Jonah in the Skye with Diamonds

re-toe-in

2010-06-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Mindful Mule has been squeaking a lot lately, again. This is great when you’re about to get doored and you slam on the brakes to let out a blood curdling squeal in order to politely inform the driver to shut their damn door, but mostly it’s a little annoying.

So, I re-toed the pads and was very lucky (or skilled) in the process as I nailed it on the first try – front and back – no hassle at all. Finished in record time – probably like twenty minutes – hardly even got my hands that greasy.

I’ve only tested them out on my super steep driveway with no helmet as is my strange tradition, but they were quiet and buttery all the way down. Hopefully they’ll stop me in normal street braking, too. Also, hope there’s not another post upcoming to tell you about how I had to readjust, again, as is often the case.

15 days ‘til Le Tour!

Tour Divide has started!

2010-06-12T09:43:00.001-07:00

I love following this race. It’s an off road bike race/ride from Canada to Mexico along the Continental/Great Divide (Rockies). Self supported for the burliest of the burly. Epic doesn’t even come close to describing it.

Geoff isn’t in it this year. Neither is Jill. So I’m routing for Cricket! Chirp!

Take a listen.

S.R.T. Jogging

2010-06-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

I don’t know what I’ve been doing lately but I haven’t been running. A couple days ago I went for the longest run I’ve done in a month, still only 9.5 miles. It was also the first time I’d been down in the Arroyo in that same time period. During that month there was a trickle of some 3-milers and the Mt Wilson race.

I have the excuse that I was sick for a while, but I’ve been pretty okay for a couple weeks now. I think it’s just always hard to get back on the running train when you’ve been off it for a while. Somehow your mind and body stop comprehending the point of running, especially for longer distances.

Once I got out there on the run in the Arroyo everything fell back into place pretty quickly and I end up running farther than planned. So that’s good. Maybe I’m back.

While I was out there I was thinking about the distinction between running and jogging. I’m not sure there’s really much of a difference. In general people probably think jogging is slower than running: J < R. It seems silly to base it on a rate of speed, for example: J < 6.5mph < R.

Back in the old days, when I was a kid, we called it jogging. Jogging meant you wake up at 6am, put on a sweat suit, and jog for 3 miles. If you were a jogger, you did this every day. Or maybe just once a week. I don’t know. Like I said, I was just a kid. I tried jogging a few times.

At some point in the 80’s, I’m guessing that someone at some company (Nike) realized that there was an incredible marketing opportunity associated with the hobby of jogging. “If we just change the name to running,” they said, “we’ll sell a million more shoes!” And so the hobby of jogging became the sport of running. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

As an example of the possible sense that the above made up story makes, consider for a moment the idea of trail jogging. It would never fly. Sounds stupid, they probably thought. But trail running, aha! Now we’ve got something. Now we’ve got a sport, something respectable.

Personally, I’m starting to like the sound of jogging. There’s not so much pressure. Joggers don’t need a stopwatch. Joggers can stop to say hello to people they encounter along the way. Joggers don’t have to replace their shoes every 300 miles – they can wait ‘til a thousand or whenever they feel like it or whenever they go on sale or fall apart.

So, what’s S.R.T. Jogging? It’s my new name for an old hobby: Sidewalk, Road, and Trail Jogging. For me, every jog starts on the sidewalk, then takes to the road, then if it’s a longer jog it takes to the trail. Most of the time (for me) it’s not really trail jogging in the sense that trail running implies, where you’re out on a goat trail racing up to the rocky outcrop at the peak of some fog enshrouded mystical peak; it’s just me down in the Arroyo cruising along with dirt under my feet passing by cool native plants like sage and sycamore and oak and toyon.

Chantry Flats Ride

2010-06-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a new mountainy road ride that was really pretty nice. I took Masi (aka the Purple People Eater) up to Chantry Flats which is one of those old timey camp places up in the San Gabriel’s above Arcadia/Sierra Madre.

I’ve been up there before but not for a long time. I was probably up there as a kid for school hikes or something. The last time I was up there was when Mindful Mule was shiny and new back in maybe about 1995. Me and a couple friends drove our bikes up there and cruised around on some trails.

I’m not sure why I haven’t thought about it for the last 15 years. A few months ago while I was riding Totally 80’s on the Vintage Ride a flash of light caught my eye from up in the mountains. It looked like the reflection off a windshield but I couldn’t think of any roads that would be up there. It was way off in the distance on a hazy day so I couldn’t see very well to confirm.

Later that day, though, I checked out the map and it looked like there was a road heading up in them thar hills and wouldn’t ya know it led right up to Chantry Flats.

Fast forward to this morning. I rode up that road. It was a little steeper and longer than I expected/remembered, but it’s a great little mountain road and even has some fresh pavements sections.

