New Challenges…and Old Returning Ones Too!

Zoe Zoe

Bear River Reservoir
Bear River Reservoir
canoe
2 kids, 1 husband, 1 very unsure German shepherd

That’s right folks! We stuffed the whole family into one aluminum canoe and paddled the length of Bear River Reservoir. And we didn’t tip! We had a fabulous picnic on the beach, went swimming, caught a surprised snake that was in the water with us and I got a nice sunburn. Pretty successful day! Pluse this was our first time in a canoe ever. It’s gonna happen again.

My lakeside escapades have made me miss swimming so much that I signed up for masters again. It feels great. I think I’ll do some open water events next year.

La Familia

Enjoying the view.

 

 

 

Forest Sprites

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Mystical Running

Running is a prayer. It’s the time I commune with the Great Spirit that is within and throughout all things. You can call it what you want God/Goddess, the Universe, but if you know what I’m talking about you know what I mean, it’s all the same big wonderful spirit soup.

The most mystical of runs often have humble beginnings. They are usually the outings I don’t think too much of. This Saturday i was too lazy to get up early and lug it out to the trail so the dog and I stayed in town to get our miles in. Possibly boring but at least we’ll get it done.

The weather is perfect. Slightly warm, sunny and still. Zoe and her dog aggression issues seem to be getting better, which is a point to rejoice over. We pass a few dogs with almost no nervous tension. This has been a big battle for us. She used to love to play with other dogs and then suddenly she didn’t like them anymore.

We try to find nature where we can on these runs in town. There’s a little corner park where you can go down to the creek. I let Zoe off the lead to splash in the water and cool off. A few blocks on the sidewalk turns to a pleasant, shaded dirt path alongside the road. I take these dirt paths as far and as often as I can. We head uphill along one of these paths on a pleasant shaded street.

The pace is leisurely but my mind is racing. Storms are brewing at work and there are battles that I just can’t win and have already lost. At this late point in my life I’m craving a career change but I’m stopped in my tracks by the enormity of such an undertaking. My mind has been going ‘round and ‘round in circles on this and there’s no solution. It has depressed me for some time now. I wish I could just retire.

We come to a hairpin in the road and Zoe is visibly happy about it. She’s not a climbing dog…she’d rather bomb the downhills. We turn the hairpin and start descending.  About 20 feet on Zoe starts slowing . She keeps craning her head around to look behind us. I turn to discover that we are being followed.

It is a lovely young doe. She is small but obviously very healthy with a rich light brown coat the color of teakwood. She stops when we stop and pricks her large teardrop shaped ears forward. She’s at attention, but in no way nervous. Curious she is.  She takes a few steps towards us.

Zoe obediently sits on my command and remains calm. It’s someone with even bigger ears than hers! She watches us and switches her ears lightly as I talk to her. She steps a few more steps forward on impossibly dainty hooves.

We stay like this for several minutes. I eventually break the strange bond that we’ve formed and move to run off. The deer looks at us for a few moments and then slowly turns and saunters uphill in the opposite direction.

I wonder what she was thinking of us, what her impressions were. I’ll run here again soon and see if we meet again.

I smile the rest of the way home from such a gift. I feel that our encounter had some sort of meaning, that in due time I’ll discover. Such a timid, wild creature in town and curious and trusting of me and my beast.  She appeared at my lowest mental point and put a little magic into my morning. I’m looking to connect the dots and when I do maybe the answers I’ve been looking for will become obvious.

Maybe That’s All That We Get

I’ve been thinking about the passing of Micah True, the hows and mostly the whys. I’ve noticed that there are people with a mission, and then when that mission is almost complete and on it’s way these messengers leave us, their work in setting the fire complete.

I knew that there would be inevitable discussion about his untimely passing and as always, did ultra running have anything to do with it. I knew that this was coming. Every time a runner dies an early death this same discussion (with very little merit or basis) boomerangs back again. The un-athletic quote it smugly to the runners, and some runners are left questioning their routines, and for some the core of their beings and their daily prayer.

