Free Running - Day 2

Day 2 of Free Running.  In classic form I pushed the recommendation of how much to actually run in these "barefoot shoes".  Luckily, my friend H shouted at me on Facebook what my pea brain had been whispering to me tonight during a "measly" 6 mile run, "BE CAREFUL, we are not Kenyan and have been in shoes for a very long time.  The 2140 is a structure shoe; the Free has no support".  She went on to suggest something about the possibility of stress fractures in my feet; an area I've never had trouble with before. 

I will say this about day two, I like that more of my leg muscles seem to be showing up to the running party.  But, H is likely correct about pushing the mileage in this new fangled shoe.  I could sense some possible issues in my right ankle, my hams from my glutes down were doing something a little funky (not good funky) and I actually noticed my shins when I was done (not bad, but not in a good way either).  Finally, I noticed that in the second have of the run I had to pay closer attention to my posture/stride so as to not get sloppy and cause additional issues.

Key take-away at this point.....walk in them for 3 weeks, then do a mile the next week.  Not 12. 

Running Free...We'll See

I bought a pair of Nike Free 5.0 shoes the other day. Following our brutal climb in the Sisters, I was actually looking for a trail running version of my ASICS 2140's because the rocks caught me wrong a couple of times wearing my standard issue pair.

I ran in Nike's for years - being from Eugene, this is what we always did. Support the local team, so to speak. But the more air they put in them, the fluffier (and less functional) they got in my humble opinion around the late 90's.

I switched to the ASICS 2140 (aka 2120 or 2130) about 8 years ago and never looked back. Just a good fit for me. The nice thing is they update the technology, but don't totally change it up (like Nike always did); forcing one to go out and find a new shoe.

I'd been considering the Free's for awhile. The story goes that the African (specifically, the Kenyans) runner's essentially run injury-free. While we American's have all sorts of issues. The argument is that the Kenyan's run barefoot from the time they are 6 years old and never look back. They are trying to correct over-pronation or supination with a pair of heavy shoes. They run like they run and let their bodies correct whatever it is they naturally do. Our heavy shoes tend to keep us nice and straight (in theory), but many of the small twitch muscles become lazy because they don't have to come to the party like hams, quads and glutes.

Enter the Nike Free 5.0. They are supposed to in varying levels (3.0, 5.0, 7.0); each a little thicker, be like running barefoot. The 3.0 are as close as you can get. They fit like slippers/gloves, have arch support, but very little for the balls of the feet or heels.

I was instructed not to go out and bust out my usual run in them as I'd be in agony afterwards. Instead, I was to walk around in them for 3 weeks and then run a mile the next week. So, I walked around for a week and ran 5 miles in them yesterday; finishing the final 4 miles in my ASICS. Initial results were good, if not miraculous. I was a little sore in my legs in areas that I'm not normally, but I was slightly sleep deprived and had run lots of miles the prior 5 days which had me slightly beat up anyway.

So, the jury is still out on this. But, I'm going to give it another go tonight and see how I feel over time. I sure like the story though.......

To Lead or To Follow

Our kids were with my folks last week, giving Map Guy and I a rare opportunity to hit the trails together. We haven't gotten to do this since we ran in Marin in June. Map Guy was gracious to do the planning this time; Middle and North Sisters was our destination.

Map Guy had wanted to do Sisters for quite some time. He just loves it up there. I love that he loves it. Click here to see our route.

I was subtly warned that our distance would between 12 and 16 miles and I only vaguely recall a whisper of there being "two peaks". The mileage didn't bug me and I tried not to hear the latter comment. You'll recall that I am a bit of a "Do Now, Deal Later Gal". Not sure it makes for a cool nickname (maybe dndlg? I don't think so.), but it's a fact.

It was nice to have the time in the car to catch up and after the 1 1/2 drive up the McKenzie River (one of our favorites), we arrived at the Obsidian Trailhead.

The weather was perfect and with shoes, water and food on board, we headed out. Or I should say, UP. We started at 4800 feet. The first peak was 6589 feet and 6 miles up. We then dipped down to 6195 feet; a welcome reprieve. I thought we were home free at this point. Not so much. This is where Map Guy tells me that he didn't know how to come right out and tell me that we had two peaks. So, we headed up another 1.75 miles to the second peak at 6882 feet.