There were tons of people up there. I had no idea it was such a destination. There must have been a hundred cars parked up there. Unbelievable! Great to see people out hiking and biking and picnicking and such, though. I guess Chantry is somewhat rare in that it’s pretty close to town and accessible by car and yet it really feels like you’re deep in the mountains.

The descent was awesome. Narrow road, tight turns, steep, and well paved. A classic, really. I got stuck behind some cars so I couldn’t let it all out but that’s probably better/safer on a first descent anyway.

“multimedia message”

2010-06-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

A long, long time ago I told Shawn I’d send him a photo of a hillside filled with cactus. So here it is with stolen title (which, I think I finally get!) As you can see, it’s a horrible picture – taken with a phomera from a moving car – on the 101 just south of Camarillo – Conejo Pass, I believe.

“the mountain wins again”

2010-05-30T08:45:00.001-07:00

The Mount Wilson Trail Race was yesterday in Sierra Madre. As always, it was a great event with lots of community involvement and familiar faces and food and drink and beautiful weather… and one big mountain to climb.

The day started off early riding east down Huntington, racing the sunrise over the mountains. That was actually a really nice part of the day. Totally empty and cool. Just me and Mindful Mule spinning along quietly, making our way to the start.

The field in this year’s race seemed to be a lot more spread out than normal or maybe I was just running in a lucky gap, but I had very few people around me for much of the race.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t take advantage of the extra space to move forward for a better time. I just couldn’t get myself together on this one. On the way up, I spent a lot of time at redline. And on the way down, where I can normally make up a lot of time, I was pretty tentative about my footing – probably a sign of old age. I kept saying to myself, just live to run another day. I really couldn’t be bothered to risk anything for a better time stamp: 1:43.

I don’t know what it is about that mountain but I can never seem to master it. The mountain will always win. I wouldn’t have it any other way, but hopefully circumstances and training will align for a slightly smoother run next year. I can hardly wait…

totally unprepared

2010-05-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

The Mount Wilson run is tomorrow. I haven’t prepared at all in terms of training or resting or eating or anything. Hardly anyone I know is running it this year. Hopefully The Reverend will be there so we can go to the beer garden afterward. And maybe at least some familiar faces.

I’m not expecting much from myself for this run. My running pretty much dropped off the face of the earth after May 6th. Since then I’ve only run a few 3s. I’ve been sick and tired.

But I’m already signed up and it is a nice local tradition. So I’ll drag myself to the start in the morning and everything will probably be just fine.

one glove dream

2010-05-28T10:53:00.001-07:00

I had a dream last night about bicycling. That’s not really news worthy. I dream about biking pretty much all the time these nights. Oh, wait, now that I’m digging into my subconscious, I ‘m remembering another biking dream from last night, too. See what I mean? Ho hum – do it all day, dream it all night.

In the first dream I was riding at night and it was somewhat cool. That’s how it’s been lately. It may sound surprising to those living in cooler climes, but I’m just now able to get rid of some of my warm layers on night rides home.

That’s not to say that I couldn’t, or haven’t, ridden home at night in shorts and a T, but there is a certain cozy factor that feels really nice right now. Maybe I’m in denial about the approaching heat wave, aka summer. Last night, in the non-dream world, what do you call that, “reality,” I rode back down the hill in jeans, double rolled on both sides, T, open flannel, and wool cap. I could have made it home without freezing to death in far, far less, of course, but like I said, it feels nice to cruise home easy down the hill, no chill, over-shirttails flapping behind, a burrito in the basket.

So, anyway, the dream. I was riding and I had one glove on and I was thinking, I wish I’d brought both gloves because this left hand feels cozy and nice.

And in the other dream I was riding Totally 80’s (eighty-eight Centurion, steel road bike with seven-speed downtube shifters) on a golf course. There were a couple other people riding with me, up ahead – I couldn’t quite catch up to them, of course, but it was an awesome ride along the cart paths and up against the banked mounds for the tees and greens. The grass was cut real short so we could pretty much ride wherever we wanted. There weren’t more than a couple golfers out to get in the way of. But then we came upon some equestrians so we had to dismount and follow the “bikes yield to hikers and horses” trail rules.

The toe clip straps on T80’s seemed to be those from the fixie (seventies Schwinn Supper Sport single speed, SSSSSS). They’ve got color to match the fixie, sort of a honey gold to compliment both the brown paint and natural sidewalls. I think, my subconscious wants me to get some matching blue toe clip straps for Totally 80’s blue-splashed front and rear frame and bar tape.

Plus. I think golf courses could be used for much more than golf. Many of them would make great parks. I’d also like to see more courses using a diversity of plant material, native to the area, rather than just endless blades of grass.

