Shasta Bally

Left foot, right foot, just keep mo-ving, the rhythmic line matching my footsteps plays on repeat in my head as I march onward. I'm barely one quarter mile into the hike and my legs are screaming. The trek to the top of Shasta Bally isn't for everybody. At this moment, I'm wondering if I should be included in that group.

Rachel and I get an early start to beat the midday heat and wind at the top of this mountain. Standing just 6,200 feet above sea level at her highest point, Shasta Bally is hardly among the tallest, but towering almost five thousand feet above everything else in the area, it makes the view from the top pretty incredible. So I shuffle up, the muscles on the back of my legs lit up by a fiery ache that I can't ignore.

From my visit in March. Shasta Bally is that gorgeous white mountain in the background.

Unrelenting in its steepness, the trail climbs at a punishing twenty-plus percent grade for the entire trek to the top. The only way to get the pain to go away is to stop. Lucky for us, it's a sunny day and we're able to find spots sheltered enough from the wind to make breaks enjoyable.

Mt. Shasta in her winter white (finally!!!) coat.

Our conversation is reduced to a series of groans as we reach another bend in the road only to find another even steeper incline waiting around the corner. The previous night, while resting my legs for this hike, I came across a flow chart from one of my favorite blogs. The chart was titled "Did You Have a Good Adventure?" We make a joke of it as we go up:

"BUT DID YOU DIE? ----> NO ------> IT WAS A GOOD ADVENTURE"

"DID YOU JUST DO IT FOR INSTAGRAM?-----> YES ------> LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THIS HERE"

Apparently everything is a good adventure if you don't die.

As Rachel pulls ahead of me and my pace slows, I think of Matt, back in town, resting up for the ultramarathon he plans to run the following morning. Why didn't he want to come with us? A nice easy hike like this to loosen up his legs sounds divine. As for me, I swapped my long run for this hike. It's only twelve miles round trip, but it easily feels like twice that.

We crunch through frozen mud for a mile or two before we emerge from the forest, leaving nothing but an exposed ridge covered in chaparral. A series of switchbacks appear and finally the mountain has mercy on us. Climbing over a snowy crust, the pace isn't much faster, but now I've got unobstructed views of the eastern Trinity Alps to keep me company.

Thanks Selfie Stick! RC photo credit.

An icy breeze greets us at the top. We hastily shoot a few photos, for Instagram of course, hehe, while taking in panoramic views of Mt. Shasta, Lassen Peak, and Whiskeytown Lake. Then we retreat to a more protected spot to enjoy our snacks.

Selfie stick. LOL for days!!

Mt. Shasta, Whiskeytown Lake, and Lassen Peak.

We pass a stand of trees in a cirque below the summit. A snow storm passed through overnight, painting the western side of each tree a fresh coat of white, the one pocket of winter remaining at this elevation. Summer is coming soon!

Rachel and I find a spot hidden from the unrelenting north wind. The south side of the mountain is sunny and warm and even more beautiful than the view north. I spot a web of trails weaving through the mountains below and make a mental note to do more research. There's never enough time to explore them all.

The sunshine. The mountaintop. EEEEEEEEEE! I love the mountains!

Reluctant to leave, my legs creak in protest as I stand up. They are not looking forward to the return trip. During the Tour du Mont Blanc trip I took a few years ago, I quickly learned that it wasn't the climbing to be feared, it was the descent. When it's this steep, going downhill is worse.

We start off down the mountain through the snow. The crusty layer has softened and each footstep is cushioned. Once we return to the gravel trail, I focus on taking small steps in a feeble attempt to minimize damage to my quads. Our return trip is quiet and uneventful. We meet a lone female hiker about a mile from the end. We stop to chat and it's here I notice my legs quivering uncontrollably.

Shasta Bally from Redding.

As we pull into the hotel parking lot where Matt and Zoey are waiting for us, Shasta Bally looks on from a distance. I point up at it. "We were just up there!" I tell Rachel enthusiastically. My legs are still shaking and won't stop until that evening when I take two ibuprofen just so I can fall asleep.