A couple of comments/observations about the day:

• I led us out of the starting gate for the first two miles. At about 3 miles in, I started having gastro-intestinal issues that plagued me for the rest of the run. Really just a bummer of a stomach ache that got worse rather than better. Map Guy mentioned something about coming out of the gate to fast and I had to wonder (with a grrr) if he was right, but I also wondered if elevation was a factor.
• I normally like hills - the challenge, the victory of a strong finish even when it's hard, etc. My head was not hill-friendly from the start on this day. The GI issue did not help, but today was hard.
  
• Trail running is typically a single track experience; you normally can't run side by side like you do on pavement. This requires that someone lead and and others follow. Trail running requires you to maintain enough space between you and the guy in front of you so you can keep your eyes on the one to two feet of ground in front of you so you don't trip and knock yourself senseless. I prefer to be in front when trail running because I really like to run unencumbered and having someone right in front of you on the trail feels confining and frustrating.
• When my mojo went south and the climb became a struggle, I eventually took a backseat and did more run/walking than I like to admit.
  

Despite the weather and the company, today was a hard run that I was glad to have behind me. Even going into it, I was dreading the hills that I normally embrace. Many factors went into this...not enough sleep, GI issues, elevation. But, it could have been anything. I found myself wondering, "will it be like this next time"? or "what if it's always like this"? Both possibilities were distressing and I decided that you can't focus on what if. You simply have to make a choice to accept that there will be days like this, find the joy even when there is little to be found look forward to the next round. If you don't then you're done before you've started.

Some pictures from the day:

Mark with Sisters in the background. This is somewhere following the first peak. Then he's heading down into the first valley.













This is looking back at some of the second climb. Really fun switchbacks up a lava field.










This is the last climb and pretty much did me in. This is a hill of lava rocks; big and small. It was steep switchbacks (which you can't even see) with lots of loose rock on the trail so that you'd take a step forward and half a step backward with each step.

At two different points I found myself picking up rocks. Needed to throw something I guess. Luckily Map Guy was already at the top. So, I just threw them at the ground with lots of OOMPH!

A Little Bit of Everything

We had a wonderful family weekend in Maupin, OR with my dad. It's quite a hike for just two days, so we like to take Friday and if we're lucky also Monday to make the trip. We'll stop at the half-way point in Portland to see family and friends. Or just hide out and enjoy the city for a few minutes.

Mark had to head home to work yesterday and the kids and I stayed in Portland with Uncle Jason and Aunt Malia to do just this. We'll stop and see my Grandpa (who turned 99 in April) and Grandma in Vancouver on this trip and maybe get a stop into Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie before we work our way home.

Ja and Malia are a great gift to our family. My sister is a great love and the man she married warms my heart. I'm grateful for them and the role they play in my childrens' lives.

On this morning, I headed out early for a run while they got some downtime watching Narnia.











It was overcast, cool and a little muggy. Quite good running conditions, actually. Malia and Ja live up behind PSU below Vista and Council Crest. When I'm hear, I like to run straight up, wind around and then fly back down. Today, I made it to Council Crest Park before anyone decided they had to fly down the hill in their race to work in the city below. Nice and quiet. There are beautiful houses that overlook this city I love, lots of trees and even trails that make you feel like you are miles away from the city. Today, I experienced them all. I got a little turned around, but turned 8 miles into 10.5 and got back just in time to kiss my sis and Ja good-bye as they headed off to work. I think this will be a start to a very good day.

Endorphin Rush

It's been a month since our trip and it seems like a year. I've had many moments since our return where I've thought about updating the blog with "post-run comments", but haven't quite made the time. I think part of it is feeling like there hasn't been anything quite as "big" to write about. Just lots of day to day details. But, as I look back on the month, I realized that "the details" have something to say and somehow tie it all together.

I remember the details. The routes, the scenery, the people we met; all of it. This might not seem strange. But, I don't usually remember the details like I did those of our trip to Marin despite being a fairly detailed oriented human in the way I approach most tasks. It's made me ask myself what it would take to "remember the details"? of my life. I think it would require moving at a less frenetic pace in general and making an effort to be more present wherever I am. My sense is that the former would facilitate the latter.