“They call me Mimi”

2010-05-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

In memory of the sweetest little terror of a kitty.
(With help from James Taylor, Guns N’ Roses, and The Grateful Dead)

“Just yesterday morning
They let me know you were gone…
I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I’d see you, Baby, one more time again…”

“I used to love her…
I know I’d miss her
So I had to keep her
She’s buried right in my back yard.”

“I don’t know, it must have been the roses
Roses on the ribbons in her long brown hair…
All I know, I could not leave her there…”

rip

The Ride of Silence

2010-05-20T10:54:00.001-07:00

The Ride of Silence took place last night at the Rose Bowl and locations all over the world. This annual ride honors those cyclists that have been injured or killed while on the bike while at the same time raising awareness that the streets are for people and bikes and cars and that we can be mindful and respectful of each other while we’re out there.

It was a beautiful evening for a ride. We rolled out just before sunset with about seventy riders and slowly made three laps around the loop. Silence was kept throughout the nearly one hour ride which allowed each of the riders the peace and space to reflect on their individual reasons for being there.

Ride on… mindfully, respectfully, safely.

California vs. Italia

2010-05-16T11:50:00.001-07:00

For me this is usually a no brainer – I’d take Cali every time. But this week, California, or I should say, the Amgen Tour of California really screwed up. Cycle racing has a very longstanding tradition in Europe. Many races there go back over a hundred years. No car support back then, but that’s a story for another day. Today’s story is that for some idiotic reason, this year’s Tour of California was scheduled right in the middle of the Giro d’Italia – one of the three Grand Tours in the sport of cycling along with France and Spain. I love the tour of California and I thought it was great when they held it in Feb/March as they did for the first three years, or is it four now – whatever, it’s a very young race. It was awesome to crush the pros early in the season and show off California to the world as an epic place to cycle with wind and rain and snow and sun and killer mountains and huge crowds, etc. But scheduling it not only in the height of cycling season but in the middle of the Giro is really in poor taste and stepping on European toes. I shake my upward curled fingers at you ATofC.

once you go track… you can never go back

2010-05-15T10:20:00.001-07:00

Well, that’s a bit of an overstatement, but I thought you’d appreciate the title. After nearly 600 miles of running almost exclusively in my superlight track shoes I finally gave myself a break today on a short run with Hilary and wore my old regular running shoes, Adizeros, I think they are, which also have around 500 miles on them but today they felt like running on pillows by comparison, except for the fact that they simultaneously felt like running in concrete boots as they’re super heavy, again, by comparison.

I had a really hard time getting started on today’s run. It was like I had forgotten how to run completely. That’s how different my running style has become with my track shoes.

The trouble with the track shoes, though, is that they beat the crap out of you and after several months of that and that I’m just trying to recover from a pretty wicked fever/cold… well, today I just needed a break.

After about 1km of uncoordinated clown running form the old style started to trickle back in and it really felt great. It was so easy and so easy to go fast.

I’m gonna keep running in those track shoes because I think they really do make me stronger, but I think I should mix it up a little more often so that I don’t hammer myself into submission every time I go out.

Two weeks from now is the Mt. Wilson Trail Race in Sierra Madre and suddenly I’m thinking it might be nice to run in the cushy shoes for the race. They’ll be great for the downhill, anyway. And with their high heels should make the uphills less steep?

So, I guess you can go back… it’ll just never be the same.

the doors of perception

2010-05-06T20:11:00.001-07:00

Awakening from a daze, I find myself on foot in the Arroyo, again. Am I pushing further and further to find this place of transition, as in an addiction, or am I finding deeper thresholds to pass through? Over worked, my legs ache. The spring sun is intense – unadjusted, winter hide still browning, I’m blasted. Out of place, a desert sky hangs, still, above this tilted alluvial plain between my mountains and the Pacific. Doldrums between uncertain seasons – a strange emptiness lingers – like a ghost town, the doors of the tavern hang open, no wind or man to swing them. The earth and sky waiting on eternity.

Brown and Sycamore

2010-04-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Shoeless Jo(nah)!

2010-04-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

Last night, under the cover of darkness, I ran barefoot – almost. I wore socks. I guess that’s about as minimalist as footwear can get. It was a short run – three miles.

I wore socks not so much for the slight protection they provide from bits and sticks on the road/sidewalk, but so that it wasn’t so obvious to those few people around that I was running barefoot. I chose dark socks for stealth-ness.

As it turns out, running in socks is also stealth in that it is very quiet. It makes for a nice quiet evening of running – ghosting along.

The run felt good, right, natural… duh. A bit blistery at the front of the foot but in time I think that can be adjusted to, especially if I get onto a trail.

