Runs on Dirt

Barefoot Running Step by Step

2012-01-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I attended a meeting of the OC Triathlon Club which featured guest speakers Ken Bob Saxton and Roy Wallack. During the presentation, Ken had all of us take off our shoes and socks and run several times around the building. On the hard surface with no shoes, my body automatically adjusted my posture, gait and cadence using feedback from my bare soles. "Wow!", I thought. "I know my mechanics are not perfect, but if this is how your body is designed to run, then I have been doing it all wrong. Not even close!".

After the presentation I bought the book, which has cool autographs and ink-pad footprints by both authors inside the front cover. Although I may never become an exclusively barefoot runner, I am certainly going to run barefoot until I master the technique. After I learn the proper form, it won't matter whether I do it barefoot or in shoes. I'm excited about the possibilities, because I really miss running and this is something that may allow me to run without being injured all the time.

From the back cover:

LEARN BAREFOOT RUNNING FROM THE MASTER!

Almost overnight, barefoot running has exploded onto the fitness scene. However, it involves more than simply taking off your shoes. In fact, everything you've learned about barefoot running is probably wrong - unless you've learned it from Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton. The leading instructor and proponent of unshod running, he has completed seventy-six marathons barefoot, survived an astounding marathon-a-month challenge in 2004, and gone on to top that with sixteen marathons in 2006, including four in a fifteen-day period - all barefoot.

Barefoot Running Step by Step separates the facts from the hype, outlines Ken Bob's personal techniques, and details the latest research on the newest trend in mankind's oldest sport. Whether you run barefoot occasionally, part-time, or full-time, you'll find methods for improving your form, staying injury-free, dramatically improving your speed and performance, and having more fun.

THE BENT KNEE: The hidden secret to perfect running form. how this crucial adjustment will keep you running stronger and injury-free for life.

VIBRAMS AND MINIMALIST SHOES: Barefoot running is not a transition from shoes to minimalist shoes to bare feet. It's the other way around. Why you need to run barefoot before you use other footwear.

START FROM THE HEAD: Proper barefoot form doesn't start at the feet. Discover how to get the correct body biomechanics.

EASE INTO IT: The steps you need to make the transition from running in shoes to barefoot running as painless and easy as possible.

IMPROVE SPEED: Barefoot running's injury-reduction benefits are well-touted; however a new landmark study proves that barefooting - even part-time - can make you faster.

Barefoot Running Step by Step is filled with series photos and illustrations that show you the "do's" and "dont's" of barefoot running, the latest research, and Ken Bob Saxton's personal experiences and insights for running barefoot for life.

Finally! Hydration Explained!

2012-01-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

Just saw this for the first time, thought it was humorous.

Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29, Maple Springs, Main Divide, Silverado Motorway

2011-12-31T21:32:00.000-08:00

This was my third ride on the same course with rented demo bikes. You can read about the first two rides here and here. Today's ride was a Stumpjumper FSR 29, propedal rear shock, but no "brain". The first thing you notice about this bike is that the bars are very wide and the front tire is really out there. It feels like a very big bike. Here is a picture about halfway up Maple Springs Road.

With this bike, I had pedal bob all the way, and could not get rid of it. Both settings on the rear shock seemed to produce the same results. I hope there was something wrong with it - in other words, I hope it's not supposed to act like that! It felt like more work to climb the mountain than either of the other demo bikes, but I finally made it to the top.

At the junction with Main Divide Road, I lowered the seat and flipped both shocks to the active position in anticipation of some fast descending. The Stumpjumper FSR had five inches of travel front and rear, and it simply ate the big ruts that gave me trouble on the hardtail last week. So far, so good! Overall, I was descending a little faster today, partly due to the bike, and partly due to the practice I've been getting the last three weeks. On relatively smooth fire road, it screamed downhill. I could learn to love this!

At the junction of Main Divide and Silverado (above), and at the wind sock on Bedford Peak (below)

From here on out it is all downhill, very steep with lots of loose rocks. The Silverado Motorway drops around two thousand feet in less than three miles. The trail is very narrow and there are steep drop-offs right next to the trail. It was on this part of the ride that I started to dislike the handling characteristics this bike, and started to love the brakes. The bike seemed to "wallow" at times and generally act in an unpredictable manner. I even crashed once (into a bush, not over the side). I don't know why - I hope it's because someone before me thrashed something or other on the bike. Other times it seemed to behave and worked rather well. In places with lots of rocks, the fork would sometimes compress too much, resisting my forward motion to the point of almost stopping. This could have been due to my lack of skill, or from going to slow, but I don't remember it happening with either of the other bikes I tested.

Bottom line: For the type of rider I am, and the type of riding I do, thumbs down. It did not climb as well as either of the Niners I tested, nor did it handle well on Silverado. The places where it did shine were a relatively small portion of the entire ride. Ride details are below.

Happy New Year!

Niner Air 9 Carbon, Maple Springs/Silverado Motorway

2011-12-25T00:21:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I test rode the full suspension Niner R.I.P. 9. Today I rode the Niner Air 9 Carbon on exactly the same course. There was a long, steady climb and a series of steep uphill and downhill on rough fireroad.

The ride finished off with a 2000 ft. descent (in 3 miles) on pretty technical singletrack. Below is the elevation profile. The total cumulative elevation gain was 4,068 ft. Distance was 16.4 miles.

The Air 9 is a hardtail with carbon fiber frame. As far as I'm concerned, this is the most beautiful mountain bike out there. And it's so light, it feels almost like a road bike! This thing climbed like a dream. It had Sram's XX carbon crank with 2 chainrings instead of 3. Even though this setup was not geared as low as the triple on the R.I.P 9, I really didn't miss the lower gear.

On really steep sections, the R.I.P. 9 front wheel wanted to come off the ground, and when I leaned forward to counter this, the rear wheel would slip. So I ended up walking the bike 5 times, about 30-40 yards each time. With the Air 9 Carbon, I didn't have to walk anywhere. The nimble handling of the Air 9 helped, but I only had to lean forward to keep the front wheel down.

For the second week in a row, I met my trail running friend Lauren coming down Maple Springs as I was going up. It was great to see her again! She and Jeremy were returning from Modjeska Peak.

Soon I came to the Main Divide Road, with it's rough fireroad surface and roller coaster terrain.

Some of the love I developed for the Air 9 Carbon on the 7 mile climb up Maple Springs began to fade on the Main Divide. The bike felt cramped compared to the R.I.P. 9, and the rear wheel bounced a lot more on the rocks, resulting in more skidding. At one point I had to step off the bike to keep from crashing. And at high speed on smooth sections, it felt less stable than the R.I.P. 9. It was here that I also noticed how the extra shaking was affecting my body, requiring a little more muscle tension to keep things under control.

At the junction of Main Divide and Silverado Motorway.

At Bedford Peak, below the (obviously disintegrated) wind sock.

The start of the Silverado Motorway singletrack.

One of the many drop-offs at the edge of the trail (see the buildings down there?) This looked a lot scarier in real life, but I hope you get the idea.

While rolling over the mound of a small landslide, you must avoid this gully that partially eats into the trail. For reference, the Sycamore you are looking down upon (with orange leaves) is a HUGE tree. On this part of the ride, I was glad that both Niners had wide handlebars combined with excellent handling characteristics.

As I'm writing, 12 hours have passed and I feel like I had a hard ride today. I can feel it most in my arms, shoulders, and back. Last week's ride on the R.I.P. 9 (same course) left me in much better shape - I didn't feel beat up at all. So after trying both bikes, which one do I like best? Right now I'm leaning toward the full suspension R.I.P. 9. If you're interested in either bike, check back in a few weeks to see which one I bought.

Niner R.I.P. 9, Maple Springs to Silverado Motorway

2011-12-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

Thinking about a new mountain bike, so I rented a demo and went for a ride. It was a Niner R.I.P. 9, which stands for Roll In Peace. It was my first ride on a full suspension bike, so I wanted to do something challenging. I thought all the state parks would be closed due to the rain we had Thursday night, so I headed for the Cleveland National Forest. The trails there don't close when it rains, but there's little to do except climb, climb, climb. Although I've been putting some major miles on my road bike lately (124 miles last week, 178 miles the week before), I was definitely challenged by the unrelenting steep climbing offered by Maple Springs Road. This picture was taken about half way up to the Main Divide.

This bike has hydraulic disk brakes, full suspension and 29 inch wheels (my current bike has none of those things). The brakes and suspension were of little benefit on the climb, but the big wheels made a difference - they roll over rocks and ruts instead of running into them.

About a mile from Main Divide, I met my friend Lauren running down from Modjeska Peak. She said there was ice and snow up there. We chatted a while, took some pictures, and then continued on our ways.

Here is Lauren posing with my bike. At the Main Divide I met another rider coming up Harding, and he took this picture of me by the gate. Don't I look like a roadie?

Check out the rainbow in the background. I could see rain showers in the distance, but managed to avoid them. The Main Divide Road is steep up and steep down, complete with ruts, rock outcroppings, and loose gravel. In other words, a nice test for the disk brakes and full suspension. Well, the disk brakes were great, because I found myself descending like a little old lady. Been away from this for too long, I guess.

This is the top of the Silverado Motorway, a rocky, narrow singletrack that drops 2,000 ft. in 3 miles. There are steep drop-offs right next to the trail, so you don't want to make any mistakes on this descent. I made it down the switchbacks, past the several landslides and washouts without any serious mishaps. It was pretty scary at times, what with the loose rocks and the skidding, but lots of fun, too. A confession: I've been up and down this trail on foot, but had never descended it on a bike before today. I hate to admit it, but I was too scared to go down it on my 20 year old steel hardtail. I had the confidence to do it on this bike.

To summarize, the bike was awesome! A little heavy, though, which I noticed on the climb. And I'm not sure if I actually got much benefit from the full suspension because of my slow speed while descending. On the other hand, I didn't feel too beat up afterward. That could be due to the full suspension. I think I'll try the same ride with a lightweight hardtail next time.

Here is an elevation profile of the ride. The total cumulative elevation gain was 4,068 ft. Distance was 16.4 miles.

Measurement

2011-11-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Why do I try to run fast walk fast bike fast?
Pedal and run keeping a certain speed and cadence,
Even on a hill or into the wind.
Why measure my speed and cadence and distance anyway?

When I read something I just read.
I dont have a meter telling me how many words per minute,
Or insist on keeping the same speed through a tough section
Of a book or even record how much I read that day.

When I chew I just chew and I slow down if the food is tough.
And if I see someone chewing faster than me,
I don’t race to catch up or even care.
I just go through the motions without thinking.
Like an animal.

Their motions are powerful, efficient, even graceful.
Animals don’t seem to suffer from overtraining.
They don’t get overuse injuries or stress fractures.

I had a hamster once and he liked to run on his wheel.
He didn’t warm up or do tempo runs or intervals.
He always ran the same way and at the same speed.
That was his speed.

I'm going to find my speed.
Then not measure it.

Short Run, Short Post, Short Comment

2011-11-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

Ran 2.5 miles without stopping.

How to Make a Grown Man Cry

2011-05-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

I remember lying collapsed on the floor, clutching my face in my hands. When the pain first started, it was already severe enough to make me gasp. Then it got worse. Reacting to the increased intensity, I instinctively produced a manly shout. That shout quickly deteriated into a girlish wimper as I approached the realm of tears. A haunting thought came to focus in my brain - "This is it. I'm going to die".

That is the true story of my first encounter with a foam roller. Now I had seen many recommendations for foam rollers inthe past, but I am not one to believe hype. Besides, I already massage my muscles regularly with a device called "The Stick". I have used it for years and always felt it to be more than adequate; believe me, it can dish out pain. What shocked me is that "The Stick" is like a mere child's toy compared to the full frontal fury of a foam roller. Had the CIA enlisted foam rollers as an "Enhanced Interrogation Technique", we might have found Bin Laden with more expediency. Who knows?

