my wife I was going to hike a little farther and she gave me the all knowing be careful look.  She knew I planned on bombing down the trail.  I only went up another half mile, up to where I knew I had a 1,000 feet of vertical to run.  I am glad I did, since the trail really got gnarly past Table Rock. I also didn't want them to wait too long for me so I knew this should mean that I would meet up with them towards the bottom.

Downward I went, and boy I had forgotten how much I missed this.   Switchback, rock drops, tree ruts and all.   Almost to Table Rock, I had too much fun, finding myself flying through the air.  You know one of those moments you think "Okay, I'm falling, to the left is the cliff so I need to land on my right, in the bush.  I hope it's not poison oak!"  And down I fell. I sat there smiling.  I checked myself out. I had scarfed my knee and my leg, now bleeding.  My mind quickly jumped to Monty Python and said out loud "its only a flesh wound!" and got up and started running.  The only irreparable damage was a small scratch on my new Garmin Fenix 2 which I was happy about only because it would remind me of this adventure.  

I got back to the car just as everyone else was.  My wife gave me a quick look up and down with the "I knew you were going to fall" look and all ways good!

The rest of the week consisted of a few more runs, training level.  I am only getting my base back, so right now I am looking for consistency.   The run down the trail at Matt Davis didn't affect my quads at all which means at least I have the muscle memory.  I just need to get my cardio back.

This weeks stats:

• 11.1 miles
• 1,148 feet of climbing
• 2 hours 44 minutes of running

On face value, this looks like a backslide from the previous week; however I am going for being smart this time around, and baring another fall, no injuries. The even bigger accomplishment is that I completed my first 5 mile run.  My standard short runs used to be at 5 miles, so it was nice to see my old friend: the "Mount Diablo Blvd" sign.

On to my next week!

Week of August 29th through Sept. 4th

So I am starting back up this blog as a record of my training and to share pictures of the week.  Pretty boring stuff; however, it will keep me motivated.  I may do reviews and like before, but I have kind of liked Leor Pantilat blog where he has shown his adventures as well as Lucho's site on Joghard so I will probably focus on updating accordingly.

I need accountability as another outlet to de-stress, so hopefully me getting back in the habit of posting will satisfy both those needs.

For the week of August 29th I completed:

•       4 hours 12 minutes of running  over to 5 days
•       16.7 miles
•       1,404 feet of elevation gain

I recently updated my watch to a Garmin Fenix 2 and probably will write a review on it.  Needless to say, while it is very similar to my old Fenix, the updated watch makes a lot more sense to me, like how I can sync up after a run instantly through Bluetooth.  I used to go through three different steps.

This weeks run had me running my old haunts on Lime Ridge as well as the Ironhorse trail.  It has been a bit disappointing to have start from the beginning after taking a year off; however, my legs feel stronger and I don't seem to have the niggles that I was suffering from.  

I will have to be resolved to some 3 to 5 mile runs until I can go without stopping and be also satisfied with a slower pace.  Two things are slowing me down: 1. extra weight (I am now back to 240 lbs.) 2. Getting my cardiovascular back where I can run longer distances.    My legs are fine and they are holding up.  If I can get 30 lbs off, I will be back to where I was when I ran Way Too Cool and then could start to consider a marathon or ultra.


I will end with a few phrases I like to focus on.  These are three of my favorites:

• Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react to it
• Focusing on a number will not cause change. Focusing on change will improve the numbers.
• Before you act listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn.  Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try.

Balance and Accountablility

Vince Lombardi is credited with saying that "there are three things that are important to every man in this locker room.  His God, his family, and the Green Bay Packers.  In that order."

Well I by no means am a football fan. However I appreciate these words are full of wisdom.  A balanced life means having the right priorities in place.  Once activities like work take priority over family, then your life is out of balance. Once family becomes more important than your relationship with God, then life is out of balance.

Trail running has its place in a balanced life.  It provides an a way to mitigate the stress at work, spend time with the family, and appreciate God's creation. 

However, if you have been occasionally reading this blog over the years, you may have noticed  that I haven't posted since May.  Shortly after that post, I stopped both running or commuting by bicycle on a regular basis.  One of the reasons was due to lagging injury caused by an ice skating fall back in January.  The fall caused a herniated disk in my neck that would sporadically flair up.  I also started a new job in January and I been having too much fun at work.  I have also allowed additional stress to prove I provide value since I fear time I was laid off 4 years ago as well as working at a company that was not that great of a fit.

Found this buck while I was hiking with my wife.

Well, on the positive side, I haven't had the neck issue in a couple of months.  The problem of taking this much time is that genetics have kicked in resulting in a 25 pound weight gain. This has added to my stress.  What has worked in to relieve stress?  Running and commuting by bike.  What have I not been doing during the last four months?  Running and commuting by bike.

Way past time to gain balance.  Which brings me to the second half of the title...


Accountability

To be frank, when I started this blog, I used this to feed my desire to write.  I used to love to write when I was a kid.  It also brought balance by relieving stress. And by reviewing what I wrote I could make adjustments.  Also by writing down my thoughts it brought about a basic level of accountability.