Water on the sidewalk from some sprinklers was an unexpected obstacle. The feet got wet briefly but felt nice, cool. I wonder if that encouraged the blistering slightly.

A couple days ago I had a slight tweak in my left ankle/Achilles. I iced it after yesterday’s first run in the morning. It does seem odd to try the first “barefoot” running experiment on a tweaked ankle, but when the Spirit calls…

I look forward to trying this again…

Mindful Mule and Me

2010-03-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

Yep, that’s my bike’s name – Mindful Mule. But really, it’s my name, too. I guess I named my bike after myself. It’s a good name, for both of us.

Mules tend to follow the same paths over and over again. Sometimes they can handle the load. But, they can also be stubborn for no particular reason.

Sometimes they just want to lie down and eat fresh veggies.

Mindful Mule knows the path well enough and tries to follow it – slow and steady and predictable – most of the time.

But, you have to remember that Mindful Mule is half horse, too. And sometimes he likes chasing the peloton around for a few laps. He can’t keep up for long, but just long enough to make the thoroughbreds a bit confused. “What’s this mule with the flannel roll strapped to his pack doing next to me!” they snort.

Mindful Mule is a work in progress. Mellow already, maybe, but not really mindful, fully. The Mindful part of the name is more of a goal, a reminder. ‘Cause when you’re a mule, it helps to keep your mind full – or… empty, rather.

blissing out on the road bikes

2010-03-22T14:50:00.001-07:00

There’s not much more I really need to add to that title but basically the sun has been out and it’s been warm and I’ve been riding. And with that the hundred mile weekend has returned.

Her name was Lolo…

2010-03-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

…she was a trackstar…
Photo: Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters

I’ve been watching the coverage from the World Indoor Track Championships from Doha, Qatar. Last night was the women’s 60-meter hurdles final. All eyes were focused on the Canadian “speedball” in the middle lane but emerging like a shadow from the far lane Lolo Jones ran away from the field in the second half of the sprint. It was a beautiful blowout of a race. That’s how you do it, baby. That’s a finish. You make me cry…

Malibu Creek Trail Run

2010-03-07T16:45:00.001-08:00

Maybe the best part of my day (or almost) was seeing snow on Brown Mountain on the way to the start.

Also, nice to see several deer grazing the meadow around the start area.

The sun was out for the start and mostly the whole race. Better than the rain that had been expected.

I had been worried about the creek crossing at the beginning of the course. The water was cold and way up the thighs but didn’t really bother me. It felt pretty good. It might have even helped to ice the legs and feet before the ascent. Wussed out and took off my shoes, though. Left the socks on, though, if that’s any consolation.

The climb up was steep at times but mostly runable. Great reward at the top - The Pacific! Cold wind coming off the ocean changed the mood for a little while. Could barely open my rolled fruit snack because I couldn’t feel/move my hands.

Ran out of water just before midway aid station. And again just before finish. Brought a 24+ ounce bottle. Maybe should have brought two. More aid stations or even a water jug between them could help.

Stomach cramps weren’t an issue finally in a race situation. I often get them at these events. Don’t know why. Too nervous maybe or trying harder. Every time I thought I felt a cramp coming on I just focused on complete breathing and they went away. Also visualized taking the form of Totally 80’s with her 7-speed freewheel and downtube shifters – light, simple, free – I’m not sure how I came to this but I liked it.

At the highpoint of elevation the wind died and the sun felt nice on my cold hands. Also at that point I knew things were gong well. All downhill from there. Plus I was singing the Veggie Burrito song which means I had a little hunger and my body was happy. If I had been wrecked I wouldn’t have had the energy to think about burritos. It goes like this: veggie burrito, veggie burrito, veggie burrito…

The descent was a little tricky due to lots of sticky mud. And since I don’t snug up my laces there were several sections that nearly pulled off my shoes.

The last few miles I was jamming. I saw a sign indicating 3.2 miles to the campground (start/finish) so I just floored it. It was nice to have energy left in the tank.

2h55m at the finish. I was happy to break 3 hours. Very satisfied. Actually, surprised with my performance.

Malibu Creek is a beautiful park (especially at this time of year). Really cool rock formations surrounded by my favorite native plant friends.

Made it back home in time to pass out on the couch in front of the Paris-Nice cycling coverage.

the truth about bicycling

2010-03-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me recently if I’ve still been biking a lot. That’s the kind of question I get from people. It’s kind of a weird question, I think - unless it’s coming from another biker that understands the scale of my biking.