Hours later, one of my legs is in a lot of pain. My knee, hip and buttocks are aching. I took an ibuprofen and iced myself into an uncomfortable sleep. The next morning I wasn't limping. My leg felt better than it had in months. 24 hours later some of the old pain is creeping back, but I know I can deal with it and won't actually die doing it.

In case after reading this you have an irresistable urge to rush out and buy a foam roller, mine came from Target, cost $19.99 and came with a DVD on how to use it. The young woman in the video is smiling through the whole thing. Every area she works on seems to bring her pleasure, not pain. Don't be deceived! I think she is using a soft pillow disguised as a foam roller.

Double Digits

2011-03-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

That's right, my running miles for the month of March is in the double digits. 3 miles in January, 9 in February, and now a whopping 10 miles in March, and the month isn't even over! Here is a picture from the run that put me over the top. No, not even rain could stop me.

Photo courtesy of Lauren, host of today's OCTR new members run.

New Bike!

2011-03-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

Standard garage door bike picture

I bought a new bike for my 56th birthday. It's a stock Trek Madone 5.2, except for the Dura Ace 180 mm cranks. True, I already had an awesome bike, but it was nearly 10 years old with over 20,000 miles. Time marches on, and here are a few of the improvements in bicycle technology over that time:

They finally make a full carbon frame in 64 cm size!
The sloping top tube makes the main triangle smaller and more rigid
All tubes are custom-shaped - no more round tubes
The head set is oversize and longer
The seat stays are thinner to save weight
The chain stays are asymmetric (one side thicker, one side thinner)
The seat post is now part of the frame
The frame at the bottom bracket is HUGE and has NO FLEX
Brake and shifter cables are routed inside the frame
The handlebar tubing is larger diameter and more comfortable
The handlebar drop is not as deep
The brake hoods are wider and more comfortable
The wheel lugs and dropout are seamless with the frame
The shift levers are now carbon fiber
Bladed spokes front and back are more aerodynamic
Pedals are wider with replaceable wear plates
Compact crank has wider gear range than before, but with less weight
The rear cassette has 10 cogs now instead of 9 - more gears!

Another cool thing about this bike is that the sensor for speed and cadence is built into the left chain stay. It's fully enclosed and transmitts wirelessly to the display mounted on the stem.

DuoTrap sensor/transmitter

A small magnet attached to one of the rear spokes measures speed, and another on the crank arm measures cadence. Very cool, and no wires!

For a frame as stiff as this one, the ride is very compliant. Comfortable. I guess that's the reason for the all the non-round computer-shaped tubes. I set up this bike to be very much like my old bike, except the handlebars are just slightly higher. Not quite as aero, but a lot more comfortable. Comfort. That's going to be important during my next 10 years of cycling.

Deformed Feet

2011-02-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

This week I was reading an article about a previously uncontacted tribe in the Amazon. As I sat looking at the accompanying photo, I thought to myself, "Wow, they have deformed feet!". A few seconds later it hit me - "No, I have deformed feet!" My guess is that my feet would look like theirs if I had not deformed them by wearing shoes all my life. Click the picture below to enlarge it. What are your thoughts?

Running

2010-12-11T20:26:00.000-08:00

Today I ran for the first time since the end of August.

It was a little over 3 miles. On the road. It started out as a walk, but after a few steps I just felt like running. So I ran (OK, jogged slowly - slow even for me!). Although there were a few protests from various semi-dormant body parts, generally I felt great, even on the hill. Breathing almost normally. A couple of hours later there was a little stiffness in my thighs. Alright, nothing an easy 20 mile bike ride couldn't take care of (I'm still biking 90 miles per week).

This evening I'm thinking, "Did I really go for a run today?".

Hiking and Biking at Mammoth

2010-10-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Four days of hiking and biking left me dehydrated and wanting for calories, but I had a blast! The first day we hiked 14 miles from Reds Meadow to Iva Bell Hot Springs. About a mile into the hike, we came to Rainbow Falls.

The picture below is of Fish Valley. We have about 5 miles left to go.

Our camp near Iva Bell Hot Springs. The temperature that night was just above freezing as we were relaxing in the hot spring pool that was about 100 degrees F!

In the morning we hiked the 14 miles back to Reds Meadow. The next day we went cross country at Mono Lake. There are mineral formations called "Tufas" around the lake, and a nice cinder cone island in the middle of the lake.

Crossing a stream that drains into Mono Lake. I hit a big rock and stopped just as this picture was taken.

The next day we drove to Minaret Summit for some Black Diamond downhilling. Here is a view of the "Minarets" from the trail head.

Back in the '80's, the earth opened up in this earthquake fault, technically a seismic fissure.

Inside the seismic fissure.

Downhilling on my ancient hardtail.

Comparisons

2010-08-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

This morning I joined the OC Rebels on a memorial ride for Dan Crain. While I love both road cycling and trail running, it started me thinking about certain comparisons...

Bad things that have happened to trail runners I have run with:

fell down and got scrapes
sprained ankle
IT Band injury
Hip injury
Knee injury
Achilles tendon injury
plantar fasciitis
stress fracture

Bad things that have happened to cyclists I have ridden with:

fell down and got scrapes
broken arm
broken collar bone
hit by a car
concussion
death

Jammin'

2010-08-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today I tried a new type of energy food on my 10 mile run. Can you guess what it is?

Tastes better than any commercial energy gel.
Comes in an easy-open foil pouch like a gel.
Contains 50 calories each.
Made with real fruit.
Contains natural anti-oxidants.
Does not contain caffeine.
Produces less sugar shock than GU, Hammer Gel, etc.
Gluten-Free and Vegan Friendly.
Contains no MSG.
Costs about 8 cents per serving.

Give up? Check out my new super gel!

I love it, but my running partners wouldn't touch it. Any early adopters out there?

Gear Updates and More

2010-08-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

My Brooks Cascadia 5 shoes now have 100+ miles on them. I like these shoes very much because of the way they fit. I can wear them loose or tight and they still feel good. Even with the laces very tight, there are no uncomfortable pressure points. They grip the ground so well that I have actually changed the way I run steep downhills. Good shoes.

Carrying water in my stomach instead of in bottles or bags is still working out well, especially since it has not been too hot. Today I was able to get water midway through the run, so I wasn't even very thirsty at the end. Still curious to try this on hot days and runs longer than 15 miles. I sometimes suspect that the reason I got so sick at the Bulldog 50K is because I drank way too much water.

Since I'm not carrying anything with me, I no longer need pockets. So today I exchanged the usual cargo shorts for a pair of compression shorts. They're like bicycling shorts (it would look funny to run in those!) except there is no padding in the butt. I had a feeling they would be comfortable because I've worn cycling shorts for up to 8 hours without any issues. They were, and they also held everything in place so there was no chafing even though I didn't lube anywhere. It felt a little weird to run in shorts like this, but I remember thinking it was weird when I first started wearing cycling shorts, too. We'll see...

My left IT band has been sore after my last few runs, as well as the outside of my left knee. The skin on the outside of that knee is actually a little numb for some reason. Well, yesterday I had a revelation - aches and pains do not just happen, they each have a cause. Hmm. I did some research and found exercises to strengthen my hip abductor muscles. Wow! My IT band felt better almost immediately. After today's hilly 11.6 miler it still feels good. The outside of my knee feels better, too.

WWAMD?

2010-07-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

I suppose some people always run at a pace that feels comfortable to them. Not me. I'm always pushing the envelope or trying to keep up with someone else. I don't really know why. I actually wonder sometimes what it would be like to run at a comfortable pace. So on my last several runs, I have not pushed myself to go faster; not even once. That may be the secret to not getting injured. Besides, I just finished a 9 miler in Aliso & Wood Canyons (with Lauren and Liz below) and I'm not even tired. I could get used to this!

Where's all his stuff?

These last few runs I also have not carried a phone, camera, iPod, watch, GPS, or even a water bottle. What's up with that? First of all, not having a watch or GPS has been great because I have no idea how fast I'm going so I'm not trying to hold a certain pace or beat the clock. That's for racers. I'm not racing. Don't laugh if this seems obvious to you - to me it was an epiphany. I even used to joke that I needed to see those numbers because it was the only way I could tell if I was having fun!

Not carrying water bottles or hydration packs is great, too. So far my longest runs like this have been 9 and 15 miles. There was no water stop on today's 9 mile run, but on the 15 miler there was water at miles 3 and 12. Before starting each run, I just drink about a quart of water. If there's water along the route I stop and drink my fill. A few weeks ago as I was passing through a gate in the Santa Ana mountains, a mountain biker asked me "Are you OK? Don't you have any water?" I pointed to my stomach and said, "Yeah, I'm carrying my water in this big bag right here". He smiled, but he and his friends looked skeptical.

Maybe it's just a phase, but I'm really starting to like not carrying any stuff. It makes running seem more primal, yes, even more normal; not something I have to prepare for by gathering up a bunch of stuff. The minimalist in me must be coming to the surface, and I'm enjoying the results so far.

So would you like to try a simpler approach to running? The next time you're trying to squeeze all your stuff into your various pockets and packs, ask yourself:

What Would A Minimalist Do?

Technical Fabrics Are Not Cool!

2010-07-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

If you've ever shopped for athletic apparel, you're probably familiar with advertising claims like these:

"This shirt keeps the wearer cool with 'moisture transport' technology".
"It pulls moisture away from the body and keeps you cool and fresh".
"More than any other type of fabric, wicking fabrics can actually provide a cooling effect during workouts".
"The shirt kept me cool and dried quickly after my run".

I've been watching the Tour de France on TV. Yesterday the peloton was climbing up to the town of Morzine in the French Alps. Riders from 22 different teams were all wearing high-tech jerseys, probably from several different manufacturers. These highly engineered fabrics wick moisture away from your skin and keep you cool. The riders were truly blessed to have such fine technology on this warm day. Most of the riders had their jerseys unzipped and flapping in the breeze, allowing the air to move directly against their skin. Huh? Why not stay zipped up and let the tech fabric keep you cool? What's wrong with this picture?

Having worked in the medical device field since the late 1970's, I am conditioned to taking product claims seriously. One reason is that our industry is regulated by the FDA and other agencies, with the result that any claim you make about your product must be supported by scientific evidence, often an insane amount of scientific evidence! Not so in many other industries, where you can make just about any outrageous claim you want, usually supported by evidence that merely sounds scientific.

Here's the deal on evaporative cooling: When water evaporates, it changes phase from a liquid to a gas. This process requires a quantity of energy known as the "latent heat of vaporization". For water, the value is about 539 calories per gram. Anyway, if the water evaporates from your skin, the heat comes from your skin and you get a cooling effect. If the water evaporates from the outer surface of your shirt, the heat comes from the outer surface of the shirt. Unless the shirt is saturated with water, the spaces between the fibers in the fabric act as insulation, keeping body heat in and the cooling effect at the surface from reaching your skin. Great!

Tech fabrics pull water away from your skin without any phase change, so there's no energy transfer. The water simply migrates to the surface of the fabric where it quickly evaporates. This process keeps you dry and possibly more comfortable, but it does not cool your body! If it did, the laws of thermodynamics would have to be rewritten, and overheated cyclists would no longer have to unzip their over-engineered jerseys to stay cool.

Whiting Ranch and Santiago Truck Trail

2010-07-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

The plan was an estimated 14 miles, which would be my longest run in quite a while. The route was moderately hilly. I knew this effort would require some serious fuel, so I downed two large pieces of anchovy and black olive pizza for breakfast. I followed that with two double espressos. Alright, bring it on!