I’m not paying attention to this replayed story anymore. From everything I’ve seen running (and sometimes LOTS of it) improves lives in so many ways. I watched a neighborhood “fat guy” lose about 80 lbs and gain a huge smile. I get my best ideas and soothe my anxieties while running. It’s a better addiction for you than smoking or drinking…and for many people it’s replaced them.

I think that sometimes people just die younger than others and maybe there’s nothing we can do about it. Maybe it will be you, or maybe it will be me.

Maybe that’s all that we get.

Who’s to say we are all owed 85-95 years? Maybe there’s NOTHING you can do to ultimately change your end date. How does that change your thinking? (Though I’d hope that you’d keep trying to be healthy for as long as you got left, be it a day, or half a century.)

And this is really what we have to deal with. Did you really live? Or were you waiting for retirement to have that big adventure? Were you doing just what you wanted to do? Micah’s life may have been shorter than others but you can bet your trail shoes that it was a wide, deep and crazy-rich life.  I don’t think he had many regrets. And with his passing, I asked myself if I would have any regrets right now. Yes I would, a lot. There’s so much I’ve been afraid to do (for no good reason) so much procrastination. If this is all that I got it would be an unfinished story. And I’d be pretty embarrassed that I squandered this incarnation.

So if all I get is 50 or 60 I’m going to fill it up. There’s never any time to waste. Even if I’m lucky to make it to a healthy 100, I still have no time to waste. Neither do you.

Get busy livin’.

Wildflowers

It’s good to have one of these if you’re lookin’ for trails

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See our new addition, aptly named Funky Jane. Im loving the ability to go everywhere .

Top of Huddart

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Progress and Beauty

Today I’m pleasantly sore. I have that mild soreness that tells you you’ve accomplished something in your run, that you have made a step up, that tomorrow you’ll be more fit than you were the day before.

 

Yesterday was a gorgeous day. Warm, brilliantly bright and with none of the wind that we usually get from the ocean. I did an early morning run with the dog and girls, only 2 miles, the last of which was mostly walking as the girls are still small and they pooped out. Then I set up my hydration pack and headed up to Huddart Park.

 

Huddart Park is a large open space with many miles of trails that connect to other large open spaces up on the ridgeline of the peninsula. It is filled with cool redwood forests, perfect for a hot day’s run. The lower slopes also have scrubby California oak forests and some grasslands. But up high, it’s full of towering redwoods with a verdant green understory of ferns, spring flowers like purple iris and sky blue forget-me-nots. Redwood forests also provide the best running trails imaginable. Few surface roots with a soft and loamy dirt created from generations of redwood pine needle decomposition. Perfect after a week of running in town.

 

Upon arrival I was surprised by the state of the parking lot. It was virtually empty! How could that be on a day like this? And I was getting a late start due to my pre-run run. I’m continually amazed by how few people take advantage of these beautiful places that are so nearby. I suppose they are all in town, shopping and adding more stuff to their houses, the modern pastime. I find that I have less and less in common with my neighbors.

 

As I started out I gave a silent thanks to the Great Spirit for the beautiful day and everything I have. And for the opportunity and ability to run in this beautiful place. The trail I typically take switchbacks out of the camping/parking area through dense second-growth redwoods down to a creek crossing (I think it’s a tributary to Union Creek further on below). This trail, Crystal Springs then switchbacks relentlessly up through alternating California oak and redwood forests to the top of the ridgeline near Skyline Blvd.  There’s about 3 miles of never-ending up to get to the top.

 

At the ridgeline I eat a gel and snap a few photos with my phone. I follow the connecter trail that takes me to Skyline Trail. You can take Skyline Trail 5.7 miles south to connect up with gorgeous Wunderlich Park (another one of my favorites). But I’m not in that kind of shape yet. I do a few miles down this trail and then double back. Along the way I encounter a large patch of forget-me-knots in a clearing surrounding a spot in the trail. I stop and tear up a bit. My grandmother loved these flowers and always had a riotous patch of these happy sky blue flowers in her gardens. Every time I see them I think of her and I feel that somewhere she’s watching me. Maybe it’s her way to say hi.