So when I was asked that, I tried to answer truthfully and say that actually I haven’t been biking that much lately. I’ve been really tired and just haven’t had the energy. I blamed it on getting old or maybe I’m still recovering from the holidays…

And then the questioner relaxes knowing that I can’t possibly justify hounding him about getting a bike and riding it somewhere, anywhere… to just replace a single car-mile… now he thinks he’s off the hook. Even Jonah has given up so we can all continue along merrily like we haven’t already fucked up the world. So, my activism failed that night. And I’m sorry.

The truth is, without realizing it, or intending to, I really pushed myself hard to finish off 2009 with high miles – the most of my life – a 50% increase from my second place year (2008.) And I might just be ever so slightly burned out. Not burned out on the bike, but just physically run down. So, I haven’t been riding that much.

Which is to say, I’m not on pace to set another record this year. However, I am on pace for an easy second. Not that pace really means anything at such an early month in the year. Things may change for better or for worse, of course.

But it doesn’t feel like I’ve been riding much, so that’s how I answer. It’s the truth from me and a lie to the questioner.

Pasadena Bike Master Plan

2010-02-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Pasadena is in the process of updating its Bicycle Master Plan. I went to BMP Public Workshop #4 last night at City Hall where “they” unveiled their plans so far. It looks like some pretty good ideas. Mostly what you would expect: more bike lanes and routes and signage and such.

Most exciting was what they are calling Emphasized Bikeways or Bike Blvds. which basically can use any number of traffic calming tools with an eye toward Complete Streets design: 4 lanes into 2, bike lanes or sharrows, bulb-outs at intersections, roundabouts, and occasional sections passable only to bikes and peds (I’m not sure of the name for those.)

Also, really cool was the idea of Green Lanes. These are actually painted lanes in traffic that are shared between autos and bikes but they make it very clear that bikes belong. These are in use in Portland, OR and Long Beach, CA. Long Beach, by the way, is making rapid advancements toward becoming the most bike friendly city in the country – I’ve got to get down there and check it out sometime.

There are separate plans that encompass the Rose Bowl Loop and proposed bike paths in Hahamongna Park but those areas look promising, too.

It was mostly a bicycle crowd at the meeting but as usual with these types of public meetings there were some people there that seemed to just want to be curmudgeonly – mainly a few carists that are terrified that they’ll be losing their right to the road. Which, by the way, they won’t. In fact, most, if not all, of these changes will make it a nicer place to drive, too.

Although, there was a great comment from an Art Center College of Design person who basically said, Look lady, you gotta realize the age of the car is over. What were designing these days (a lot of future car design is done at Art Center) are very small cars and in 25 years we won’t be using the car the way we are today – it will be so much more focused on transit and human power and complete streets/communities so we might as well get with the program here in Pasadena right from the start and be a forerunner for the country.

Things are looking good for an even more bike friendly Pasadena in the near future.

geography of the mind

2010-02-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

I did a little elevation running. My go-to spot is still closed – the Brown Mountain area (haven’t even written those two words in a while – I sure do miss it – only 6 more months ‘til it reopens – gahd!) So I went up to Sierra Madre to visit with the Mt Wilson trail (Home of the Mt Wilson Trail Race on Memorial Day Weekend. See you there!)

In my head, the Wilson trailhead is really far away and really high up there in the mountains compared to the Brown trailhead so it always feels like quite a trek to get up there on Mindful Mule. I checked it out on a map, though, and while it’s true that it is further (9.5mi vs. 6.5mi) it’s actually lower in elevation by about 150 feet (1150 vs. 1000). This doesn’t sound like much but it was enough to blow my mind. It just doesn’t seem possible. What’s more, even the top of Devil’s Gate Dam is 50 feet higher (1050) than the Wilson trailhead – crazy! If you’re standing at the bottom of the Devil’s Gate Dam, with your feet soaking in the river, under the 210 overpass (right where I couldn’t cross the high water last week), you’re at the same elevation as Wilson trailhead (1000). In my mind, I’d pegged Wilson trailhead at something like the Top o’ Lake, Echo Mtn trailhead which I now know is at about the 1800 foot elevation. No matter how many different ways I try to phrase this it never makes any sense to me.

On paper, riding to the two trailheads shouldn’t be that different. But the geography of my mind is clearly different from the geography of the topographical map. Still, I think there’s room to say that that doesn’t mean either geography is wrong/right or better/worse. I think they are just two very different ways of understanding the world around us. And while I do like maps (a lot) and knowing mileage to different places around town by heart, and elevations and geographical names of peaks, etc., occasionally putting that way of knowledge aside to sink into place, into earth seems ultimately of higher value.