Endorphins are like crack (or what I assume addiction would look like). The first week back, I NEEDED TO RUN...FAR. My body just thought that was what I was supposed to do. And my head CRAVED the silence and quiet that running seems to offer. Being time constrained and goal oriented, I decided to run from our house in Eugene to Junction City where our son's baseball tournament was being held (about 16 miles north). IT WAS NOT THE SAME. It was to noisy. Keep in mind this should have been expected as I was not in Muir Woods but running adjacent to a rural highway. I got it done, but it wasn't fun. At about two miles out, I considered calling Mark to give me a lift on his way to the ball field. I don't do that. But, I got it done and my endorphin craving was abated for the moment.

Sleep is a good thing. Part of the reason the JC run was so hard had to do with how little sleep I'd offered my body since our return. I've read for a long time how critical sleep is to recovery. This was the first time I really saw the contrast so clearly. We got a solid 9-10 hours of sleep per night in Marin and weren't back a day before dropping back down to our typical 6-7 hour a night routine. I was amazed how little fatigue we experienced the day after each run while in Marin. And it was frustrating how crummy most runs were the first couple of weeks after we got back after. In making this observation, I noticed this contrast seems to also apply to the important details of life. More sleep seems to help me be a better mom, wife and friend. It made me wonder if the things keeping me up so late are really that important. Busy seems to be a way of life for most of us and I am certainly one of the poster children for this cause. But, it's starting to wear me out.

I found the trails again. I've craved trails since our return. The quiet; the challenge; the lack of concrete. Maybe I just want to have a sense that our escape hadn't ended. My friend HM helped me find the trails again last Thursday as we did an hour on Ridgeline, south of town. It was so great to combine the time with an opportunity to catch up such a great gal. Our lives tend to take us in different directions day to day and running is something we have in common. I love that. And I can almost keep up with her (okay, maybe not).

I have mixed feelings about whether or not I should continue to blog and if it should be running focused or what. I mean seriously - I'm not sure what I have to say is all that interesting. It's certainly not profound. And it actually feels like quite the cliche' to constantly be comparing running to life's ups and downs. For now it seems to work. However, if I get much further, I may have to go back to erinsexplanations.

Day 4.5 - The Extended SFO Visit

Did we mention we had the best time this past week? We came into today very relaxed (for us), had a lovely back road trip to the airport and even arrived with a few minutes to spare. We checked our luggage and wandered leisurely to the gate where we had time to charge the laptop, get some lunch and a cup of Peet's Coffee. Then, we spiraled into the SFO Airplane Vortex where planes do not take off and most certainly do not land.......because of weather.

At first it was a minor delay which is no big deal usually in the SFO Airplane Vortex. And we had a two hour delay getting out of Eugene and we handled that with perfect chillin' ease BEFORE we were in the zen-like trance of relaxation which we now found ourselves. No worries, we thought.

Then, we spiraled even further.....CANCELLED. "All other flights today are booked", came over the loud speaker. "If you are a famous person or buy the flight attendant a new car, we might be able to get you on the bottom of the standby list". "Did they just cancel our flight?" I asked a very relaxed Map Guy. "Yes", was his reply. So, Map Guy went to wait in a very short line for the next 45 minutes while I confirmed on-line that we had no other options but to take the 6:45 am flight TOMORROW; which as it happened United had ALREADY booked us on.

Did I mention that about 5 minutes after jumping in line and on-line, United was kind enough to call and tell me in person (okay, a computer person) that my flight had been cancelled, rebooked for o'dark thirty tomorrow morning (the reason we didn't use air miles and fly TOTALLY FREE!) and that they loved me very much. Wow, they are efficient and so thoughtful.

After an hour, Mark motioned for me to come do the business traveler thing that I used to be good at and negotiate the best solution to our problem with the United Agent who had been doing this with other people just like me (and older retired people) for the last hour. By this time, we'd figured our best option was to let them put us up in a crappy hotel, feed us and take the flight tomorrow. But, as it turns out, the cancellation was due to WEATHER which eliminates their obligation to compensate us in either of these ways. Now, if you did a check of the nationwide weather (Map Guy was all over this; watching the United big screens which were tuned to the Weather Channel), you would have noticed, that the weather looked pretty good today. So, we Pricelined a Sheraton at the Airport, managed to get our luggage back and grabbed a shuttle out of SFO for the night.

