A Conjure One kind of run

I didn't have much time today, but it's the only time I have to run a trail this week. So a quick jaunt up Dry Creek Canyon it was. I was craving some trail time and, really, it was my soul that needed a good run through the forest more than my legs. 

Ran two miles up, sat on a rock on top of a hill for a bit, then practiced my "flying" down the hill. Really though, just one little tip from Lindsay (lean forward) has changed my relationship with downhills forever. They are seriously amazingly fun now! 

My good ol' trail

I love being so close to mountains. Lucky girl!

A blurry pic of my hitch hiker ladybug friend. He was orange and black. A Halloween ladybug!

My rock!  Thanks for the seat, bud!

Mileage: 3.84

Time: 56.53

Pace: 14'48"

It's about time!

Well, it only took us a year or so but we finally did it!  

Back in the day Lindsay and I were pretty much inseperable. But give us two grown up lives with grown up responsibilities and we're lucky to see each other once a month now a days. 

Lindsay was a BIG part in why I started running. I wanted to be able to explore and enjoy the beautiful trails like she did. So after running for a year, we finally made it up to a trail together!  And it was such a good time. 

Tehra and I met up with her at a trail head she picked called East Mountain Wilderness Park. It's one of Lindsay's old stand by's but it was a new one for me. It was GORGEOUS!  (Shhh... Don't tell Dry Creek, but it migh be my new favorite!) 

We were actually on Bonneville Shorline Trail for a bit but it's a different feeling part. It's much further away from the city line and felt, oh so peaceful.

I was AMAZED the first time I watched Lindsay fly, literally FLY down a hill!  She told me to make sure I was leaning forward. Holy Hell!! What a difference!  I may not be flying like her yet, but I've definitely found my wings now. What a blast!

We had a random little snow flurry that was fun and there were tons of cacti! Which I never remembered to snap a pic of!!! Ugh!

Oh well, next time!

No mile tracking today. I was too excited to finally run with Lindsay Lou to remember to start my counter... But here's a good guess...

Miles: 3

Time: an hour maybe?

Pace: about that fast...

Fall!!

Have I mentioned I love fall?  I LOVE FALL!  Really though, it verges on unhealthy.  (We won't go into my pumpkin problem...  Someone might consider me obsessed.)  It makes me so happy when that first crisp of wind comes in and makes everything a little bit cooler.  It may not make sense, but when it gets cooler outside, it makes me all warm and cozy!

So I've been itchin' to get up to a trail since the winds came in.  Add a crazy busy week that forced me to take a "rest" week and I couldn't drop my kid off fast enough at school!

With a lack of training schedule (even though I have another half in about a month!! oops!) I've been feeling REALLY adventurous lately.  I love my good ol' stand by trails, but I'm feeling a need to expand.  And who wouldn't, when you live in SLC with a plethora (love that word!) of trails right out my door!

I headed up to City Creek.  My old stand by's are heading south on Shoreline towards Dry Creek or straight up City Creek.  I've always wanted to run Shoreline north towards Bountiful, so that was my plan. 

I parked, got my gear ready, then remembered thanks to a LAME iphone update, I'd had to delete my Nike+ app.  I could stand around and wait for it to download, or just run mile counter free....  I lucked out that I was just in the right kind of mood and aching to get on my first fall run, that I chose that later...  zen running it was! Well, with my music of course!

Well, maybe it was the fall air or maybe the forced week off, but it was a damn good run!  Inclines suck and usually get me down.  But I was rocking these out! 

I knew it was almost exactly a mile to where Shoreline meets City Creek.  Then I headed north for the first time.  There was quite a few little switchbacks that made it really interesting and fun.  Then it levels off and follows behind a load of fancy-shmancy, big houses.  I kind of felt like I was invading their space... but oh well! I took a while going up because I had to stop and take so many pictures! 

I stopped for a minute to check time.  I still had about 15 minutes before I figured I should head back, so I kept going.  And right then a HUGE gust of wind raced through bringing a pretty good, cold rain with it.  Maybe it was time to head back!

I ran down the trail to a little shoot that goes down to the road of City Creek.  I decided since the road wasn't muddy and it's decently covered by trees, I'd take a jaunt up that way.  I used to run/walk that road every chance I got.  In fact, I was on that road when I heard the news that my grandma had passed away and haven't been back since.  There's a small creek that goes under the street at one point. On the side of the street before it goes under, the water is filled with a bright green water clover of some kind.  Even in the dead of winter, that creek is full of life.  I needed to go there again, so I did. 

I love going back to a run I haven't done in a long time.  That road used to be one I couldn't make all the way up without walking at least a little.  Yesterday, it was cake... when did that happen?



See how happy I was to be out there!

 

FALL!!!

 

These woods made me think of a spooky movie.

 

Looking up City Creek. 

When I got home I got out my handy dandy map so I could figure out where I'd gone... and how many miles... oh c'mon, you know I couldn't resist!

My freakish, useless OCD was very happy when I realized I'd run from the mouth of City Creek to the point and then to the end of the "V". (nice and pretty like!)
Next time I'm going to go farther.

Miles: (about)5

Time: (about) 1 hour

Pace: you figure it out!





















My grandma's creek

A Zen Run... Sort of.

Today was my first run since my race this weekend. I decided since I'd focused and stuck to my training schedule (well, mostly!) today would be a adventure/zen run. I still had to set my Nike+ because I'm so not that person that can run without knowing how far I've gone. 

I headed up to a trail that starts at the Natural History Museum.  I remembered my friend took me on a hike before I started running trails that went up above Red Butte instead of in front like Shoreline. I haven't been on the trail since and wanted to check it out. (After the run I texted my friend and found out it's called Skyline Trail.) 