Spend time with a landscape and you’ll get to know her, as she’ll get to know you. Distance and elevation fade. The four directions become: mountains, sunset, sunrise, downstream, shade, arroyo, cool, exposed, ridgeline, meadow… Journeys themselves start to become a part of the one doing the journeying. You become entrenched, inseparable from the land under your feet. Like going home. And while, as they say, you can never go home again, I think this is a realm in which we might look to find the way.

it never rains in elay

2010-02-06T07:52:00.001-08:00

But three blocks away it sure can pour.

In the past 24 hours we’ve received approximately 10 centimeters of rain. It looks like the next 24 hours will be about the same.

There are drier times, too, of course. For the entire 2006/2007 season we got 16 cm of rain. We’ll likely get more than that this weekend alone.

There are wetter times, too. In the 2004/2005 season we received 144 cm.

barefoot treadmill

2010-02-05T11:04:00.001-08:00

So, there’s this treadmill in the garage. It’s been buried for a while under junk. I’ve never used it. Hilary used to use it. Actually, I have tried it a few times but have never been able to get a smooth stride going on it. I always felt like the track would brake for an instant every time my foot touched down resulting in a halting, jerky ride. But that was running in shoes with a heel strike.

Today, given the “rain day,” I thought I’d unbury the treadmill and give it another try. It turns out: one, the treadmill still works; two, running barefoot on the treadmill is a lot smoother. Actually, not entirely barefoot, I wore socks for some reason. But it felt great. Seems like a good place to practice barefoot running.

I didn’t exactly push it. I only went for five minutes. But I think if it’s raining tomorrow I might give it a longer test.

One note about the treadmill, and maybe this was just because I’m not used to it, it seemed like I was running faster than the speedometer was indicating. Maybe just wishful thinking. When I was running at what felt like a normal pace I was going about 1 or 2 mph slower. Maybe it’s just a calibration problem with this particular treadmill. At any rate, I would probably pay more attention to perceived effort and elapsed time to measure a treadmill run.

the devil's muddy waters

2010-02-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Ran through the Arroyo this morning. My route was cut short just below Devil’s Gate Dam due to the flooded stream crossing. I think they’re releasing water from behind the dam in preparation for the rain expected in the next couple of days. I thought about wading through to practice my fording and wet shoe running skills for Malibu Creek Trail Run on March 7th. I made it about 80 percent of the way across hopping on rocks but couldn’t cross the last little bit. It was a pretty narrow flow. I could have made it across with only stepping one foot down in the water. But the water was thick with mud and junk that’s been breeding behind the dam for months. I couldn’t see through the water to what was below so I’d have had to go slow and it would have been pretty sick. So, no stream crossing practice for me. I just turned around and came home, leaving me just short of the Malibu middle distance. Now I should (but will I?) cram in some elevation gain for my final preparations.

Inducing Laziness

2010-01-30T15:28:00.000-08:00

Lazy weekend afternoons are some of my favorite times. But when it’s such a nice day out there, like today, 65 and sunny, it doesn’t feel quite right to lounge in a bubble bath while boiling a pot of beans on the stove and then hit the couch for an after lunch TV nap. However, if you start the day by running for 2.5 hours through the Arroyo and get to say hello to all the other runners out there and all the plants, too, then it seems quite nice. A couple hours of recovery goes a long way. And I’ve still got the late afternoon sunlight to ride around in and enjoy. Maybe I’ll take out the fixie - haven’t ridden it in a while.

The Rivendell Reader

2010-01-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

For those of you out there who are interested in the bicycle, I just wanted to spread the word that the most recent issue of the leaflet (first in about a year) is now available from Rivendell. Here is the PDF(!!!) link:
http://www.rivbike.com/assets/payloads/203/original_RR42_200dpi.pdf

Rain Windows

2010-01-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

Watching the online weather radar and forecast and (the actual!) sky while simultaneously listening for rumbling thunder in the distance and hoping for more of those beautiful sunbursts, I’ve managed to calculate in a few jaunts out into the world without getting soaked. I don’t particularly mind getting soaked – I kind of like it once there’s nothing to be done about it, but it’s particularly challenging for me to get out the door when it’s wet out there and dry in here. I start having thoughts like:

“Well, I could drive to the grocery store… I don’t know, is it worth driving 2.67 miles (roundtrip) just to get some bread? I probably have enough food for the rest of the day… Yeah, but it’s forecast to rain for the next three days straight. What are you going to eat then? … Who says I have to eat? Maybe I’ll fast until the weekend. Maybe I’ll just eat fallen Sycamore leaves and the earthworms that are drowning in all the puddles outside…”

So, yes, the sunbursts are much appreciated.

wax my chain

2010-01-16T13:45:00.001-08:00

If you’re looking for an alternative method for cleaning your bicycle chain and you just happen to have some extra paraffin wax lying around because you’ve been making candles at home, try melting some of that wax and dipping your chain in it. The wax is hot and sticky so it binds to all the old grease and grit particles. The wax starts out clear and ends up black so it must be cleaning something off of the chain. Most of the excess wax drips off the chain when you pull it out of the hot-wax-bath but whatever remains will cool quickly and then it can be worked off by shimmying the chain around or ridden off fairly quickly – within several miles. Don’t forget to re-oil your chain when you’re done.

