My New Long Run Buddy!

"Matt promised it wouldn't rain much on us," I explained to Lanore as we drove south for our weekend long run. Matt went back to Michigan for a week, leaving me to find a buddy for my long trail run. I always get a little nervous when I go on a long run with someone new. Sometimes they try to compete, always staying one step ahead of me. Others get impatient with my slow trail running and leave me behind. As it turns out, Lanore was great. Not only was she patient, I think our long run paces meshed well and we fatigued at about the same rate.

Rockefeller Grove

Fog and low clouds hung in the Bull Creek delta as we crossed the stream. Since this would be our only crossing for the twenty mile run, we decided to remove our shoes instead of fording the river as we normally would. Too many miles in wet socks, we agreed.

We started with the River Trail and soon found ourselves moving at a brisk hike up Grasshopper Road. Climbs like this are where some buddies have dumped me and run up ahead. Lanore stayed by my side. We climbed higher into that foggy cloud, the air growing thicker with each step skyward. I wondered if we'd actually pop out above the clouds, but so far it wasn't happening.

My best friends are running buddies. Even though I've made a lot of improvements over the years, I still find myself painfully shy when conversing face-to-face with someone. Chatting with someone at my side and not making eye contact really helps me open up. Running provides a little distraction as well as a subject of conversation.  Over the course of our day-long run, we comfortably chat about our families, backgrounds, and of course, our upcoming races.

As we chat, the landscape changes around us. Fog has a way of intensifying the colors, saturating each hue as it contrasts with nature. The Douglas Fir were covered in rich, vibrant moss. Needles and cones lining the trail glowed dark orange and brown. When I first came to this part of California, I thought fog made the world look bleak and dreary, but I've grown to love how this particular feature makes it even more beautiful.

I hadn't planned a summit of Grasshopper Peak into our itinerary, but since we were so close to the top, Lanore insisted. Easygoing, she didn't mind when my proposed 20 mile run ended up being 22.75 miles instead. As we approached the summit, it appeared we would climb above the clouds. Great ribbons of light danced behind the trees as we passed them, fragmenting to reveal every color of the rainbow.

A howling wind met us as we climbed from the shelter of the trees to the rocky summit. We huddled behind the fire lookout tower while we had a snack and added a few layers. It was FREEZING. We took a few photos to prove we made it to the top and hastily made our descent.

Looking at this photo still makes me shiver.

This is always where I hit the most euphoric runner's highs: going down off of Grasshopper Peak. Since it is the highest point in the park, it is always an overall descent from here. Matt scolds me for creating routes like this because it all but eliminates a bonk at the end with most of the climbing is done early, but these are my favorite. Downhill running is so light and carefree, I often have my wildest ideas and silliness on this particular descent.

The steep downhill relents as we move onto Johnson Camp Trail. Lanore and I talk about my trail race. Since the club approved it, I've been dutifully working on building a website and getting the word out. I will let you know when the site is up and running in case you want to come see this pretty trail for yourself. There's a 30K and 10.5 mile distance.

I take this run to quiz Lanore on her training style and habits. I'm especially curious because she appears to make gains the same way I do, one great linear decrescendo in race times. From the secrets she was willing to give away, it appeared to be a similar style as mine revolving mostly on a solid mileage base year round. Makes sense. Who wants to start all over again with each training cycle? It's about balancing rest and stress, and she seems to have it figured out.

As we reached the Flats with the most giant of the Redwoods, I thought back to my previous long run here, the one on Christmas Day. It felt sluggish at every pace, both walking and running, my legs  carrying the heavy fatigue of a bashed up immune system. Today's run felt wonderful and strong right until the end. Even without discussing it with my doctor, I'm convinced that allergy shots just aren't going to work for my lifestyle. I am thankful that at this point, immunotherapy is an elective treatment and not something I HAVE to do to feel better. I'll keep my tired October/March pattern, thanks.

Large raindrops begin slowly at first, then become more numerous as we approach the car. Perfect timing. That night during our phone call, I thank Matt for the accurate forecast and warn him that he should come home soon or I might replace him as my long run buddy!

22.75 miles
4,500 ft. climbing
time unknown: Garmin died spontaneously near the summit. probably ~ 5 hours