 

There’s also a lovely series of pools and waterfalls along the creek that boarders Skyline trail. Next time I might stop to dip a toe in!

Stretching Out

I’m adding miles to my training and so far, all is going well. A few mornings ago I had one of those transcendent runs, you know, the ones that make you feel like you’re floating and flying down the road/trail. I take it as a good sign that the training is going well and I’m on the right path. 

And in furthering the outdoor life we traded in the station wagon for a Toyota FJ. Let the wild rumpus begin! I’m so excited to get out on the dirt roads to wild places that I’ve been just dying to go to. 

I also signed up for my first ultra this year. This one’s not until September and I’ll have done at least one other before then but I figured that this would fill up soon if I didn’t sign up  – Auburn Trail Run. Drop me a note if you’re going to be there too!

I have some pretty trail runnin’ pictures that I took with the pooch recently. Will upload soon. 

Tap, Tap, Tap

It’s harder to get up on some mornings than others.

Especially when you’re warmly squished between two slumbering kiddles, who are sweetly snoring lightly. You’re startled awake by the alarm and hit the snooze button. Thinking about just turning off that alarm and sleeping soundly ’til 7.

But you have miles to do. You think about how when you step out of the door, it’s really not so hard. Little warm up steps. Tap, tap, tap. Down the street. Light and easy, light and easy. Soon you’re warmed up and a mile from home. The robins are singing and it’s not even light yet. Tap, tap, tap. The pooch is happy you went, her tail is curled into a broad arc like a big fur-fringed smile. Tap, tap, tap go her feet too, black claws clicking on cement.

You’ve even moved the alarm back 1/2 an hour so that it’s still well dark when you set out. The dark of morning has a peacefulness about it, and envelopes you like a loving cloak of your private thoughts. A meditation in motion. It’s still before dawn, save for the song of birds. No wind, just calm. Tap, tap, tap. Once you’re warmed up the speed comes. Past a mile your feet take flight and running is effortless and light.

You greet your fellow runners with cheery hellos and nods. Dogs excitedly prance at the end of their leashes at seeing one another. Getting out early is all worth it.

Light and easy, tap, tap, tap. Every step one closer to a distance goal. Every early morning one more triumph over sloth, a victory for adventurous living. It’s much easier to try than it is to live with failure. Just go, push yourself out the door and feel happy all day for it.

The Horse Runs Free

I first heard of Caballo Blanco way before Born to Run. I was a minimalist before the whole craze set in and a reader/follower of Barefoot Ken Bob. That’s a whole ‘nother story I’ll have to go into later. Ken Bob’s site led me to Barefoot Ted’s site. Ted seemed kinda crazy, I was okay with that.

One day he put up this crazy post about running down in Mexico and this dude called Caballo Blanco. An Americano who ran and lived with the Raramuri. He did have some pictures posted. but I wasn’t sure if Ted was telling the truth or if he was maybe smokin’ something. After a while he posted up stuff about the upcoming book…so at this point I figured his tales were mostly true.

Of course the book was awesome and I loved it. Soon after Caballo put up a web site that I followed and when he ventured on to FB I friended him. We had a few conversations. He loved my dog and we chatted about running with dogs.

Just a few days before he went missing I was looking on his site to see when he might be in our area again so I could go see him speak. I also checked out when the Copper Canyon race was (just happened) and started writing in plans to go next year. So ironic.

He’s someone who shouldv’e lived to be 90-plus years old, so healthy vibrant and strong. He had so much to give, and he was giving so much. The lesson is to do what you dream of RIGHT NOW. Caballo did. He may have died young, but I bet he didn’t have many regrets. He may wish that he could’ve done more for the Raramuri…even though he’s done so much already. But in his passing is a call to arms for us to pick up the slack and carry on like he would.

Take every day and pack in as many miles, as many hugs and as many kisses as you can. Run Free.

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