 12 miles, 4:47, 4,487 ft. gain

I've climbed a lot of steep mountainsides, but Shasta Bally still remains the most physically difficult hike I've ever done.

"BUT DID YOU DIE? -----> NO -----> IT WAS A GOOD ADVENTURE!" 

 Heck yes it was!

Avenue Training and Goals

Race week is here! On Sunday, I'll be toeing my seventeenth marathon starting line. One would think that with experience comes comfort, calm, and confidence, but that is not how it works for me and the marathon. The final week before the race is a bundle of nerves as I ride a veritable seesaw between confidence and total dread.

Marathon course mile 12.

I would be lying if I said this spring hasn't been difficult for me. My health hasn't been where it should be and as a result, my running isn't either. I still have workouts that are amazing and fill me with hope, only to be followed by some so inexplicably terrible that I cannot imagine wanting to run fast ever again.

Since my training has felt inconsistent, I decided to look back on my training and key workouts. They're all there. Most weeks, I even got some formal speed runs in and actually enjoyed them. Here's the part where most people would show you fancy Garmin or Strava stats in neat little electronic form and fonts. But I'm not at all like that. Here's how I do it.

Looks good, right?

Since my allergies still continue to surprise me (and not in a good way), I decided to play it safe and go with a three week taper. Better to be extra rested and a little stale than to be overly tired. I'm trying to nap every day and stay hydrated. That springy feeling is returning to my legs.

Call it optimism or or call it stupidity, I'm still hopeful that Sunday will be a good day. 

I helped the race director freshen up mile markers on the road. It was a good visual reminder of the course. Also, there's no wall at mile 20. Whew, that's good to know.

Now for the goals part. In the early days of this blog, I used to set three time goals, A, B, and C, for myself. But as I've run more and more of these darn things and realized how everything has to line up so perfectly to reach that "A" Goal, I've stopped doing that. It's beyond disappointing to miss two or three out of my three goals.

When it comes to time goals, I usually set just one: the one that helps me set my starting pace. For this marathon, it's going to be an 8:12/mi. pace, which equates to a 3:35 marathon if I can hang on the whole way.

Mile 16 or 17. Hopefully we're feeling this energetic on race day.

Once I'm running, I'll reevaluate every few miles and go from there. It could be one of those minimal allergy days where I'm brimming with speed and energy or it could be a day where I can barely breathe and have to slow down. Either way, I'm going to do my best and finish proud of my effort, whatever that ends up being.  Twenty-six miles with the beautiful redwood forest will only suck if I let it, right? :)

BIG, TALL REDWOODS HERE I COME!

On Fueling

Vegetarian. Vegan. Gluten-Free. Paleo. Organic. GMO-Free. When I meet someone new who adheres to one of those diets, I ask a ton of questions. My questions never come from a place of judgment. I'm genuinely curious about their motivations, their favorite meals, and how their values shape their experiences and relationships with food.  I firmly believe there are lessons to learn from each and every one of these popular diet regimens.

Cheetos, while delicious, don't make a very filling running fuel. Who knew?

If I had to put a label on my preferences, I would say I'm a combination of "almost-vegetarian" and "That looks delicious! I'll have some of that!"

I frequently post my kitchen creations on this blog and Facebook. Over the years, I've been asked if I eat dessert every day (yes) and how the heck am I not 10,000 pounds right now.  Since people seem to be as curious as I am, I thought it would be fun to share some thoughts as they relate to my own diet.

Here are some things key points I consider when deciding what and how to eat:

There aren't any rules regarding specific foods. The moment I make a food off-limits is the moment I become fixated on my deprivation and eating (or not eating something) should never feel like a punishment. Waiters look at me funny when I order an egg white omelet with extra bacon or order a salad and milkshake together.

Danishes filled with M&Ms are yummy.

Avoid things with excessive packaging. I buy the quart of yogurt rather than buying the individual portion sizes. I try to buy things wrapped in recyclable containers, or better yet, no container at all. This is often the cheaper option, too.