Santiago Truck Trail is one of my favorite places to run. The road is not that steep and some beautiful ocean views can be had on a clear day. You can also construct some very long runs there because it eventually connects to Joplin Trail and the Main Divide. I was scouting out a new route to the trail head because Modjeska Grade is now covered with NO PARKING signs. You can't get anywhere near it!

So I had this great idea: Why not park at a shopping center on Portola Parkway, run through Whiting Ranch to Four Corners, take Whiting Spur to Santiago Canyon Road, cross the road, turn left and ~~run~~ walk up Modjeska Grade and you're there! Well, I must have been the last person to think of this because it seemed like everyone we met (all mountain bikers) was already using that route!

Joining me this morning were OCTR members Sheila and Kelly, who don't seem to mind following me down the wrong trail and getting lost at least once every run (and today was no exception!). We started out with one mile on sidewalk, then went into Whiting, crossed Santiago Canyon Road, on to STT and eventually turned around at Vulture Crags (start of "The Luge"). Below is my GPS track of our route.

15.28 miles with 2,540 feet of elevation gain

Gear: Worthy of note is how I carried my water today. I sometimes try different methods, but today's experiment required no water bottles or hydration packs. That's because I carried the water in my stomach. I drank a full bottle at the start, then drank my fill at Four Corners both on the way out and the way back. How did it work? Actually, I was a little surprised at how well it went. I felt great the whole way, and it was kind of nice not having anything in my hands or strapped on my back. When I got back to the car, I drank some more. I will definitely try this again, and I'm curious about how well it will work on a warmer day.

Crystal Cove State Park, Emerald Canyon

2010-07-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

I thought 6 AM would be an early start, but evidently not early enough for some, as there were already at least a dozen vehicles parked in the cul-de-sac at the end of Park Ridge when I got there. I met OCTR members Sheila and Lauren, and the three of us started making our way down Bommer Ridge. After turning on Emerald Canyon, the road has some ups and downs on a ridge before dropping into the canyon proper. Right after entering the canyon there was a large bobcat just sitting in the middle of the trail.

Yes it looks small, but that was as close as I could get!

As it was walking off you could see that it had a pretty long tail for a bobcat. After that the girls made me lead the way, which was fine except that I ran face-first into several large spider webs. I hate spiders!

Typical rock formation in Crystal Cove

There is a waterfall in Emerald Canyon, but it is dry most of the time. Here is a picture standing at the top of the falls looking straight down about 15 feet.

Emerald Falls

Fossil scallop at top of falls

Emerald Canyon is landlocked at the bottom, so you can't make it part of a loop. For that reason, the trail does not get heavy use, and is in fact overgrown in places. After passing the falls, the trail becomes even more overgrown as it continues on about a half mile before ending at a locked gate. The return trip up canyon is not steep except for one spot near the falls, and gives you a different perspective of this beautiful trail.

A wise old tree in Emerald Canyon

Rather than climb straight up out of the canyon the way we came, we took Old Emerald Falls Trail, a nice single track that angles up to the top of El Moro Ridge. From El Moro Ridge we took the FencelineTrail back to the trail head.

Sheila and Lauren on Old Emerald Falls

Below is my GPS track from today's run. I see a lot of people using their GPS to get them to where they want to go, but I only use mine to see where I've been!

A beautiful 10 mile run in Emerald Canyon with only about 1,400 feet of climbing.

On Scoring Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects

2010-07-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the OCTA indicated it was looking into having a representative from the Orange County Trail Runners participate in their review panel for projects. Cool. Since I am a trail runner and a cyclist, I volunteered to be on the panel, thinking it might be fun. I mean, how hard could it be?

Can you spell hernia?

There turned out to be 19 Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects and 33 Landscaping and Beautification Projects submitted by cities all over Orange County. Having run, walked and cycled all over Orange County for many years, I recognized many of the project locations and even said to myself, "It's about time!" on some of them.

Every project has to be evaluated against more than a dozen different criteria, each with a fairly limited range of parameters. The actual scoring process seems pretty restrictive to me, since I am used to thinking outside the box. What do you do if the scoring criteria does not really fit a particular project? What if applying that criteria to the project anyway gives the project an unfair advantage or disadvantage over other projects? Welcome to the Beauracracy Zone! My resistance to following rules has resulted in my having to be "re-educated" several times for coloring outside the lines.

The people at OCTA are very nice and the other panel members seem to be well-informed and thoughtful, even though none are actually runners or cyclists. This one little factor bothered me at first, but after actually going through the process on the first 19 projects, I realized it probably could not work any other way. Some of the project and construction details are simply out of the realm of most runners and cyclists. It takes all kinds of people to make government work, no matter how much I dislike saying that. And in the end, just like in sports, the final score is the only thing that matters. May the best projects win!

This Week

2010-06-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Mark was sitting at his desk with his arm in a sling. In a bicycle race the weekend before, he was unable to avoid a pileup in front him and went down himself, fracturing his right elbow. He fingered the bandage on his thumb as I said, "Hey, I know how badly you wanted to train today, so I rode in for you!". He knew I hadn't been riding much lately, so he smiled and asked, "Yeah, how was it?". "Well", I said, "There was a headwind most of the way, so you had a pretty good workout!" Mark laughed, and it made me glad I could cheer him up a little.

I actually rode to work twice this week, which benefitted my legs but took a small toll on my rear end. I didn't run during the week, but managed an easy run on both Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday the OCTR had a new members run. The turnout was pretty good, and the run was enjoyable. This picture was taken by a friendly passer-by at Bommer Canyon Road, our 2.5 mile turn-around point.

After taking the week off running, my legs felt fresher than they had in a long time. Nevertheless, I stopped after 5 miles because I could feel my calf and hamstring getting tight and didn't want to overdo it. Most of the group continued on, some for another 5 miles.

On Sunday I was on my way to a dirt track near my house when I suddenly got the urge to drive back to Quail Hill and repeat the run from the day before. It was much farther away, but what's 10 minutes of freeway driving to a Southern Californian? When I got there I realized it was later in the day and the sun was hot, but luckily there was a good breeze. The run did not feel the same because my legs were not as fresh, but it was still easy. The best part was pouring cold water over my head afterward.

Summary: 10 miles running, 70 miles cycling, 6 hours total.

Living Lightly On the Pedals

2010-06-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

What's this about pedals? Well, I hurt my calf a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't getting better so I went this whole week without running. Instead, I dusted off my road bike and rode to work on Tuesday and Thursday. With my GPS at home so I wouldn't know how fast I was going, I practiced a light touch on the pedals that suited my sore calf. No hammering!

Tonight my legs feel pretty good after 70 miles of living lightly on the pedals.

Tomorrow I run.

Arroyo Trabuco and Tijeras Creek Trails

2010-06-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

This morning I broke in a new pair of shoes (Brooks Cascadia 5) on pavement, sand, rock, leaf litter and wet creek crossings. I also broke into O'Neill Park. My running partners were Lauren, Dave, Kelly and Sheila from the OCTR. I won't say whose idea it was to climb a tree and hop the fence, and will be equally mum on whose leg was bleeding afterward, but let it be known that after all we are trail runners and cannot allow locked gates or 8 ft. fences with barbed wire to keep us from our charge!

I did not carry a camera today, but you can read one of my previous posts to get an idea of what these trails are like. Below is a GPS track of today's 13 mle run.

Our course is marked with a blue line (click to enlarge).

The new shoes fit my feet extremely well. Although low-profile, they are still very cushy. Water drained out quickly and the laces never came untied. They are a little lighter than my old shoes (Asics 2140) which is always a plus. Overall, I'm very satisfied with these shoes.

For the second time now, I carried a 32 oz. bottle of water in each hand. These are uncomfortably heavy at the beginning of a run, but if you need water...it's like carrying 3 standard size bottles. Anyway, I had water left at the end and Dave commented on how I could have just carried regular bottles. Doh!

I lost a Powerbar on Arroyo Traboco Trail somewhere before "The Jungle". If you find it, it's mine! I was bummed because I was feeling very under-nourished due to my starvation diet (20 lbs. in 14 weeks!). At the junction with Tijeras Creek Trail, I pleaded for donations and scored half a Powerbar and 2 gels from the girls. Thanks!

I may post an additional picture later if I can steal a good one from Lauren. How about this group shot?

Santiago Peak in background.

Turnover vs Leg Length

2010-06-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

In my former life as a cyclist, virtually every expert out there proclaimed that 90 rpm was the proper cadence for "efficient" riders. Therefore all riders, short and tall, should strive for this magic number.

Hey runners, does that have a familiar ring to it? Virtually all running experts tout the "efficient" turnover rate of 180 steps per minute. All runners, short and tall, should strive for this magic number, right?

A while back I was running in O'Neill Park and noticed a couple of doves running ahead of me. They were going the exact same speed as me, but their little legs were a blur!

A trail running dove and his pacer

I tried telling them their turnover was much too fast and that they should slow down to the magic number of 180, but they ignored me and continued on at the same speed as me for a while before flying off. Later I conceived of the following thought experiment where a bird and a man are running at the same speed:

The first thing that jumps out is principle 1. Foot speed must equal running speed. That is, when each runner's foot is directly under their body, it is moving rearward (relative to their body) at the speed they are traveling. This principle holds true regardless of leg length, and is true for the bird and the man.

Relative to their body, each runner's foot passes underneath and continues to move backward. However, the foot cannot continue to move backwards forever. Eventually, each runner's foot will be yanked off the ground by the leg when the leg becomes extended. Then it must switch direction and start moving to the front again. This will happen when the leg is at a specific angle, so the second principle is: 2. This angle is the same for all leg lengths. For an acute angle, the longer the sides of the triangle, the broader the base. This leads directly to principle 3. Stride Length must be proportional to leg length.

Both runners will reach their respective limits of motion at different times. It will happen first with the bird because his legs are so short. In fact, the bird's leg will make several complete back-and-forth cycles before the man's leg reaches it's rearward limit. Taking principles 1 and 3 together, it is easy to calculate each runner's frequency or turnover rate; just divide the running speed by the stride length. This can be stated as 4. Turnover rate is inversely proportional to leg length.

Hello experts! Stop saying that everyone should have the same turnover. People with shorter legs will have a naturally faster turnover than people with long legs! Isn't it obvious?

Open Access Day in Limestone Canyon

2010-06-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

I've been on several docent-led runs in the Limestone Canyon area, and have wondered about the other trails we passed by during those runs. Today I got the chance to explore some of those trails during Open Access Day. The Augustine Staging Area off Santiago Canyon Road was as full as I have ever seen it. I had to park in "overflow parking", which is a large horse corral.

You just sign in at the tent, pick up a map, and begin exploring. I went up Limestone Canyon a little over a mile and turned on a trail called Sandtrap. Almost immediately I came upon a tarantula. Click for video.

This trail was probably named by mountain bikers because there are several spots with deep sand. If you have ever tried to ride a bicycle through sand, you know the feeling of being in a trap.

After winding up and up and up, I came up with my own reason for the name "Sandtrap". There are over a half dozen false summits, and although I don't play golf, it felt a little like swinging again and again but never getting out of the sandtrap. After finally making it to the top, I was happy to find shade again on the way back down to Limestone Canyon.

I self-took the next picture as I reached Limestone Canyon. Notice the water bottles - they are each 32 oz. I've seen a lot of women with small hands carrying 20 oz bottles, so why can't someone like me with large hands carry large bottles?

I chose Powerade because the bottle was easier to grip and less flimsy than the other brands. The bottles felt pretty heavy when full, but I'm glad I brought 64 oz. because I drank every drop on my run. The picture below is typical Limestone Canyon.

After a couple of miles I turned on Cactus Canyon and said goodbye to the shade. This trail climbs for a half mile before reaching Limestone Ridge, the single track I planned to use for my return trip. Like all ridge trails, the terrain is constantly up and down, sometimes steep. From the vantage point of the ridge, I snapped this picture across the canyon because it shows the Sandtrap trail as it climbs up and up.