The trail started with a couple switchbacks and then a straight incline right along the southern fence of the garden. I decided that I didn't care how much I ran vs walked, I was just out enjoying myself. I was feeling pretty glad about that resolution when I hit that hill! (Have I mentioned I HATE hills!)

My hike/run up was pretty uneventful. The trail was really rocky so it was a very slow go.  

I got to a little lookout where my friend and I had stopped with the kids for a snack. Behind us was a decent sized foothill that was just daring me to hike up. So I did. 

And took these awesome view pics...

That dark spot at the end of the trail is the lookout. 

After I snapped this pic I turned to my left and noticed a friend. A lonely (I hope) coyote noticed me noticing him and quickly change directions. That's when I threw my mace in my hand and took off down the hill. When I got down I figured I head back towards the more populated part of the trail instead of wandering farther in (and possibly becoming a tasty meal!)

Can you see my little friend?

I back tracked all the way back till the trail forked. Right: back to my car. Left: more trail and adventure. I had plenty of time, so left it was. 

I got less than a quarter in and noticed the strangest looking old bicycle tire laying in the trail... Only it wasn't an old tire at all...  Hello Mr. rattlesnake!

It was the first one I've ever seen and I'm  pretty sure I've never turned and run that fast. 

So needless to say, no pic of that guy. Sorry folks...

I took my TWO visitors as a sign that maybe 2 miles was enough for me today and ran back to my car. 

Maybe next time I want an adventure/zen run I should be a bit more specific; tad bit less adventure, more zen. 

Miles: 2.14

Time: 43:38

Pace: 20'22"

For my grandma

A race report is coming, I promise. But I needed to do the important one first. 

You see this is my grandma. She is the grandma that a large majority of my childhood memories center around. She had an amazing backyard and I can still hear her calling my cousins and me inside for dinner... (Or, let's be honest, yelling at us to stop whatever naughty situation we'd gotten ourselves into!) She made her own bread and when we moved away it was one of my favorite Christmas presents to get in the mail.  

Early last December we found out she had a tumor in her lung.  The doctors felt they could successfully remove it. So as they prepared her for surgery the night before at the hospital, I made my way up to see her. Something told me I needed to. 

I brought the kids with me, and my grandma and my aunt enjoyed them playing around and entertaining them. 

At this point my running had taken a blow. I'd developed tendentious and between that and the horrible winter weather and air, I'd almost given up. 

My aunt asked me that night how my running was going. I laughed it off and said, well it was going... My grandma looked at me and said, "you keep it up!"

Sadly, my sweet grandma never recovered from surgery...

You keep it up.... Just four words, but those four words have carried me many miles. When there was times I just knew I couldn't go one more foot step, or days that my want to run was null, those four words have made me never stop. 

I've thought of her often while running and today during my first half marathon I know she was right there with me. 

❤

The Compromise

What do you get when you cross two two trail running momma's, an extra thirty minutes of preschool, one of the first beautiful days of fall and a training schedule that says not to run long runs this week?  A compromise, that's what... a compromise.

 

I woke up to a beautiful over cast sky with a slight breeze and occasional sprinkles.  The boy's preschool was going on a field trip and would be back late = extra momma time! The trail was calling, no YELLING my name and there was no way I wasn't heading up.  But there's that whole, "you have your first half marathon in two days... don't over train" thing. A hike up and run down wouldn't break the deal, right?

 

We headed up to the Dry Creek section of the Shoreline Trail... My favorite! We got hit by a pretty good down pour as we walked up to the trail and as we got going I realized the trail was muddier than I'd expected.  I fall just fine on my own without mud and the Murphy law of my lingering first half.  I decided not to tempt the "ha-ha" (imagine Nelson from The Simpsons) gods anymore than needed, and my quick cheater run turned into a long hike. 

 

I've run this trail countless times, but haven't hiked it in a while.  It was nice to slow down and see what I miss at a faster pace.

 

So, sit back and enjoy my hiking vacation slide show... drinks anyone?

 



 

The mountain line in the rain... GORGEOUS!

 

 

 I love me some acorns.

 

We met this guy on our way down. Pretty cool looking.

 

FALL LEAVES!!!  yippee!

Some of the mud... I totally would have bit it....

This view never gets old.

 Happy mommas!



This one's serious, guys...

Just so you know how SERIOUSLY I take my running, I wanted to share my run from yesterday with my rockstar running bud, Tehra...

Our first half marathon is this Saturday (more on that later) which means not much running this week.  Three miles has become my quick, bare minimum run and according to Hal Higdon's training schedule, three was the longest run I should do this week.

Anyone that knows me, knows as soon as I'm told not to do something, it's exactly what I really need to do.  And as a runner that LOVES trails and has been limited to roads over the summer (due to the kiddos) this week has been especially hard not to bust a move on a long trail. 

Tehra and I had plans to run while the kids were in preschool and I purposely didn't bring my hydration pack so we could NOT sneak up to a long trail!  We settled on two laps around Liberty Park (3 miles) and then we'd drive over to the running store to grab some last minute supplies for the race. 

So we take off, chatting as we go, and when we get to the corner of the park, we realize, "Hey, the store's just down the road... Let's just run it.  Two birds, one stone... right!"

PERFECT!  Great run to about a block away from the store.... I'm thinking about my list of what I need... Cliff Shot Blocks, Stinger Waffle and maybe a tube of Nuun.... anything else? Nope...

Thinking, "This is so awesome!  I love being able to just RUN down to the store.  Free and clear... No stuff, no car... just me and my ipod..."

Wait...Free and clear.... I didn't bring my pack, which usually holds my stuff; keys, id, debit card... you know, just in case.  In case I run to a store last minute!

DAMN!  Back to the park.....

 

 

Miles: 2.34

Time: 26:31

Ave Pace: 11'18"