And while you’ve got your bike disassembled you might as well clean and re-grease you bottom bracket, too. I’d never done this before. It’s pretty fun when your friend has all the right tools.

Totally Eighties is totally clean and happy.

running dream

2010-01-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

I went running through the Arroyo yesterday. It’s a nice corridor of naturalized landscape to spend time in, think, hang out with the Sycamores… My subconscious must have liked the run because it brought it back into my dreams last night:

(I was running on a long trail, a “race.” At one point, about halfway through the run it got super windy. I had to lie down on the trail to avoid the gusts. I held on to a small alpine-stunted Ponderosa pine for extra stability. Then some race volunteers came over to me and they were like, “it’s fine, you can get up, it’s not that windy…” So I tried and they were right. I could keep on.)

Interesting, because on the actual run yesterday I was thinking that I don’t really need races. If I want to go run X number of miles somewhere I can just go do it by myself for free. I’m not going to use $40 worth of energy drink and pretzels. But, maybe this dream tells me more about their deeper value. The people at the races, volunteers and runners, are all there to support each other and act, in some sense, like a team – challenging, guiding, allowing, encouraging, helping each other to do well at this one little part of life… and maybe that seeps into other parts as well.

leaning beyond the tape, a resolution of sorts

2009-12-27T10:44:00.001-08:00

The future is here… if 2010 isn’t the future we’ll probably never make it there – this is close enough, anyway. Still coasting along picking up those last few miles to end the year with a clean milestone. Continuing to count and accumulate and compare and tally to no end, until, someday, upon realizing the folly of projections, humbly melting back into the moment that is always just one step ahead of the equation to reconnect with the satisfaction of flowing along with the earth, sinking into deeper experience… just Jonah in the Skye with Diamonds following a path through golden sunlight eternity…

wool crazy

2009-12-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

In this frigid Southern California season I’ve been developing a new addiction to wool. I shouldn’t say new, wool’s been a growing trend in my wardrobe for some time now. Maybe something like escalating would be more appropriate.

I had my first good rain ride last weekend while wearing a wool sweater. It was a great ride. A soaking ride but comfy and fun – nothing special, really – just an old-fashioned bicycle ride.

After that ride I was stoked and picked up some more wooly items: cycling cap, leggings (that don’t say Xanadu!), armings (if leggings go on the legs then I figure armings go on the arms – okay, why not armmings then)…

Then, on eBay, I found, for 99cents, plus shipping, and this is where it gets a bit on the crazy side: Korean War Era Wool US Army Pants! They look brand new. I don’t think they’ve ever been worn in 55+ years. Super find.

Bring on that super mild winter. Nothing can stop me now! [Insert sinister cackling laugh…]

brrrrdbath

2009-12-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Ice in the birdbath this morning…

born to run!

2009-12-07T21:35:00.000-08:00

I finally got my hands on a copy of Born to Run by Christopher McDougall from the library. Devouring it…

California to myself for a day

2009-12-05T19:30:00.001-08:00

Joe and Sam and I rode the Old Ridge Route today from Castaic toward Gorman. The Ridge Route is the very old highway that was the original (1915, and maybe a wagon route before that) route north out of LA. It was replaced by the Interstate 5 in 1970. It’s paved (poorly) with lots of patches of dirt and gravel. And pretty steep (44 miles in 6.5 hours – sounds more like a run!). I rode the Metamorphosis mountain bike (today I decided she should be called Speed Mule!) but the route could be ridden on a hefty touring or cyclocross bike like Joe’s. Lots of ups and downs as you travel along the ridges. But best of all it’s totally empty. Great views all around you of Angeles National Forest with mountains and rolling hills and hardly a sign of civilization in sight (except for that quickly deteriorating road surface under your tires.) I practically expected to see Laura Ingalls as I rounded a corner. It was a little chilly up there (I wore Hilary’s purple Xanadu leg warmers – sweet!) with gusty winds and we were a little concerned about getting back to the start before sundown but we made it which always feels good after a bit of an epic.

cyclocross: super fun, super hard, super sexy

2009-11-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

Rode out with a couple of friends to watch a cyclocross race over the weekend in Verdugo Park, Glendale. Man, those are some super cool bikes they ride. It’s amazing the abuse they take - and the riders, too – I don’t know how they manage to push themselves so hard for 45 minutes.