I was pretty beat by the time I made it back to the car. I've been starving myself to lose weight (17 pounds in 12 weeks), and I was feeling very malnourished at the end of this run!

Above is my GPS track in blue. Distance was 10.2 miles with 1,400 feet of elevation gain.

Quail Trail to Nix Nature Center

2010-05-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

The last time I was on this trail, I don't remember it having a name. All I remember is beautiful views, steep climbs, an Irvine Company Security Guard and some shouting.

Today as I ran the Quail Trail with OCTR members Kelly, Dave and Dylan, everything was exactly the same as before except for the shouting. That's because the trail is now officially open to the public! Starting at Quail Hill Trail Head,we took Quail Trail to Serrano Ridge and down Little Sycamore to Nix Nature Center. On the way back we took N. Stagecoach and W. Canyon back to Quail Trail. You can check out the trails on this map.

To get to Quail Trail you have to cross Shady Canyon Road, which can be dangerous because of the cars speeding down the hill. Fortunately there is a crosswalk with a traffic light so you can cross the street in relative safety. That is assuming you make it across the paved bike path in one piece. We were almost taken out by a group of cyclists speeding down the hill. At least you can hear when a car is coming!

You get a short warm-up before the steep hills start. Most of the trail is fire road, but there is a nice single track section filled with switchbacks and a cool little wooden bridge.

Heading up Quail Trail (Dave, Kelly & Dylan)

Serrano Ridge

Nix has a nice little nature trail, some educational programs and exhibits, but I come for the water and the bathrooms!

On Little Sycamore approaching Nix Nature Center

Kelly, Dave, Dylan & me on West Canyon

I had a great run today with friends - what more could you ask for? Round trip distance was 9.75 miles with 1,600 feet of elevation gain. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend!

Harding Shuffle

2010-05-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Not to be confused with the Harding Hustle 30K on July 10!

Photo by Lauren

Counting Laps

2010-05-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

This week I spent a lot of time running laps around a dirt track near my house. To count laps, I usually carry little rocks and drop one every lap, or sometimes I just make a mark on the ground with my foot. Yesterday as I was warming up and scouting the ground for good rocks, it dawned on me that I could count hundreds of laps just using my fingers - if I used binary. So I tried it and it worked great. No more little rocks!

I came home and wrote an app that draws a hand using the new [canvas] tag in HTML 5. It shows how to count up to 32 laps or 8 miles using only one hand. The app works in Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera, but not IE, so if you are still using Internet Explorer, consider getting a modern browser!! (Otherwise you must wait for IE 9 to come out). Anyway, look for the red hand on the right side of my blog. If you don't see the hand, please let me know what browser you are using.

Play with the hand, then see if you can figure out this riddle:
There are only 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

Vulture Crags, Multiple Flags

2010-04-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful, cool morning! I was greeted with shouts of "Happy Easter!" by a few hikers, mountain bikers and runners I met along the Santiago Truck Trail on my way to Vulture Crags. This trail has some pretty good climbs, which gave me several opportunities to stop and ~~rest~~ look around. That's when I noticed another flag. Anyone know who put it there or when?

Vulture Crags and the flag. There is a second flag on the hill in the background, just to the left of the flag pole.

On my return trip I took a detour up a steep, overgrown single track to reach the new flag. There are limestone outcroppings with lots of fossil shells all over the top of this hill.

At the top of the hill with the new flag.

The trail down the other side of the hill is very eroded and even steeper than the one I came up. I took this descent very slowly, pausing to look at more shells.

More fossils on the back side of the hill

6.5 miles and 1,200 ft of climbing

Review of Digeus Registry Cleaner 5.4

2010-04-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a PC, so I know how important the Windows Registry is. Offered the chance to review a registry cleaner, I took the bait. I backed up my registry and ran a scan to see what shape it was in. The scan took a couple of minutes and found 1,062 invalid entries. If these were fixed, would I see a difference in my laptop performance? To find out, I measured a few start up times with a stopwatch.

Before running the software:

Boot up - 1:34
Outlook Express- 0:09
Firefox/Google - 0:17
iTunes - 0:27

After deleting 1,062 bad registry entries:

Boot up - 1:28
Outlook Express- 0:05
Firefox/Google - 0:19
iTunes - 0:27

The bottom line: This software was very easy to install and use. It took care of 1,062 bad registry entries in about 2 seconds. I did not see much of a change in performance, but I do feel better knowing that my registry is in good shape!

For more information, visit the Digeus website.

Bass Run

2010-03-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

This morning I rehearsed with "the band" , so I wasn't planning on any running. I got there early, unloaded my stuff, and remembered that my car needed an oil change. The dealership was only 1/2 mile away, and they give me free lifetime oil changes, so I drove over and ran back. After rehearsal, I ran back to the dealership, picked up my car, drove over and loaded my stuff. Cool - I got in a fast mile in my street clothes.

If anyone is interested, here are some pictures from our last rehearsal. We're playing Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers, Stray Cat Strut by the Stray Cats, Day Tripper by the Beatles, (I can't get no) Satisfaction and Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones, Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger, Mustang Sally, Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen, Johnny B. Good by Chuck Berry, Surfin' USA by the Beach Boys, Proud Mary by Credence Clearwater Revival, Takin' Care of Business by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Call Me the Breeze by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan, You're No Good by Linda Ronstadt, Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac, Memphis by Johnny Rivers, and Best of My Love by the Eagles.

Me on bass

My new 700 watt amp

Paul and Teri on vocals

Mark on rythm guitar

Kevin on lead guitar

Peter on keyboard

Fred on drums

Three Things You Don't See Every Day

2010-03-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

No, I don't mean hand grenades on the freeway!

#1. Snow on Santiago and Modjeska peaks

#2. A roadrunner in a tree

#3. Tom out for a trail run

It was cold and threatening to rain, but I hit the Bell View Trail this morning with OCTR member Jennifer for a little over 5 miles. The trail was a bit soft in places, as you can tell from my shoes, but oveall was in great shape. The rolling hills did me in, but I finished feeling pretty good.

So tell me, have you seen anything unusual lately?

5 Miles at Quail Hill

2010-02-28T12:58:00.001-08:00

The weather was great for my longest run in 8 weeks. It rained off and on all day yesterday, but the packed sand trail was in fine shape this morning. Despite some erosion, the surface was firm everywhere, even in the washed-out areas.

It was a real treat for me to catch up on the activities of my friends Kelly, Sheila, Dylan and Dave.

A great white egret and a blue heron at the pond near our turn-around point.

It felt nice to hit the trail this morning. Only 5 miles, but it took a lot out of me!

Grenade 1, Freeway 0

2010-02-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

All 8 lanes of the freeway near my workplace were shut down for over an hour today. Why? There was a hand grenade in the road. That's right, a hand grenade! What else did you think it would be? Turns out it was not live but now I wonder...How many fake hand grenades in the road would it take to shut down the entire Los Angeles area?

In other news, I've started my comeback. After walking 3 miles every day this week, today I actually ran 2 whole miles without stopping. It was easy - I just pictured a hand grenade on the road behind me.

Xterra Crystal Cove Training Run

2009-11-28T11:51:00.000-08:00

Today we had the pleasure of meeting and running with some fine folks from Claremont, Azusa, even Santa Barbara. It was our Crystal Cove Training Run #2. Look here for a few photographs . I know or remember Hank, Mario, Doug, Jim, Paige, Caroline, Lauren and Sheila, but apologize for not remembering everyone else's name or the name of their club. Maybe someone will let me know in an email or comment.

There were scattered showers all night and early morning. I threw a rain poncho in the car before leaving the house. Though it was threatening to rain on us, the rain did not come. It was breezy and cool with big white clouds, perfect running weather. Even the dirt was perfect - not dusty, a little clumpy, but not packed - just the way I like it. The ocean views from Moro Ridge were of course awesome.

We started at the El Moro parking area and followed the official 17K race course. If you have not parked there in a while, be advised that the parking fee is now $15! If you are interested, there are a couple of ways to avoid the fee. If you get there by 6AM before the visitor center opens, you don't have to pay (and someone will mark your tires). You can also park in the El Moro school parking lot just off PCH, which is officially not allowed, but many people park there without any problems and walk up the hill to the trail head.

Anyway, thanks everyone for a great run and good luck to you all on race day!

Trail Running Dictionary

2009-11-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

Runs On Dirt has a new feature called Tom's Trail Running Terms. It's just below the OCTR logo on the right.

I've taken ordinary words and phrases and given them new meanings only a trail runner could appreciate. I hope you like them. There will be a new definition every day, so check back often.

March 20, 2010 Note: I've since changed the name to "Trail Speak Term of the Day" and put it just under the picture at the top. Clicking the button will open a small window for the daily term. I had to do it this way because Blogger will not parse PHP.

Here's how to add Trail Speak to your website.

El Moro Canyon Pictures

2009-10-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yuppie 911

2009-10-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

Personal locator beacons like this are potential lifesavers, but I think it ought to cost you at least $1000 every time you use it. Here's why.

Meadows Trail - pwnd!

2009-10-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

A blue heron taking a stroll in Aliso Canyon

I was tired of babying my sprained ankle and avoiding all the climbs I could. This morning I decided to break out of the canyon and go with Lauren to Top of the World. "Which way do you want to go up?" I asked as we reached the junction with Wood Canyon. "Anyway but that way", she said, motioning down Aliso Canyon. Why any way but that way? Turns out neither of us had ever run all the way up Meadows without stopping or walking, so that's exactly what we resolved to do.

Meadows Trail starts at mile 2 and ends at mile 3

Lauren about halfway up Meadows - running!

Well, we both made it to the top in fine shape, with no walking or stopping. The slow and steady approach worked like magic.

Afterward, a short, steep section on pavement

Cool! new stairs on the worst part of this trail

Back down in Wood Canyon

One of 2 deer spotted by Lauren

Stats: Overcast and breezy, 11.6 miles with 1427 ft. of elevation gain, 1 blue heron, 2 deer.

Whiting Ranch and Red Rock Cliffs

2009-10-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

This run went up Borrego Canyon to the top of Red Rock Canyon, then back down to Mustard Road, up Mustard to Four Corners, down Cactus Hill, Sleepy Hollow and Serrano Cow Trail. Throw in a missed turn and a little bit of backtracking (which I am famous for!) and it came out to just over 8.5 miles. The highlight of the run for me was definitely Red Rock Cliffs.

The picture above was taken using the camera timer with the camera precariously balanced. I guess 10 seconds wasn't enough time for me to get in position AND regain my own balance.

My left ankle is still a little sore from a recent sprain, but it felt pretty good on this run, partly due to new shoes with some actual cushioning!

3 Runners Die in Detroit Marathon

2009-10-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is hard to believe, and weather was probably not a factor.

Emerald Canyon

2009-10-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

I had been wanting to explore Emerald Canyon for some time, so I promised myself I would run there once my sprained ankle healed and was up to the task. Today was the day, a bright, clear morning, but already feeling a bit warm at 7 AM. I set off with fellow OCTR member Lauren from the trail head at the end of Ridge Park for what I estimated would be about 9 miles to Emerald falls and back. I didn't have any illusions about the waterfall, as I suspected it would be dry even though we did have some rain this week. We warmed up on Bommer Ridge, then turned down El Moro Ridge and caught the Old Emerald Falls Trail, a single track that drops down into Emerald Canyon. By the time we reached the lush vegetation of the canyon bottom at around 3 miles, the temperature had fallen by at least 10 degrees. Nice!

Emerald Canyon turned out to be my favorite kind of trail - shady, cool, narrow single track through big trees. The Sycamores and Live Oaks seemed particularly tall, and the trail was padded with leaf litter in many places. It's the kind of trail where you can see only a short distance ahead, and where you might expect to run into a deer as you round a bend.