Prioritize homemade foods. Since I spend more time at home than the average person, I get a lot more quality time with my kitchen. Creating something myself makes the eating part so much more enjoyable. By assembling meals myself, I can further understand and control what goes into each bite. For example, I don't add salt to anything except french fries. I don't realize how seldom I eat salty meals until I go out for dinner and constantly have to flag down the waiter and ask for more water. If the restaurant is busy, it's not unusual for me to ask for an entire pitcher of water so I don't run out, and then end up drinking the entire thing before the bill comes.

Roast chicken and vegetables: one of my "I'm feeling lazy" meals.

Savor meals and take note of how each food makes me feel. If something makes me feel heavy or sick, I'm more likely to avoid it in the future. I seldom drink and rarely overeat because I pay attention to how my body reacts. With all the scientific study done on nutrition, one would think proper nutrition is a huge mystery, but it's really is as simple as recognizing and listening to our bodies' signals.

When my garden isn't producing most of my vegetables, I shop based on what's in season. If something doesn't look good at the store, I don't buy it. Going with an open mind regarding produce selection is cheaper and makes cooking more of an adventure. For example, if the squash looks particularly delicious, I'll snap those up and look for recipes at home. I keep enough staple items around that this doesn't require an additional trip to the grocery store.

I heart my little garden.

When arranging my plate, I like to make my food look pretty. It's fun to add a creative, artful aspect to each meal's presentation. It makes mealtime more of an experience than a daily chore.

My most photogenic meal, by far, is the breakfast crepe.

Avoid eating the same thing every day. While it's certainly easier to stick to my favorite recipes and have Matt make fun of me for getting into food ruts, I truly enjoy expanding my recipe repertoire. One of my goals for 2016 is to devote a month to learning how to prepare a different new food. This month, I'm focusing on vegetarian protein sources. Nuts and cheese are so delicious together!

Mushroom Nut Loaf: one of the new recipes I've tried lately.

It could use a little more spice to it but the texture and foundation flavors were excellent.

I don't prioritize organics. Matt and I have been back and forth on this issue throughout our entire marriage. While I believe that it's important to buy organic for certain things like dairy products and produce that is hard to clean (like berries), I feel completely silly buying organic junk food. If I'm going to eat garbage, I'm going all in! Hellooooo Dairy Queen!

One area where I eat a lot of processed food is running fuel. Aside from its convenient packaging, I find gels much easier to eat when I'm racing hard on the road. I can't chew and run fast at the same time. I've tried and most of the time I either end up choking or drooling more than is acceptable in public.

When I trail race, I'm running for a longer period of time and am moving more slowly so I can eat more real foods. Most of the time, I let my inner five year old take over and I often end up with a sleeve of Oreos, gummy bears, and/or a Snickers bar stuffed in my pack. Others, like the photo below, feature a much more grown up choice like homemade pizza or a sandwich.

In general, I try my very best to make mindful choices for myself while keeping food fun.

Tell me about your diet. Do you follow a specific one (vegetarian, Paleo, etc.) or is yours a mixture of several, less specific ideas? 

How do you make eating fun? What do you prioritize?

Peak Week Training

Without warning, my appetite skyrockets and that familiar soreness returns to my legs. It always takes a few weeks to settle in, but by the final high mileage week, it is always there. This last peak week took me by surprise....again.

Zoey was happy I reinstated nap time.

This training cycle has been unusual. I bulked up my base in January and February, preparing to train for a 50 mile race. When that didn't work out, I maintained 50+ mile weeks trying to figure out what I wanted to do. By the time mid-March came around, I made the decision to run the Avenue of the Giants Marathon. That base and regular speed training I was already doing paid off because instead of just six weeks of training before the taper, it really was more like 18 even though I didn't realize it in the early months of the year.

Last week was the second of two 65 mile weeks. Since my allergies are still a factor, I decided on the longer three week taper rather than two. I'd rather be rested and under-trained than tired and broken.

Sunday: 13.25 miles, 1:56:06, 8:46/mi.

After running the first half of the course last Sunday, it seemed fitting to run the second half of the course too. Matt, Rachel, and I were accompanied by Matt's brother, Craig, who was visiting from Chicago. We got our run in and he got to admire the redwoods while riding alongside us. It was the day after a race, so my legs were sore and slower than normal, but putting a 13 mile run in the beginning of the week definitely helped to lighten the load for the rest of the week.