Before this day, I never rode the trails with my daughter.

Blogging allowed me to bridge an old pastime with a new love, running, to be able to express my self.  Also, having lost a lot of weight, I found that maintaining this blog put a level of accountability to maintain a certain level of fitness.  I also have used Strava to further accountability.  Some how convincing yourself that you are accountable to your friends on Strava and those who read this blog keeps you pushing and trying to improve.  But it is easy to loose balance by putting too much focus on accountability. 

I also found that the reason I ran changed.  Instead of a fun activity I enjoyed with my family, running became a way to push my limits. That in itself isn't bad.  However, when it the family enjoyment in the activity suffers for my own selfish gain, well there is where I was imbalanced.  I think you will find that some of my posts reflect that.  

The morning of the Color run.

Back to Balance with Accountability


This past week I had the benefit of taking the week off.  We went nowhere.  We just did activities as a family.  We went and saw a movie.  We went bowling.  We took a short hike.  In fact we have been doing that a lot lately.

A couple of weeks ago we did a Color run.  Not my favorite activity.  I much rather be on the trails and having people throwing colored cornstarch at you as you are trying to breath, well seems contrary to a good time.  

One happy boy....and papa!

The course ran the Embarcadero, along my old running course when I worked at my previous company and ran through AT&T park along the warning track.  It had rained a couple of hours before so the course was a sloppy muddy mess.  Perfect condition for a trail runner not so much for these runners.  These folks were about to get covered in dust but tip-toed around mud puddles.  But my family made me proud  running with abandon through the brown slop as they were stared at with disgust buy these other runners.

At the end, I had a great time running with my family.  Balance......

Also, I have been running a bit.  Short distances. Some hills.  But I am taking the time to enjoy the run.  Yes I am still using Strava (I downgraded from Premium) but it is more for my accountability with my self, not others. Balance...

And thus the reason for this post.  I am back to blogging.  This weekend has further re-grounded and balanced me.  I will write because I like to write.  I run because I like to run.

But the real reason I will post is accountability to myself and to my family.  I need to be healthy.  And this blog has been a proven method to keep me accountable to healthy living.  So you may find me write more about my family here.  You may find activities that have nothing to do with running or a racing...Just more balance.....

That said, you will always find some awesome pictures of the Bay Area trails through out this blog.  I have also added my Instagram feed which will serve as a bit of micro-blogging also.  It seems like I am enjoying photography also.

A Short But Worth Reporting Run in Red Rock Canyon

I will start by saying that I hate Las Vegas.  However, due to business in town I found myself at a resort in Henderson, NV.  So while everyone else was drawn into  The Strip with all its gaudy lights and glamor I was drawn 30 minutes east to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservatory.


What surprises me about this place is that it is so close and visible from Las Vegas; however, I think is one of the unspoiled treasurers of the Southwest.

Of course I wanted to cover as much as I could in the short window after work and darkness.  What is funny about this though is that when you enter the Conservatory you are given a map with exaggerated hiking times.  I focused in on Calico Tanks trail which really a reedy large pond at the end.  This is a pretty technical trail with the occasional climb over a boulder or two.  The trail map said to expect covering the 2.5 mile round trip trail in over two hours.  Huh?  OK, that's more than an easy challenge to take.

The Calico Tanks

What makes this trail runnable is the many rock "steps" that if you are paying attention to will get you to the top.

I would have to say this is one of the most beautiful places I have laid my eyes on.  With the Spring Mountains due east, there is a wonderful contrast to each zone.

Once I got to the pool, I did a little more exploring before heading back.  Thanks to Strava, I kind of figured there would be  a segement to place, and of course I wanted to place better than the bottom.  

The run back down went quick and I enjoyed every moment of it.  I suppose if I hadn't taken as many pictures I would have gotten down sooner.  Oh well.

Just before  I got back to the car, I took another trail so that I could get at least 3.5 miles.  In all it took me just longer than an hour.

If the casinos are not your style, I would recommend the visit.

Deer Flat Eagle Peak Loop #1

It has been a long time since I did a post.  There have been a lot of changes that have taken my focus on writing this blog, specifically starting a new job.  With the new job has meant a new much shorter commute that I can bike to and new (old) trails.  In fact, with the company only being 8.5 miles from the house, I even have tried a commute run.  That was pretty fun.

When I started this blog, I did so to keep my interest and motivation in running and health in general.  And over the last couple of months, this motivation has waned just a bit.

But I am back at it. This year will have a couple of events which I will write about the after the fact.  However, this year will be more about the getting back to basics, having fun, and celebrating accomplishments.  

Which brings me to the title of this post.  I have mentioned before that we live a little over a mile from the Mitchell Canyon staging area which provides access to Mt. Diablo.  There is everything from fire trails to some pretty awesome technical single track.

So last Sunday morning I pushed myself out of bed and decided to run the Deer Flat Eagle Peak Loop.  While only 8.5 miles long, this loop provides a nice steep fire trail to Deer Flat, then over to Macchio Gap and then down a saddle-back single track highly technical trail over and down Eagle Peak.  There is 2,300 feet of elevation.