I think the reason Emerald Canyon has that secluded quality is because there is no access from the bottom. It's "landlocked" as they say, so it can't be part of a loop, and as a result most people don't venture too far down. Fine with me - I enjoyed the quiet solitude.

We reached the falls at 4.3 miles. Judging from the width of the exposed rock where the creek bed cuts across the trail at the head of the falls, I could visualize quite a flow under the right conditions. Those conditions would either be a torrential downpour or a week's worth of persistent showers. I could almost hear the roar!

Might as well go all the way to Laguna Beach as long as we came this far, right? The trail below the falls appeared to be even less travelled, and it was a very pleasant 1/2 mile trek until we came to an ugly fence and a locked gate at what looked like it might be a tennis club.

We took a break, had a snack and then started back the way we came. If you toss out a few steep sections near the falls, the run back up the canyon is pretty easy until you get to the intersection of Old Emerald Trail (on the right) and Old Emerald Falls Trail (on the left).

Old Emerald climbs NE to Bommer Ridge

Old Emerald Falls climbs N to El Moro Ridge

We stayed on Emerald Canyon which takes you straight up the ridge and back out into the sun. The climb is pretty steep for a while, but sort of levels out after that and is pretty runnable all the way to Bommer Ridge. There is a nice single track that runs along alongside Bommer, but I decided to stay on the fire road instead because I thought it would be smoother and easier on my ankle, which was beginning to feel a little sore. We finished up with 9.8 miles in a little over 2 hours. Satellite image with GPS track by SportTracks.

Local Runners Missing Since Sunday Are Found!

2009-09-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Long distances, rugged terrain, high temperatures, we've all been there, right? But do we realize how close we sometimes come to getting into trouble? I suppose that what happened to these two very experienced ultra-runners could happen to any of us. Thank God it turned out well this time.

Read the article and the update

Too Much Time Thinking

2009-09-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today marks one week without running. Instead of going on a long run, I mostly sat around. Oh, and I did some thinking, mainly about ways to keep cooler while running. One of my better ideas was to hydrate with ice instead of water.

My calculations show that eating ice can cool you 20% more than drinking the same weight of warm water. The benefit is even greater (much greater) in high humidity, so I will definitely try this when I start running again.

Oh, and you don't have to worry about mountain lion attacks any more. My experiments prove one thing very conclusively:

If you are threatened by a mountain lion, you can just distract it with a laser pointer while you make your escape.

I came across this picture...

...and suddenly realized how chopsticks were invented.

Can't wait to hit the trail again!

Pass the ice!

2009-09-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

I figured the run would take about 3 hours. Turns out I can limp it in 3 and a half.

Starting at the Lower Hot Springs trail head, San Juan Trail begins with 10 tight switchbacks. On the third one, I fell down, skinning my right knee and elbow. Great! On the fourth one, I rolled my left ankle when I misstepped a deep rut. This can't be happening! I waited for the string of expletives to stop echoing through the canyon, then took a few steps, then began running again. It hurt, but was starting to feel better, so I decided to keep going to Cocktail Rock, ultimately covering 13 miles with 2365 ft. of elevation gain. My friends Sheila, Kelly and Dave kept asking me how I was doing, and my answers went from "Not too bad" at the beginning to "Not good" toward the end.

On the bright side, I didn't run out of water, step on any snakes, and I wasn't mowed down by speeding mountain bikers. The company was caring and the scenery was gorgeous. A good day.

Back home to ice and re-hydrate

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday Update:

Even though I've been icing, taking ibuprofen and keeping it elevated, my ankle was much bigger this morning. I really missed my ritual 5 mile recovery run today.

Maple Springs - Main Divide - Silverado Motorway

2009-09-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Getting up at 4:00 AM is highly unusual for me, but today was going to be a long, hard run and we wanted to beat the heat. For some reason, I wanted toast with Swiss cheese for breakfast, then topped it off with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After meeting up with fellow OCTR members Lauren, Kelly, Larry, Daniel and David, Lauren drove us all to the end of Silverado Canyon where we started up Maple Springs Road in twilight just after 6:00 AM.

The first 3 miles of Maple Springs Road is paved, then it becomes dirt (yay!). The climbing lasts for 7 miles, but it is mostly runnable, with the average grade somewhere around 7%. In the picture on the right, you can see the trail zig-zagging back and forth. The ridge in the background is the Main Divide. Silverado Canyon is down in the valley between Maple Springs Road and the Main Divide. We came up Maple Springs, circled left around to the current viewpoint, and continued around CCW on the distant trail atop Main Divide.

These 2 pictures are courtesy of Larry. The first one looks like it was taken on Main Divide shortly after passing Bedford Road. Bedford meets Main Divide at the top of the frame, just on the other side of the ridge, and drops down into Riverside County south of Corona. You can see some of us on the road below.

Here we are on Main Divide. There is a downward trend from Maple Springs to the Motorway, and it looks pretty flat from a distance. Dream on! Anyone familiar with ridge trails will not be surprised when I tell you there are some pretty steep climbs along the way. I was glad we were going north and not south because there would have been significantly more climbing.

After passing Bedford Peak, we finally reached the top of the final hill of the day. Here is a rattlesnake's view of our group at the top of Silverado Motorway. From here, the trail is single track which plunges nearly 2000 ft. down the side of the mountain in just 3 miles. There are a lot of loose rocks so you have to pay attention to stay upright, especially near the bottom when your legs become tired from the constant braking.

This was our elevation profile. Nasty! The total cumulative elevation gain was 4,068 ft. Distance was 16.4 miles. I brought 100 oz. of water and drank every drop. As always, I had a blast. Thanks for the great company, you guys!

My Slow Week

2009-08-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

"But Tom, how is that different from your normal week?"

Well, it's different because this week I simply ran at a comfortable pace. I did not push myself to go faster like I usually do. I followed the plan, but the best part is that I truly enjoyed all my running this week, especially yesterday at Chino Hills SP and today at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Here's the background on this story: I was tired of having minor injuries that constantly re-locate themselves according to some mysterious pattern like musical chairs (left knee > left hip > right foot > left IT band > right shoulder > lower back > right hamstring, etc.). Typically, there was no pain while I was actually running, but I could sure feel pain the rest of the time.

My self-prescribed 3 weeks of therapy has centered around the "less is more" philosophy, cutting back on one element of running each week to give everything a chance to heal at the same time. Would it work? The first week, I cut out some hills. The second week, some distance. In this third and final week, I cut my pace.

Combined with ice, stretching and ibuprofen, I'm happy to report that my 3 week plan was very successful. At this moment I don't have any pain anywhere, which is such a nice feeling.

Happy running to all!

Do You Come Here Often?

2009-08-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

For two Saturdays in a row now I have driven to Chino Hills State Park for a nice, easy run on rolling hills. The loop I run (which I learned from Jessica) is just under 7 miles with just under 900 ft. of elevation gain. The single track trails have great names - how can you resist taking a trail called "Easy Street" or especially "Bovinian Delight"?

This was going to be an easy run on not-so-technical trails so I wore my minimal shoes, New Balance 790. They are super light and have virtually no cushioning (think racing flats for the trail). I have been having some right heel pain lately, so I thought that fine-tuning my running mechanics might be in order. If you are running incorrectly, these shoes will let you know it immediately!

I warmed up on Easy Street, stopping near the bottom at the secret spot for my ritual potty break (I won't tell you where it is, because then everyone will want to use it). Soon I was running into the early morning sun on Telegraph Canyon alone as could be. Cool. Then on one of the small climbs, "whoosh!", a high school kid in a red shirt pounded by me so fast that it startled me. I took a look behind to see if there were any more coming. There weren't. For the next mile or so I felt old and slow, but I kept my pace. I didn't see anyone else except a couple guys on mountain bikes, who labored past me on another climb.

When I got to Four Corners I took a short break and ate a GU. The mountain bikers were sitting there, and one of them said to me, "Wow, you had a pretty strong pace going when we passed you!". The "old and slow" feeling suddenly vanished and I said "Thanks!" as I started up Bovinian Delight. About a third of the way to the ridge, I saw another tarantula.

It seemed to be pretty active, so I held my hand out to it, though I'm not sure what I'd have done if it had walked onto my hand!

At the intersection with South Ridge I paused for this picture. In the distance you can see a layer of smoke from the fires in LA County.

The air was clear where I was, with no hint of smoke at all. A woman on a mountain bike pulled up and stopped. "Do you run here every week?" she asked. Then I recognized her from last Saturday, when she had asked me to take a picture of her group at the exact same spot. The others in her group were quite a ways behind, because I was at least a half mile down South Ridge before I saw them.

About a mile further, on a nice downhill, I saw a couple of guys from the Trail Headz working their way up the hill toward me. I recognized one of them but didn't remember his name, so I just said "I recognize you!" without stopping. He said, "You're Tom, right?" They were both in white shirts and white hats in anticipation of a hot sun, as they were probably just starting their run. I was just finishing mine, shirtless with a bandana around my head, and completely out of water.

As I got back to the car, I noticed that my feet, legs and back felt better than they had at any time this week, with 25 miles so far. There was no soreness or tightness anywhere, which is a great feeling, no dout due to the easy running on fine trails today!

99

2009-08-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

That's what my car thermometer read as I was driving to this afternoon's run in Crystal Cove SP. Though it was hot, the humidity was low and there was a good breeze. It would not be so bad for running, I thought. As I was parking the car, I spied a plume of smoke on the eastern horizon - another fire.

Sue from the Trail Headz pulled up and I invited her to join us. Then Sheila and Kelly showed up, and as we walked to the trail head, we saw Larry running up the hill toward us. He had come early to get in a few more miles. The five of us started down Bommer Ridge at 5 PM, looking to run only about 5 miles because of the heat.

We followed Fenceline single track to the end, then in the interest of making our mileage, I had the bright idea of adding a side trail called "Elevator". How bad could it be? Well, at first it dropped steeply down, then it got really steep, and believe it or not, it got much steeper at the end. Fear-for-your-life steep. Butt-scooting steep. The road back up wasn't so bad, either, except that everyone but Larry had to walk it. Luckily we all made it back to Bommer Ridge in one piece, though I'm not sure if Sue will ever run with me again!

On the way back we took Fenceline again. Larry made some comment about eating lots of salt, and that's when I noticed the front of his black shirt was white with dried salt. Damn! It didn't feel that hot, I guess it was the low humidity. Anyway, we ended up with 4.4 miles after an hour in the sun. Larry had 10 miles, Sue went back out for a few more miles, Sheila and Kelly went home, and I hit the road, too.

There was a lot of traffic on the 405, and my legs felt like they had a few more miles in them, so I took the Shady Canyon exit and ran 3 more miles at Quail Hill. It was starting to cool off a little by then, and the gently rolling hills made for a very enjoyable run. So I ended up with a little over 7 miles in the heat today.

Here's what my black hat looked like when I got home (and it wasn't even completely dry yet).

Pass the salt, please.

My Short Week

2009-08-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

This is the 2nd of 3 weekly installments where I give each one a descriptive name to illustrate how I ~~slacked~~ backed off that week. Last week was hills, this week was mileage. I hope another week of cutting something will cure all the lingering aches and pains I got when I upped my mileage recently. Stay tuned to see what I will cut next week. Here's a clue - it probably will not be my weight!

My runs for the week:

Tue - 6 miles in Wood Canyon
Thu - 5 miles in Shady Canyon
Sat - 7 miles in Chino Hills SP - It's tarantula season again. I saw 2 today.
Sun - 11 miles in Crystal Cove SP - Saw a coyote and tried a self-portrait.