I could tell Map Guy was a brewing over the "Weather Cancellation" because when we got to the hotel he decides he's going to go work out. "You do know we've been running a bit the past couple of days, don't you?" "Yep". Okay then, let's go. So, we went and worked out. Ran our brains out for an hour. Afterwards Map Guy seemed to have accepted our circumstances. Or so I thought.

We found a Kuleto's Trattoria down the street and had a good (not free) dinner and then a nice walk back to the hotel (because we needed to walk more). I've included some pictures and (will be uploading soon) videos which I think speak for themselves about Map Guy's actual feelings about the incident. Plus, we proved without a doubt that in fact planes can take off and land at SFO.

Planes DO land at SFO!











They really do. Stay tuned for the video.........








"Airplanes Really Do Land - Take 1"

"Airplanes Really Should Land"

"Airplanes Really Can Land"


"Airplanes Really Deserve to Land"


"Spying on Map Guy"

Day 4 - Olema to Inverness

We had to dig deep today. Right off the bat, we had a 1350 foot climb that our legs were in no condition to conquer. Mark ran the whole thing in rock star fashion.

The terrain was a combination of everything we've seen so far. We were supposed to do 12 miles today; we did 14.7. Go figure. Mapping isn't a perfect science as I've mentioned before :>). Once again, Mark waited until we were done to tell me this. I was grateful for this.

Before I get to pictures and comments about the day, I thought I'd give some statistics that Map Guy gave me regarding our trip. You data heads will love this; I did:

Day 1 - 12.2 miles, 2:24 moving time, 3084' total elevation gain.
Day 2 - 14.0 miles, 2:41 moving time, 2750' total elevation gain, max elevation of 2557'.
Day 3 - 16.2 miles, 2:46 moving time, 1354' total eleveation gain, 3163' total descent.
Day 4 - 14.7 miles, 2:46 moving time, 2647' gain, 2750' total descent.
Day 1 -4 . . . 57.1 miles, 9835' total elevation gain, 2 sore knees (not Erin's), and 3 blisters (2 Erin's).

We started today in Olema. Our first milestone would be Mt. Whittenberg, then Reyes Hill, and then would be mostly downhill to Inverness.



This is just outside Olema at the Visitor's Center. Off we go.




From left to right:

We can see "it" (the climb) coming toward us.
Two shots of me suffering up the climb. The scenary is nice though, right?
The final push.
Here we are after the climb. He snapped my picture before I got to compose myself. I look as bad as my legs feel, whereas he looks like he's fresh as a daisy.



At this point, Map Guy says, "I'm going the additional .2 miles to the top of Mt. Whittenberg because I want to summit. You can hang here if you want." I'm thinking "Of course you do and no I'm not hanging". I say, "Sure, I'll go with you". We agree to walk it.


This was a cool shot on our way up the summit.





And then, this is the Summit. I think a little chuckle might have escaped my lips at this point. We both agreed it might not have been worth the extra effort (It wasn't, but we had to go . . . mk).




After our anti-climactic summit, we head downwards and then up some again toward Reyes Hill. Best we can figure, this meant going up again and in this case, into the fog.

The larger pic is on our way up.







The two side shots were part of some government station of sorts. We couldn't figure out what these were. It felt very "other planet like" though.


Mark on the final descent.


Us very glad about this fact (and we finally came across someone who could take a picture of both of us).


Map Guy doing his best work.


Our trip down would lead us to the town of Inverness. It is a one horse town with very friendly folks.
A picture of Inverness (I wasn't kidding).

Mark and I posing at the official sign which marks our "doneness". Of course I have to "stick the landing".

And our very favorite person of the day; Elizabeth who as a fellow hiker and runner was more than willing to give us a lift back to Olema.



What a great trip. Somehow we got it all done injury-free for which we are extremely grateful. We're glad to be done running, but we feel like super heros and are more than slightly refreshed and ready to head home and conquer the world. We are grateful to our friends and family for caring for our little people in our absense. Early reports sound like they've had a great time.