Monday: 2 mile hike. 

On Craig's last day, we took a trip north to hike Trinidad Head. Since it was technically supposed to be my rest day, we chose an easy hike and meandered our way through it.

It was a nice day for enjoying the beach, the rocky outcropping, and a mashed potato cone for lunch afterward.

Lighthouse Grill, Trinidad. If you're in the area, you need to try one!

Tuesday: Run 11 miles 1:27:37, including 10 @ 7:49/mi. 6 kitties.

This one was windy and made my lungs very angry, but I soldiered through this final pace run before I taper. I celebrated by making my registration for the marathon official.


Wednesday: Run 6 miles, 58:48, 9:48/mi.

The seals loved the warm day too!

It was a gorgeous day so the Wednesday run group took to the beach instead. It was 80 at my house, so that left it in the mid 70s next to the ocean. People were everywhere, it looked like a Southern California beach!

2 mile walk: I tried to soak up as much of the weather as I could so I went for a walk while the Subaru got an oil change. There were too many half naked people out and I was harassed by three sketchy dudes. Eww. It's sad that a woman going solo in the wilderness is safer than on city sidewalks. Man truly is the most dangerous animal. Once I got home, I stayed there until I left for my run.


Thursday: Run 9 miles, 1:09:22, including 9x880 yds.
Half mile repeat day! Since Matt’s race is two weeks before mine, here’s where our workouts begin to differ. He’s on the taper and I’m in my last peak week. I was shooting for 8-10 half mile repeats, but it got chilly and he was sick of waiting for me so I stopped at nine. That’s three more than last time, so it worked out for me.

The track was so busy! There was a coaching clinic, the soccer team was out, and the football team was doing drills. Normally I have to share the track with a few meandering deer, so this was different. It’s also why my first repeat (my fastest ever, btw) was way too quick. I made sure to reel myself in for the rest of them. Highlighted above are my repeat times. I take manual splits at the line. If I wanted to rely on my Garmin, I wouldn’t come to the track at all. :)

Note: I run my repeats on a 440 yard track. 440yds=402m. That means I’m allowed to be a couple seconds slower on each repeat if I’m running an 800m workout. :) Funny thing is: If I run on the local high school track, which is 400m, I can actually tell the difference.

Strength: Core, legs. 

Friday: Run 6 miles, not timed. 18 kitties.
It was a sluggish and easy day before the long run. Ran with Rachel and Matt and I'm not sure my legs woke up at all.

Saturday: Run 22 miles, 3:09:53, 8:38/mi. 22 kitties.

Twenty-two miles with Rachel. We picked up the pace gradually through the last few miles. I don’t remember pushing it much at all during the last one so 8:06 was a pleasant surprise.

The hardest part about this run: Freeing myself from the sweaty sports bra when I got home.

Totals:
Running: 67.25 miles.
Hiking/walking: 4 miles.
Kitties: 46

Notes: My allergies started to flare up during a few windy days mid-week, but I completed all the runs I had scheduled. I'm only two days into the taper right now, but I'm looking forward to carb-loading between now and May 1st.

...starting with sourdough pretzels.

Writing About Running

In the early days of this blog, my enthusiasm for sharing was endless. I evolved from a casual runner to a competitive one, sharing stories and new little discoveries along the way. I experimented with running fuel, new routes, speed workouts, and shoes, trying to figure myself out as an athlete. It was exciting to write about those things because they were exciting to me.

Like the day I finished my first ultra!

I've been running for twelve years. While I acknowledge that it isn't a long time, it has become increasingly difficult to continue writing new things about it. Running nearly every day has become habit. It's just something I do. It's like getting up each morning and having breakfast. Some days it's toast, others it's fancier things like crepes. Nobody wants to hear about how I had toast for breakfast again today, right? (Actually, today it was banana bread. You know, for the record, hehe.)

I could talk all day about crepes! and those slippers!