Going down Old Emerald Trail

Total for my short week- 29 miles

My Flat Week

2009-08-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

I usually run hills every time I go out. Not that it's intentional (because it isn't), it just goes with the territory. Literally. Around here, and plenty of other places I'm sure, trails and hills just go together. It must be a law of nature.

This week I wanted to give my legs a treat without reducing mileage, so I decided to cut out the hills. That is apparently easier said than done, because although I was proud of myself for finding flat routes, I still ended up with 3,000 feet of climbing for the week. Even so, that's a reduction from the norm that my legs definitely appreciated.

After this week's "fewer hills" therapy, I do feel more rested. My legs are not as stiff and it doesn't take me as long to warm up. The knee pain has sort of become diluted and spread out into my thigh, ham and IT band. That seems like an improvement, so I'll take it. With fewer hills, my average speed shot upward, so I'll take that, too.

That was my flat 36 mile week.

Arroyo Trabuco/Tijeras Creek Loop

2009-08-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

About 12 miles total, down Arroyo Trabuco, up Tijeras Creek, with a couple of miles on the street to close the loop, that was the plan for today's run. I was joined by OCTR members Lauren, Kelly and Sheila. We decided to do the street section first and immediately got lost. No worries, as we recovered nicely with only an extra .4 mile. Still, everyone seemed to be relieved when we finally left the streets and entered O'Neill park. Wilderness!

Lauren, Kelly and Sheila

Most of Arroyo Trabuco was pretty runnable, but several sections were rocky enough that you had to watch your step very carefully. There was more water in the creek today than the last time I was there a few months ago - surprising since we have had no rain. Maybe it's all yard watering runoff? My favorite section, which the high school cross country kids call the "Jungle Run", lived up to its name and did not disappoint.

There's not a lot of light in the jungle, so please excuse the blurry pictures. Arroyo Trabuco Trail has a definite downhill feel to it, losing about 400 ft of elevation over a distance of 5 miles.

After a short break at the junction with Tijeras Creek Trail, we proceeded upstream on that trail. Soon there was a detour because part of the trail had disappeared, swept away by the creek. Right after that there was a fork in the trail and some indecision about which way to go. Let's just say there was backtracking involved.

Kelly acting out "Direction Disorder Syndrome"

That's when I started hearing murmurs about something called DDS, Direction Disorder Syndrome, which someone in our group was allegedly suffering from. Almost to prove a point, the trail we were on ended abruptly at a cliff. That's when we surprised 3 deer that were grazing in the clearing below.

One of 3 young deer we saw after taking a wrong turn

The Tijeras Creek Trail followed Antonio Parkway for a while, then crossed under it as it kept climbing toward Rancho Santa Margarita. It dropped back down to the creek several times but did not linger there, prefering instead to roll up and down, well OK, mostly up. By that time, the sun was out in full force.

Crossing under the 241 Toll Road in full sun

After the toll road, the climbing starts to dominate the run until you reach the false top, then finally the real top of the ridge. From there on it looks downhill but hides a few more short climbs.

The final downhill back to the cars

Run statistics: 3 wrong turns, 3 young deer, 1 psychological disorder, 13.8 miles with 1,160 feet of climbing.

Biking to Work

2009-08-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

This week I ran my 11 mile "Wednesday Run" on Tuesday so I could bike to work today. There's a new guy at work who rides, and he's in escrow on a house 4 miles from mine. We are planning on riding to work together at least one day a week on Wednesdays, so I wanted to see about getting my "legs" back. Besides that, my left IT band and knee has been sore for a while and I wanted to see if I could spin it out.

Unfortunately, I've been bad and haven't ridden my bike since March, so I was wondering how out of shape I was going to feel when I rode to work this morning. What a nice surprise - it felt like there was no loss at all! The 17+ miles with climbing and stoplights took me 66 minutes and I wasn't even pushing it. In some ways I actually felt stronger, especially in the big gears. Running up and down lots of steep hills might have had something to do with that.

Anyway, my legs felt great all day at work. No stiffness running up the stairs. No IT band issues, but I did ice my shin just below the knee a couple of times during the day while sitting at my desk doing emails.

The weather coming home was sunny but mercifully cool. There was a crosswind coming off the ocean that became a slight tailwind after I turned inland. I kicked it up to 25-26 mph for about a mile just because I could, then took it easy the rest of the way. By the time I made it home, the only soreness I had was in my neck, hands and butt. Overall, it was a great day for cycling!

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

2009-08-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

While channel surfing one evening last week, I caught a portion of Huell Howser's "California Gold" program. I watched in amazement as he walked through a marsh filled with fresh water ponds right in the middle of Irvine, CA. It was obvious that there were trails everywhere! In fact, it was noted that there were in fact 10 miles of trails. Flat trails. No hills.

Let's review...dirt trails, wildlife, close to home...I had to schedule a run there. I was joined by OCTR members Carlos and Maria.

One of a half-dozen large ponds

Carlos pointed out a large bird keeping an eye on us from a tree. It was clearly not a hawk nor an owl. If you can identify it, please send me a comment.

A very large bird with a long beak

A reminder of where you really are

I was afraid the whole place was going to smell like a waste treatment plant, but was pleasantly surprised that, even in the middle of the summer, there was no foul smell. The main trails are marked, but there are also many smaller trails and it is easy to get lost. After a while the ponds all start to look the same, and we had to consult the color-coded map to keep from going around in circles.

This blimp flew right over us

After a leisurely 5 miles through the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary on this beautiful Sunday morning, I am certain I will be back soon.

Fremont, Blind, Weir Canyon Loop

2009-08-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

I can't resist exploring a new trail - that's how I ended up on another docent-led run in the Irvine Ranchlands. This one had us running through the hills behind Irvine Lake. OCTR members Lauren, Victoria, Polly, Luis and Daniel were on hand as well. For an August morning, it was surprisingly cool. Cool!

The Fremont Staging Area

Irvine Lake after climbing above the level of the dam.

We climbed about 1000 ft. in the first 2 miles, then started down,

eventually crossing under the Tollroad.

We kept descending through Blind Canyon all the way into Weir Canyon. I thought Weir Canyon was by far the prettiest section, but my camera battery was dead and only let me take 1 picture.

Daniel pointed out these large mountain lion tracks in Weir Canyon.

I enjoyed these trails (actually fire roads) and the company of the other runners. If you like numbers, the run was 10.74 miles with 2,134 ft. total elevation gain.

Trabuco Canyon - Main Divide - West Horsethief

2009-08-01T16:43:00.001-07:00

It was great weather for running as fellow OCTR members Lauren, Larry, Luis and Daniel joined me on this loop in the Santa Ana mountains. Here are a couple of SportTracks screens from today's run. There are real pictures on the OCTR News page and also on Lauren's Blog.

40 Miles and A New Cat

2009-07-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

An easy 5 mile jog on Sunday put me at 40 miles for the week, so I'm giving myself a pat on the back. It's my highest weekly mileage in over a year.

One of our cats disappeared around the beginning of June and we were never able to find it. This weekend we got a replacement cat from the animal shelter.

Any suggestions for a name?

Santiago Truck Trail to Old Camp

2009-07-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

In my other life as a cyclist, I had been to Old Camp several times, but I never would have dreamed of running there and back. Actually, I never would have dreamed of running at all, but that's another story. Today, on my longest run in nearly a year, I did run there and back, accompanied by ever-faithful OCTR member Lauren. Read Lauren's blog.

The last time I saw upper Santiago Truck Trail was after the 2007 fire, where the once-beautiful single track had been bulldozed into a wide road littered with dead brush. I was fearing the worst this morning, but was pleasantly surprised at how much the trail had recovered in the last year. The vegetation has come back and nearly transformed the wide road into a single track again. Life goes on.

Old Camp

Lauren enjoying the shade, but not the gnats!

16 miles with 3,000 ft. of climbing

Why I Like Wednesdays

2009-07-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

Up until now, I had always reserved long runs (over 10 miles) for the weekend. There was no other way. I mean, I just thought that was the natural order of things.

Now I've discovered a new natural order. For the past few weeks I have been going for a run on Wednesday mornings. Taking time off work to go running. It's like having 2 weekends each week!

The Wednesday run is about 11 miles in Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. Add a few friends from OCTR, throw in some serious hills, and that is what I like about Wednesdays.

schmutzigen Schuhe

2009-07-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

This week I was in Frankfurt, Germany on business for a few days and needed a place to run. I couldn't bring myself to use the treadmill in the fitness center, so I asked the concierge at the hotel for advice. She suggested I go downtown for a nice run along the river. "Nein, nein, kein Strassen" I protested in bad German, "Ich möchte schmutzigen Schuhe haben!" Not streets. I want to have dirty shoes!

She smiled, then explained how to take a footpath under the Autobahn into a forest on the other side. That's more like it! The forest was very quiet and very green with damp double tracks that seemed to go on and on. After about 10 kilometers it was getting dark so I headed back, but by that time I had exactly what I wanted.

Simple

2009-07-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Did an easy 5 mile recovery run on Sunday. No GPS watch, no HR monitor, no iPod, no hat, not even a water bottle. Just a couple of friends and a nice rolling trail. Simple.

Skyline Drive and Blackstar Canyon

2009-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Ever since I became a trail runner a little over a year ago, there is one run I have always wanted to do. That is to start in Corona at the base of the Santa Anas and run up and over the mountains to the Orange County side. The distance is only 13 miles, and there is only 2000 ft of climbing, so it should be a piece of cake, right?

My awesome wife got up at 4 AM and followed me in occasionally heavy fog to the Blackstar Canyon trail head where I dropped off my car, then drove me on to Corona. All this without coffee, mind you, because our coffee maker is broken and Starbucks was not open yet.

At 5:24 AM I chugged a 24 oz bottle of water and started up Skyline Drive with 2 hand-helds. Virtually all the climbing was in the first 5 miles, and I paused occasionally to rest and take in the view on the way up. The road levels off somewhat near the top, then descends a hundred feet or so before climbing up to the main divide.

The landscape around the intersection with Blackstar Canyon is dominated by a broken-down rock house known as "Beek's Place" and a large white spherical antenna of some sort, which everybody calls the "Death Star". Sorry, no pictures.

The trip down Blackstar is 8 miles long and pretty steep in places, so I deployed my secret weapon - the running sail. It's a rectangular plastic sheet with a wooden rod along each side. I hold one rod in each hand and extend my arms to "put on the brakes". My invention is a real quad-saver, because it lets me run steep downhills just as if I was on flat ground. Today I tried out an extra large size prototype and I like it even better than the original. I still received the usual stares and questions from the mountain bikers and hikers I passed along the way.

The last 2.5 miles were not as steep, so I rolled up the running sail and just cruised along, enjoying the cool shade at the bottom of the canyon. Then I kicked hard for the last half mile back to my car. I finally did my Corona to Irvine run! Here is an image with my GPS route (from upper right to lower left) in blue:

Go to Work or Go for a Run?

2009-06-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

It was really an easy decision.

I met Lauren and Victoria Wednesday morning for an 11 mile jaunt through Aliso & Wood Canyon Park. The weather was great - overcast, cool, slightly humid.

Taking a breather at Alta Laguna Park, a.k.a. "Top of the World"

Cruising down Rock-It Trail

Eventually I had to go to work for the rest of the day. It's funny, I remember all the details of the run, but hardly anything about what I did at work yesterday!

Pictures courtesy of Lauren

Congratulations to All Grads!

2009-06-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Came home from work, got in a quick 4.5 miles, stopped at Taco Bell for a burrito then went to my son's high school graduation. Go grads!