This will be my training grounds this year.  With all the climbing and descending, I should be able to become a stronger runner and with all the technical, become a better trail runner.

My goal is to exceed the loop 10 times this year.  I hope to explore a longer loop, which will include Deer Flat to the Diablo Waterfall loop, but that will come later.


Enjoy the pictures from last Sunday's run.

Running from What? A Trip to Washington State

Well, a trip back to Washington State to visit family was a long time coming.  Me running in Washington was even longer since I haven't run in the state since high school over 27 years ago.

The challenge with visiting family is my wife and mine's families are spread between Eastern and Western Washington.  Combine that with timing the visit with their schedule, it was definitely a challenge.  We would start off in the Tri-Cities for a four days, travel over the Cascades to Tacoma for a four days, and then wind up in Central Washington in Ellensburg.

It was my goal to run at least one day in each location.  In the Tri-Cities I would run the Horse Heaven Hills.  In Tacoma, I wanted to run my old cycling grounds in Point Defiance Park.  In Ellensburg, I wanted to run along the Yakima River.  

So keep in mind I am from the Bay Area in California.  So for me cold is the 40's.  Well the first run in Eastern Washington was pretty cold, well in the 30's with a major wind chill.  Not that I was complaining since the drive up through Oregon saw temperatures drop in the mid-teens.

  

Horse Heaven Hills - Kennewick, WA

 The run through the Horse Heaven Hills was awesome and proved to be a good test for a first run with my Hoka One One Stinsons.  I left my father-in-laws and quickly got into the hills.  Barren but beautiful, the hills provided vistas of the Blue Mountains to east, Badger Mountain to the West, and the Columbia and Snake Rivers to the North.  The terrain was wet sand and rolling hills, however, with the direction of the gusts I found myself being pushed up the hills and being held back on the descents.  It was a good 7 mile run though and the desolation provided a perfect outlet. You can find the map and Strava detail here.



Point Defiance - Tacoma, WA

The next run I have been looking forward since I began running seven years ago.  When I was in my twenties, I had convinced myself that while I needed to have some sort of exercise, I was not and would never be a runner.  So I turned to riding my bike. From my parents house I could ride 10 miles round trip through 5 Mile drive in Point Defiance and back.  I wasn't fast, but I could easily see the winter pounds drop as I rode from May to September.

This trip though would test my will to run in the rain but I was going to this trip no matter what.  I also wanted to run the trails instead of staying on the 5 Mile Drive.

I would have to say after my first run in the park, I really don't understand why anyone would ever run on the road.  This is a beautiful trail system.  It isn't technical at all but the single track through the Ferns and Douglas Fir and was awesome.   And someone with trail running background must have marked these trails with each loop color coded and easy to follow.

I took the dark blue trail which besides taking me deep into the park also had me running along the edge of the bluff overlooking the Puget Sound.  I would also say the vistas of Vashon Island, Gig Harbor, and the Narrows Bridge were spectacular. You can find the map and the Strava detail of the first Point Defiance run here. This route ended up being 5.8 miles.

I had such an awesome run I talked my wife to run the next day.  We were rewarded with no rain.  I made a slight adjustment to the run this time which took us deeper into the forest, where the trees cause twilight on the trails.  It was gorgeous and I felt privileged to share the run with my wife.  A note for next time though: this route is best run clockwise instead of the counter clockwise way we went since it is pretty much all up hill until the last half mile.  Overall, it was a good 4.3 mile run.  The map and Strava detail of this run is found here.

Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park - Ellensburg, WA

The final run was in Ellensburg which sits along the Yakima River.  I had run here with my wife 5 years ago when we were training for our first attempt at the San Francisco Marathon.  This time I wanted to run along the River though.  I had used Strava to locate a couple of segments in Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park I wanted to make my mark; however, I thought I could string along a good long run along  the river.  Well, the total trail access I could find was a little over 2.5 miles long round trip.  This meant that I would also string along another trail that afforded me beautiful views of the snowy Cascades to the west.  

By now the temperatures had dropped again and I found myself running at 18 degrees.  Burr!!!  However, I have to say the run along the river was beautiful, abet short.   The leaves were still falling so the golds and yellows were a wonderful contrast to the roaring river.  I wish this portion was longer but oh well, it was again a perfect outlet before the long marathon of a drive home.  For the map and Strava detail, check here.

I normally don't run on trips and I have always kicked myself for not doing so.  However, with this trip it has me really considering doing a trail run up there.  On my radar is the Volcano 50K around Mount Saint Helens, the Chuckanut 50K (a place I am really familiar with - I came down with chicken pox on the way back from Canada), the Orcas Island 50K (I used to fish off the islands near there) and if I truly am ambitious someday doing the White River 50 Miler (near Crystal Mountain which I skied every Christmas). 

We are definitely spoiled here in the Bay Area but I can say that the runners in Washington are just as spoiled.  That is probably why the likes of Geof Roes and Hal Kroener got their start there before moving south.  Definitely a place I plan on running again.