One of my goals this year was to write more. I enjoy writing, but somehow I never do enough of it. Same with reading. While I'm exploring myself more within a journal context this little space has been neglected. I know it has and I can feel it every time I begin to write a new post. Do I try to make up for lost time by one big recap? Or do I pick up with today and let the in between moments slip away? Or do I say goodbye to this running blog and begin anew with a different topic?

1,183 posts! No wonder I'm running out of things to say!

Since most of you have been receptive to posts unrelated to running, I'd like to begin experimenting more there. Just as many of my favorite running blogs have evolved into mommy blogs over the years and I've stopped reading, I won't be offended if you do too. Running will remain a constant theme, but it will not be the only one.

I hope you stick around. :)

March Training + Higlights

March has always been a difficult month for me. It's when building mileage and springtime come together to create the perfect combination of too many allergens and too much time outside. It's hard to be consistent. One day, I'm overflowing with energy, the next is a massive headache that makes the simplest of life tasks next to impossible. One thing I learned shortly after moving here is that I can't push through those terrible days or they take longer for me to recover. Listening to my body is key, even if it produces some inconsistent results.  That said, March wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst. I made changes where necessary and didn't worry about any skipped workouts.

About mid-March my appetite realized it was marathon training. I spent a lot of the month with my head buried in the fridge.

February 28-March 6
Running miles: 58.25
Kitties: 88

Trying to ride a wave of momentum following the Rogue River Half, I tried adding more miles in with my speedwork. Energy levels plummeted and I sighed a lot. I had to choose: speed or volume. I prefer the latter, so I slowed it down and headed for the pretty trails.

Highlights from the week:

Bull Creek Flats Trail, 10 miles

On a foggy and drizzly morning, Matt and I took to our favorite redwood trails. The rain helped clear the air and my head and I had an enjoyable, albeit slow, day. At one time, the route was entirely on trail, but after years of erosion, creek flooding eroded the trail completely and road sections are now necessary. Road sections are on the Avenue of the Giants Marathon course.

Here's mile 4.

Thoughts began to form and before the end of the run, I decided I'll run that race as my spring goal. And if I'm slow on race day, who cares? At least it will be beautiful.

Crepes

Matt and I ate our way through his weekend and crepes are always the most beautiful. We've been experimenting with sourdough recipes and those have been delicious, but not the most photogenic.

March 6-12
Running miles: 30.25
Kitties: 12
plus one strength day and two yoga sessions

This week started with higher mileage and then swiftly tapered off in hopes of resting my body well enough to race Foggy Bottom that weekend.

Highlights from the week:
James Irvine-Fern Canyon-Miner's Ridge Loop, 11 miles

After enjoying the redwood trails so much the previous week, I decided it was time to go again. This time, up to Prairie Creek. I'm always surprised by how much easier the trails are here than in Humboldt Redwoods.

Nikki and Rachel tagged along and we called it our Trail Ladies’ Spa Day, complete with mud bath, foot soak, squeaky clean pores, and long chats about boys. I need more trail days just like this one.

Whiskeytown Lake and Anderson
Matt and I made a quick trip inland to dry out before the race....but the rain followed us and it wasn't exactly the reprieve I wanted. Boo. It was nice to get away for a few days and explore somewhere different.

March 13-19
Running miles: 61
Kitties: 57
plus three dates with my yoga mat and one lonely strength day

After Sunday, things started to turn around a little bit. I got in several quality runs and my energy returned.

Highlights from the week: 
Foggy Bottom Milk Run: 1:18:26

Once again, the weather made this race challenging. In addition to being rundown physically, most of the race was run in a downpour with 20-30mph winds.

It felt more like mile repeats than a 10 mile race so almost everyone had a slower time. I left everything I had on the race course and then quickly jumped in at my volunteer position. The 2 mile kids' race later in the day was dry and had an occasional brief moment of sunshine, but conditions in the morning still kept many people away and the race was much smaller than it usually is.

Note the guy on the far right. Each tent had a person whose sole duty was to keep the tent from flying away.

5 miles, 40:18, 8:03/mi. 15 kitties.
Kitty Sprints: See a kitty, sprint for 20 seconds. Easy, right?