I'd Rather Be Waterboarded

2009-06-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

I just gave a deposition in a patent-infringement case. For those of you who have never been deposed, imagine 7 straight hours of sworn testimony under oath where the opposing counsel asks you the same question 5 different ways trying to trick you into saying something that your counsel doesn't want you to say. There is a court reporter dutifully recording every word you utter, including all your run-ons, incomplete sentences and hundreds of "uhs". To top it all off, there is a video camera in your face all day, so no frowning, slouching, fidgeting, etc. Can you spell stress?

Near the end of the day, our lead counsel told me I was doing great and asked how I was holding up. I told him I would rather be waterboarded. He seemed surprised and asked "Really? Why?". I said, "I heard waterboarding only lasts 30 minutes". He cracked up and asked if he could have my permission to use that line! Silly, but that was the highlight of my day.

On the way home I stopped by Quail Hill and ran 5.5 miles to blow off some stress. It felt hard but good at the same time. Amazing what a little sweat can do for the soul.

25 Again!

2009-06-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

No, not 25 years old. I'll never be that age again, or even twice that. I'm talking about weekly mileage. After a very inconsistent 2008 and early 2009, I've been working on a solid base and just made it to 25 again. On the graph below, the last few months on the right hand side even look solid (all filled in with no holes). I'm feeling good so I will try to stick to this slow and easy approach.

Here a few pictures from this weekend's runs:

With Victoria & Anna on Bell View Trail

A rosy boa that I almost took home for a pet

Red Rock Canyon in Whiting Ranch - taken by Jennifer

Limestone Canyon Pictures

2009-06-06T12:40:00.001-07:00

"The Sinks"

A sleeping Diamondback

Trail-running paparazzi

"Dripping Springs"

May Miles

2009-05-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

I added a table called "My 2009 At A Glance" to my blog. Now I can see what I have been doing all year at a - well, at a glance.

Gee, I ran more miles this week than I did during the entire month of February!

May was my first 100+ month this year. In fact, more than 1/3 of all my miles in 2009 were during the month of May. I sure like seeing progress, but I just hope I'm not ramping up too fast.

Too Fast

2009-05-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

Nobody ever tells me I run too fast, but everyone tells me I drive too fast. I love to slide around corners and whatnot. When the roads are a little slick, as they were this morning on my way to Quail Hill for a trail run, it's a special treat for me. There were no other cars around, so I was doing my thing and having a great time. Except for one minor miscalulation - I went wide by just a few inches, and my rim smacked into the curb. Ouch! Luckily the tire stayed up so I could get to the run on time and back home, albeit with a slight shimmy.

When I told my wife what happened, she just shook her head and asked, "How old are you?". OK, I'm 54, but folks, there was no sympathy at all. In fact, I could have sworn I saw her smiling to herself. Hey, at least I don't run over big concrete balls!

Photo Caption Contest

2009-05-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

While sitting at Starbucks after a pleasant run in Whiting Ranch, we were treated to a little entertainment out on the driveway. Never seen anything like this before, at least on the street. I guess this is one of those times where a 4 wheel drive comes in handy!

Can you come up with a good caption for this picture? Mine is below.

Wait up, I've got a rock in my shoe!

Don't get me wrong - this morning's run was great, but not quite as interesting as this. Here are a few more views:

Suddenly Symmetry!

2009-05-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

My body is a work of asymmetric art.

Examples? One arch is normal and the other is kind of flat. The IT band on one side sometimes gets sore, as does the hamstring on the other side. My nose always runs on one side only. I sometimes get PF on one side, but a sore knee on the other. And whenever my hip hurts, it's always on the same side. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a little symmetry! It would make me feel a bit more...normal.

This afternoon I began to sense a dull ache on both shins right below the knee. As the feeling intensified, it suddenly dawned on me. This was a first. I thought, "Hey, it hurts in exactly the same spot on both legs at exactly the same time!", and then I went off to find some ice.

Later at home I continued to relish in my new-found self-symmetry, utilizing my extra large ice mat (with bi-lateral symmetry, of course) to service the same spot on both legs at the same time.

Holy Jim Falls

2009-05-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

What a great feeling to be able to do long runs over 10 miles again! It opens up so many new possibilities. This day, I wanted something with trees but without too much climbing. I decided to run to Holy Jim Falls, but started at the beginning of Trabuco Creek Road, not the Holy Jim trailhead. That gave me about an hour of easy jogging with a gradual incline on a wide road before I hit the single track. At the 6th creek crossing the trail splits - the main trail continuing with about 5 miles of switchbacks straight up the side of a mountain, and the other trail going about 400 yards up the creekbed to the falls. I chose the falls.

The Holy Jim trailhead, about 5 miles into the run.

Not much water falling this time of year!

Just a couple of notes on gear: First, it was pretty humid, so instead of running with a sweat-soaked shirt (which can wreak havoc on one's nips), I ran shirtless. Not much possibility for sunburn today. Second, partly due to the humidity-induced sweating and partly due to the distance, I had quite a bit of chafing. Ouch! I had forgotten that I always used to apply vaseline to sensitive areas on runs over 10 miles.

Summary: Easy, scenic run of 12.3 miles with 1544 ft. elevation gain.

Running Like A Faucet

2009-05-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

...My nose, that is. Lots of sneezing, too. For the last several days I have not been able to stray too far from a box of Kleenex. Funny thing, it's not a problem while my legs are running.

This was my first visit to Chino Hills State Park since the "Freeway Complex Fire" of last November. The park looks much as it did last May, except for the charred trees everywhere!

The imposing trail head at Rim Crest

One of the many burn areas

Weeds-in-the-face single track all the way to yonder ridge

Although I felt a bit run down from my cold, I managed to log 9.5 miles with 1,200 ft. of climbing.

Just Like Old Times

2009-04-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

It was a nice 5 mile run at the beach. A little single track, a little boulder hopping, a little sand, and a friend to run with. Jessica Deline, AKA Portland Trail Runner is back in town for the Orange County Marathon on Sunday. It was good to see her and catch up on things.

Good luck to her and everyone running the OC Marathon!

Santiago Truck Trail

2009-04-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

This morning's group run turned out to be a solo run because nobody else showed up! It was just me and the mountain bikers. This first picture shows my destination - the American flag in the distance. After that there are some views from the trail and lots of wildflowers.

Wildflowers are not really my thing, but I used the photo opportunities as an excuse to take some breaks on the uphill sections.

[rant]
One of the pictures is sideways for some reason. Blogger just does whatever it wants with my photos. It never lets me arrange them the way I want, and always changes things around when I hit the Publish Post button. What's up with that? Isn't Google supposed to have some of the best programmers around? Haven't they heard of WYSIWYG?
[/rant]

It took me quite a while to get warmed up this morning because I did not run at all during the week - I only walked 6 miles because my legs were sore from last weekend's 9 mile run. That may not sound like much, but it was my longest run since last November!

Last week was my first 20 mile week in quite some time. This week will be more like 16 miles, with today's long run about 6.7 miles.

The cool sandstone formation is called Vulture Crags.

Real Lakes of Orange County

2009-04-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

I was on my way to Whiting Ranch for a hilly 3 mile run with a friend from work when I got the voice message. My friend couldn't make it. I was just then passing by Lake Mission Viejo, so I pulled off the road and parked my car. One lap around the lake is just over 3 miles and I have not run here for a long time. Why not?

This was going to be different. There is no single track, no real trails, in fact no dirt at all. It's 100% sidewalk. There are no real hills either, just some gentle rollers. And by my reckoning it's not a real lake, just a man-made depression filled with tap water! Perfect. At least I could pound my legs on some real concrete for a change.

After warming up with an uphill start, I settled into a pace just over tempo which felt great at first, but was becoming a little uncomfortable by the end. My completely uneventful and friend-less run statistics: 3.17 miles, 298 ft. elevation gain, 29:11 at an average pace of 9:12 per mile. Below is an image of the so-called lake showing my concrete route.

"Real Lakes of Orange County"

5 @ 5

2009-04-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

The strong onshore was mostly at my back as I ran south on the San Clemente Beach Trail. A few times the moonlight broke through fast-moving clouds, revealing lines of waves streaming toward shore, whipped into whitecaps by the wind. The packed-sand trail was dark and empty.

Can you smell the ocean? That was an exerpt from this morning's 5 mile run at 5 am.

San Clemente Trail Run

2009-04-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

The first thing I asked when I picked up my bib was "Could I switch to the 5K?". I guess I was still spooked by the sore legs I experienced on Thursday's "run" (read post). Part of me was thinking that a 5K would be overdoing it. As it turned out, the volunteer made it easy for me - "No switches" - so I obediently lined up with the 10K runners.

It was a little moving when all 150 runners said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem together. Here we are facing an unseen American Flag that was surely waving somewhere inside the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base across the valley.

I was chatting with Lauren as we were lining up, so I decided to start out with her and see if I could keep up. At the starting gun (a real gun, not an air horn) we all took off. The entire course was fire road, wide enough for people to pass by each other and prevent traffic jams. As I was jogging along the first mile or so on gently rolling terrain, I realized that I actually felt pretty good and began to get the idea that I could do this! An extra day of rest seemed to have made a big difference.

Lauren and I ran together until just past the halfway point where, near the bottom of the first big climb, I summoned enough confidence to strike out on my own. On that climb and the next big one, there was plenty of walking to be sure, but I was able to do some running, too. I passed a couple of people, but they passed me again later while I was walking. Thankfully my quads and feet did not protest too much, even on the steep downhill sections.

At the top of the second climb, when I was nearly out of gas, the final final aid station came into view. Woohoo! I quickly drank a cup of water, a cup of Gatorade, then poured another cup of ice cold water over my head. Just over 2K to go.

Except for 1 medium hard climb, I thought the last section was going to be pretty easy. I guess "easy" is a relative term that depends on how fast you go, because it was anything but easy for me. On this part of the course it was possible to see the folks ahead and behind, so I was trying like mad to catch the ones in front and not get caught by the ones behind. I don't think I passed any 10K runners, though, only a few of the 5K runners/walkers who started later.

I was able to kick a little at the finish (only because it was downhill), and crossed the line in 1:09:50. Definitely not a record, but considering that an hour earlier I was contemplating just walking the 5K course, I was thrilled to finish 5th in my age group. I guess I lowered my expectations too much!

There were a few members of the Orange County Trail Runners at today's event in San Clemente:

Marta and Heather. Marta ran the 10K and Heather ran the 5K.

Grant ran the 5K because the 10K was sold out.
He ended up winning first place in his age group!

Lauren ran the hilly 10K

Lowered Expectations

2009-04-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I planned on a short run to preview the course for the San Clemente 10K Trail Run coming up tomorrow. The trail is only a short distance from my workplace, so why not? I thought I would just do the 5K course because it looked fairly flat (most of the hills are in the 10K).

Well, the run was indeed very short. I ended up walking most of the way, all the while wondering why I was out there at all. The problem? My legs have definitely not recovered from last weekend's race and are still sore. I guess the downhill pounding they suffered was more than they could handle with my limited preparation.

This week I've been walking and pedaling an exercise bike regularly, but I guess it wasn't enough. More time is needed, and I only have 1 day. So tomorrow morning (wearing the event t-shirt no doubt) I plan to set off at a "brisk" 17 minute pace and hope for a miracle.

March Trivia

2009-04-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Returned to steady running, 4 days a week, total 15 miles
Finished the latest John Grisham novel
Ran a 5 mile trail race
Got an ultrasound on a suspicious nodule on my thyroid
Made my first on-line stock trade
Celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary
Granted 4 patents by the US Patent Office
Upgraded to a fast new desktop computer at work
Applied for a new passport
Bought 4 new tires for my car

OC Chili Winter Trail Run #3

2009-04-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

I had been looking forward to today - the third and final race in the series. For the past month I had been carefully training just enough for constant improvement but not enough to re-injure my foot. Unfortunately, that worked out to less than 15 miles per week! I had gradually increased my long run up to 5 miles, as today's race would be 4.9 miles. So far, so good.

Starting slowly near the back of the 100+ field, I worked through the crowd a little for the first half mile until we hit the first real uphill. From there the course was mostly uphill for the next 2 miles, gaining almost 900 ft. of elevation. My plan was to do no walking, no matter how steep it got.

After settling on a sensible pace and a sustainable breathing pattern, I simply tried to hold on. I did manage to pass a few people when they started walking, but it was very hard because they were still going almost as fast as me! A couple of them passed me back later. Anyway, I made it to the top of the course without giving in to the temptation to walk, but wondering if that was really so smart.

The first couple of downhills were real steep and I went as fast as I dared. Descending has never been my strong point, but at least no one passed me there. The next 2 miles were pretty flat to rolling with an unmistakable downhill trend. Just extend the legs and cruise home. I could see people behind me, but they didn't seem to be gaining or falling back.

It stayed that way for about a mile, then I had to walk for a few seconds. Someone passed me. A little while later, a short hill, few seconds of walking, another passed. Could we get to the finish, please! All told, about 5 people passed me in the last 1.5 miles. As I was nearing the finish, I caught a glimpse of someone else gaining on me, so I went as hard as I could for the last 150 yards. I finished 49th overall in 51:10, good enough for 3rd in my age group. My legs were sore afterward, but luckily my foot felt OK.

Here are some finish line photos of other OC Trail Runners:

I swore I could feel someone breathing down my neck at the finish, and it turned out to be OCTR member Victoria, who finished a few seconds after I did. It was her first race in the series, and she had a great time, placing 2nd in her age group.

Grant, a new OCTR member, finished 27th overall even though he and a few others made a wrong turn on the course. He was 4th in his age bracket.

Heather had a great race and smashed her previous PR for the course by a full 8 minutes! She was third in her age group.

Photos courtesy of Richard Saunders. Thanks, Richard!

Black Star Canyon Pictures

2009-03-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

OC Chili Winter Trail Run #2

2009-03-08T12:08:00.001-07:00

The weather was fine and the trails were dry for the second race in the series. The sun even managed to come out for a while. The course was basically 2 miles uphill and then 2.8 miles downhill. Our group didn't win any raffle prizes this time, but Heather won third place in her age group. Way to go, Heather!

This was the view from the highest point on the course.

Lauren, Carlos, Maria, Tom and Heather at the finish.

OC Chili Race Report

2009-02-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

I made sure to bring a lot of foul weather gear with me (wool hat, gloves, arm warmers, disposable rain poncho, hooded sweatshirt) but in the end I didn't use any of it. What the heck - it was only 4 miles. Heather decided on the poncho.

I warmed up by running aout 10 minutes, then sitting in the car another 5 minutes with the heater blasting.

About 130 runners showed up for the race. There was light rain the whole time, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. The course was on asphalt roads, but they still managed to throw in a muddy creek that we had to cross twice. I didn't know the course ahead of time, so I assumed it would be fairly flat and started out pretty fast (for me, anyway). As soon as it turned uphill, I knew I had made a mistake. It continued to climb until the turn around at 2 miles, at which point I was really looking for some down grade. I cruised to the finish, not able to pass anyone but getting passed a couple of times. I sprinted and lost to another runner at the line, finishing in 37:37.

Heather came in at 51:06, which was a huge PR for her. Her best 5K to date was 48 minutes on a flat course. This was a mile further, had 450 ft. of elevation gain, and only took 3 more minutes! Way to go!

There was a bonfire, hot chili and lots of raffle prizes. Heather won a 1.5 liter Camelbak and I won a Montrail T shirt.

Runs in Rain

2009-02-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow was supposed to be my first trail race of the year, the first of three in the OC Chili Winter Trail Run Series. Except it won't be on a trail - it will be on the roads. Something to do with the rain that started Thursday night, continued all day today, and will probably be hanging around tomorrow, too. Tomorrow I'll be racing in the rain.

Look at the bright side? There are no hills (a hill on a road is not really a hill!), the pace is faster on asphalt (15 seconds per mile by my calculations), and I'm more likely to win or place in my age bracket if a lot of runners stay home because it's raining.

Micropost

2009-01-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today I previewed the course of the first of the upcoming OC Chili Winter Trail Run Series with fellow OCTR member Carlos.

Santiago Truck Trail to Vulture Crags

2008-12-06T15:09:00.001-08:00

This is the route I ran the last two Saturdays. It's about 7 miles with 1,100 ft of climbing. Vulture Crags is a sandstone formation where California Condors used to nest. A hill nearby has an American Flag on it. At this same location, a mountain bike run called "The Luge" takes off down a steep canyon.

Santiago Truck Trail re-opened recently after being closed for a year due to the Santiago Fire of 2007.

From the hill where the flag is waving, you can see part of Saddleback Valley. Upper Oso Reservoir is in the foreground and Lake Mission Viejo is in the distance. My house is somewhere in this picture.

The flag with Vulture Crags in the background.

Fuel for the Fire

2008-11-16T11:29:00.001-08:00

The Yorba Linda/Chino Hills fire continues to burn out of control. Take a look at this photo from an April 2008 run in Chino Hills State Park, and you can see why. Thousands of acres of wild mustard plants, many over 6 feet tall. I know because they kept hitting me in the face! Now it's all brown and dry, fuel for the fire.

Riding with the Orange County Rebels

2008-11-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

Went for a bike ride today with some old friends. The 26 mile route went from Irvine down Laguna Canyon Road, through Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar, then back to Irvine. It was great fun flying down Laguna Canyon with the wind at my back!

The following pictures courtesy of Jess.

This was on the OCRR web site: "Of special note is picture #19, showing long-lost Tom after about a three-year absence. Welcome back, guy!" Wow, it's nice to be remembered!

I stayed glued to Scott's wheel, and when we got to the top of the ridge, we had dropped everyone and were all alone.

The mandatory stop at the coffee shop

On the return route we could see smoke from brush fire that was just getting started in the Corona/Yorba Linda area. This could turn into a huge fire with Chino Hills State Park just to the north. Hope the wind dies down soon.

Our route was clockwise along the faint blue line

Twin Peaks Training Run #1

2008-11-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

Today's training run went 7 miles up Indian Truck Trail to the Main Divide Road, then 7 miles back down, with a total of 2,873 feet of elevation gain. This run covers the first and last legs of the 2008 race. This picture was taken at the starting point of the 2008 Twin Peaks 50/50.

The group at the start

Another group photo with me in it

A runner coming down as I'm going up

Another...

And another!

Group photo at the top

Jury Duty

2008-10-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

This week I hit the ground not running.

Today's cross-training regimen called for jury duty, and though I felt a bit rusty at first, it went great once I got warmed up. I managed to find a sofa in the jury room, and sat on it all morning while chatting with an old Egyptian guy. He was called just before lunch, but I was not selected all day, so I am done with that civic responsibility for at least another year.

Sits on Sofa

2008-10-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Not running has given me lots of extra time to cross-train (daydream, read, watch television, eat). I've even managed to squeeze in a few double-days (eating ice cream twice in one day).

So I've been thinking of renaming my blog - what do you think?

There, I said it

2008-10-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a week or two off from running. There, I said it.

No, there are no broken bones sticking out of my leg, I just want give my calf/ankle/foot a chance to finally heal since it has been nagging me for over 3 months. I've been reducing my mileage because I didn't want to stop running entirely. Twin Peaks is coming up, and I know I should be increasing mileage. Now I'm slowly beginning to realize that I probably won't be running that race. There, I said that, too.

Black Star Canyon Run

2008-10-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

For my long run this week, I had originally plannned a mildly adventurous journey that started in Corona and ended in Orange County. It would have been 13 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing, but this morning I did not feel up to it because my ankle was sort of stiff.

So instead I went halfway up Black Star Canyon and back for a total of 8 miles and 1,100 feet of climbing. That was just enough because my ankle started hurting a little towards the end.

The original plan would have had 1 additional mile of uphill (plus 900 feet of elevation!) and 4 additional miles of downhill.

A couple of runs

2008-10-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of short runs in the evening after work this week. I ran at an easy pace. Both were 3 miles, one clockwise and the other one counter clockwise around a dirt track.

I promise to stop whining!

2008-10-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an eye-opener for me.

I went to Bill Ramsey's post-AC100 Oktoberfest party and enjoyed bratwurst and Bill's homemade beer. I also met some hard core ultrarunners. While they were all pretty impressive, two in particular stood out to me; Fred Pollard and Link Lindquist. Why? Because both were older than me, and after some conversation I learned that they did not start running until they were my age or older!

Ouch! That pretty much demolished my favorite and often-repeated excuse for why I haven't gone faster or further. "After all", I would whine, "I've only been running for a couple of years, and I didn't start until I was 51".

Alright already. From now on, no more excuses. I promise!

Top of the World

2008-10-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Where can you go to look one way and see all of Laguna Beach, the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, then look the other way to see the Laguna Coast Wilderness, all of Saddleback Valley and the Santa Ana Mountains beyond?

It's not easy getting there, but the view is definitely worth it. This morning I set off with OCTR members Dylan and Heather from the Aliso & Wood Canyons parking area. The temperature was about 50º F and kept dropping as we went lower into Aliso canyon. I don't know how cold it got, but by the time we reached Wood Canyon I had lost all the feeling in my fingers. Heather turned up Wood Canyon for her 9 mile out and back.

Dylan and I continued down to Meadows Trail which is a series of switchbacks that take you straight up to the ridge. This climb was hard work, and the effort luckily generated enough heat to thaw my frozen fingers. After making it to the ridge, there was a short and insanely steep paved road, a partially washed out sandy trail around some houses, and a mile or so of rolling blacktop before reaching Alta Laguna Park with the aforementioned view.

One gel and a little water later, we stared out along the top of the ridge, with Laguna Canyon Road far below on the left. The ridge is a couple of miles of rolling fire road with only an occasional steep section. At the far end of the ridge we literally flew down Cholla Trail, which drops 300 feet down into Wood Canyon. Dylan split off here to head back home after 13+ miles for the day.

I ate another gel and took off down Wood Canyon for my final 4.5 miles. I wanted to see if I could catch up with Heather, who should have been about halfway back to the car. No such luck, though - she got to the car a couple of minutes ahead of me. I was a little tired but felt great overall. I had been afraid my foot would start hurting, but that didn't happen. Instead, I had a slight pain in my back, and my throat was raw, probably from sucking in a million cubic feet of cold air this morning and also during Tuesday morning's bike ride.

The numbers: 11.7 miles, 1300 feet of climbing, 2:10.

Runs on Dirt

2008-10-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Four miles on the track today, but not for speedwork. I just wanted an easy run, and it felt really good. All the trails close to my house have steep hills, so I have developed the habit of going to a local track when I don't want any rocks or hills. It's not very scenic, but at least I get to run on dirt.

Non-Impact?

2008-10-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday's bike ride was my first in almost 6 months, but it didn't really feel that way. Other than the amount of stuff you have to gather together and take with you (gloves, helmet, leg warmers, arm warmers, vest, headlight, blinkie, spare tube, etc.) I was surprised by how normal it all seemed. Balance, cornering, braking, shifting, blowing red lights, it all came back to me instantly. The pedaling also loosened some of the lingering tightness in my right calf.

So I decided to ride to work yesterday, which is 18 miles and 1500 ft. of climbing each way. Charge the batteries, pump the tires, lube the chain. The morning portion was great: cool temperatures, beautiful sunrise and virtually no traffic. But the afternoon ride seemed to suck the life out of me with 90º + temperatures, lots of stops, and hot water in my bottle. I bonked pretty badly about halfway home. Oh, what a feeling!

Now my neck is sore, my feet are sore, and my butt is sore. All this non-impact is having quite a negative impact on me. I think I'll try running tomorrow!