Oh my goodness, no! Mile two had a house with four kitties at once!! 80 seconds later, I was almost dead. The kitty gods had mercy on me and mile three was free of kitties entirely so I could recover. We counted our extra fat kitty friend, affectionately known as Double Wide, as two in mile four.  12 sprints total.

The fun thing about this workout is that I never know when my last sprint will be or if I’ll see another during my sprint, so pacing myself is almost impossible. :)

Sunshine, warm, hammock, shorts!!
Matt went out of town to attend the RRCA Convention so I took a trip of my own. Zoey was doing well enough that I wanted to try leaving her home. In the end, it didn't quite work out, but I got two glorious days of summer weather that made it all worth it.

4MPH Challenge
Another weekend adventure with Nikki. Trail fun and more sun, what else do I really need in life?

March 20-26

Running miles: 54
Kitties: 48
plus two strength days and two dates with my yoga mat

I treated each week this month as a fresh start. I carefully revised my plan based on the previous week and tried again to run fast. This was the first week where it actually worked out as planned.

Highlights from the week:
Headwaters Forest Run, 12 miles

Since I returned home early to take care of Zoey, I suddenly had Sunday morning free for an adventure at home. Headwaters was the muddiest I've ever seen it. It took us an additional thirty minutes to navigate the mud, downed trees, and a rock slide across the trail. BLM would close the trail shortly thereafter due to the conditions.

8 miles, 7@7:42/mi.

One of my best marathon pace runs ever, certainly the best this spring. When I noticed that my first two miles felt easy, I went with the pace and didn't try to slow down. Somewhere during mile six, Matt pointed out that I was talking in complete sentences. Huh, that's never happened at this pace before.

Arcata Forest Race

I took over Matt's directing duties so he could finally race it. There were a few hairy moments with forgetting the cookies and the too-steep-to-stop finish line, but we managed and everyone had a fun day.

6x880 yards
Rachel and I hit the track for some speed on Saturday. Afternoon drizzle was the best for my allergies and while it wasn't my best, I was still surprised to see that my legs remembered how to run at a sub-7 pace. All were completed between 3:23 and 3:27.

March 27-April 2
Running miles: 65.25
Kitties: 94

This was the first of two peak weeks. Since my base has been a little lower this spring, my highest mileage weeks had to be lower too. Next week will also be a 65+ week if all goes well.

Highlights from the week:
Avenue of the Giants Marathon course, first half

When I ran the marathon in 2013, I underestimated the difficulty of the first half. Between thirteen miles of broken pavement and the gradual 300 ft. climb to the turnaround point, I knew that I needed a few test runs on the course to remind myself not to go out like an idiot and blow up again. This run was hard, but it served its purpose. Plus, a morning spent with my favorite trees never sucks.

21 miles, 3:02.
This was the second of three 20+ mile runs in preparation for the Avenue Marathon. Of all the key runs during this training period, my long runs have gone well most consistently. Everything has been within a few seconds of an 8:40/mi pace and I've enjoyed the time on my feet with my favorite running pals. While there's nothing exciting to note about the run itself, we follow a similar route each time and it always looks like a hand.....

...a hand that is flipping you off.

Hammond Hill 5K Challenge

I made this race my speed workout for the week. It hurt the whole way, but this race managed to have a record turnout and I found someone to push me to my fastest single mile so far this year (7:02) and my fastest kick ever (5:55 pace for the final 0.1 mile). More on this in my next post.

March Totals: 
Miles: 245.75
Kitties: 291
Yoga: seven sessions with a total of 195 minutes
Strength days: 5

Notes: Since March was full of inconsistency, I didn't realize how everything added up until I reached the end of the month. I have kept the same style paper running log for well over a decade and total things up on the final day of each month. Each pair of shoes has its own symbol, I record races, strength days, yoga days, and kitties the very same way each month. I know there are online trackers that can do this for me, but I like that I have paper log books that date back to 2003.

When I totaled up the miles I was very surprised to see that I broke my monthly mileage record (previous: 238.5 October 2015) by almost ten miles!!! Even though my allergies have caused some problems, I’ve still got one heck of a base. Maybe I need a stronger goal for the Avenue than I originally thought….

Yearly mileage to date: 636