It was a pretty fun time watching them twisting around and around all over that park. The course was really well laid out and took advantage of every topographical aspect the park had to offer. I thought the grass sections would get ripped up but it looked like it was holding up pretty well.

The crowd was a little bigger than the race I went to a couple years ago but still needs to grow for full fun factor. We need more people ringing bells and drinking beer along the course.

One of these seasons I’m going to have to borrow a cx bike and get out there myself. I guess the trick is to push just hard enough so you go around really fast but not so hard that you puke.

The only gripe I have is that 95% (probably) of the racers drove their bikes to a park many miles away so they could ride them around in circles which seems a little wasteful… that, and the lack of beer...

But, just to end on a high note, I do love those sexy knee-high socks!

run like a girl

2009-11-28T12:26:00.001-08:00

Ran in the Arroyo this morning – back up to nine in the track shoes – went really slow just to be safe – no foot problems, yet. Focused on taking shorter strides and landing just in front of flat-footed – as in more towards the toe, but just slightly.

I’ve been watching people run a lot lately. I’ve always watched the runners, but recently I’ve been watching their foot landings. It seems like, in general, women have a more natural human stride – they tend to land on the mid-foot, whereas, men tend to land more heavily on their heels. I think it’s some kind of machismo thing. Men don’t like to prance around the neighborhood – they like to be very serious about running hard and getting it done. But I think they run themselves into a lot more injuries because of it. The women’s approach seems a lot more sustainable – and it doesn’t have to be that much slower – you just have to take faster steps and you can pretty much keep up. Actually, now that I think about it, arguably one of the most accomplished distance runners I know of runs like a girl so it must be good enough for me, too. So, that’s what I was trying to do today, run like a girl…

appreciating three (and the unknown)

2009-11-23T09:58:00.001-08:00

I went out for a three mile run this morning. I took the last two weeks off after over-running myself into some foot injuries. When I get injured I start to fear the worst – you’ll never run again – and each day that the injury hangs around I get closer and closer to restructuring my lifestyle for the post running era – I start thinking that maybe I’ll string up that banjo and/or join the Roving Archers and limp around the Arroyo with a Peruvian style handmade walking stick. But, today, after 14 days of doomsday thoughts, I ran again. It felt great - so nice to be out there. A short run, sure, and I took it really easy, but no pain. Amazingly, after all my fits and starts in running this year I still have a chance of making my original mileage goal and maybe even doing a bit better than last year – fingers crossed.

The up side of the lull in running has been a lot more time on the bike. Got semi-intentionally lost in the hills above Glendale yesterday. Some of the steepest, toughest roads I’ve ever seen – made all the more challenging because I didn’t know if I’d ever make it out of their maze. Eventually, as I was about to give up and backtrack all the way out, a nice old man gave me the happy directions to get back to the Pasadena side of the mountain and soon I was on familiar ground with lots more energy. Getting lost is good for you.

inspiration fragment

2009-11-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

well at least I’m not the only one

2009-11-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

Other people seem to be losing their grip, too. On the morning segment of today’s ride I was waiting at a stoplight. A young woman rode her bike in front of me on the crosswalk. Her helmet was on backwards. After riding up onto the sidewalk she stayed on her bike a reached out to press the pedestrian signal button so she could cross to the other corner. She pressed the wrong button – the one for the street she had just crossed – and then fell over at about 0.5 mph. She said, Owooh. I said, Are you okay? She said, I’m alright. She didn’t seem to want my help and there’s not much I could have done to be helpful, but I felt bad because it took her quite a while to get untangled and back on her feet. I wanted to at least say, Don’t worry about it, I’ve been doing that kind of stuff all week – must be the Santa Anas…

L Ankle, R Foot, L/R Knee, L Hip, L Elbow, L Shoulder, R Neck, and obviously something wrong in my head…

2009-11-17T16:03:00.000-08:00

I saw another dude running barefoot today. For some reason these guys tend to be shirtless, too. I guess once you start taking it off it’s hard to stop… It made me really jealous. I want to run but my right foot is still a little whack from a long run about a week and a half ago and I figure it’s better to wait it out rather than push through it. It’s hard but considering how many injuries I have right now due to my many recent disasters I really should give my body some recovery time. As soon as I can walk without noticing the foot I’ll give it one more day of rest and then try an easy three in normal shoes. So, I guess I’m out for La Jolla Cyn this weekend. Dang. My goal for the rest of the year: stop beating the crap out of myself…

totally eighties reunited with hot wheels

2009-11-17T08:39:00.000-08:00

Patience will eventually bring you a good deal on an old set of Dura Ace hubs (freewheel, not cassette) laced to Mavics and you’ll be so totally stoked at the difference they make, so Totally Eighties Stoked. The previous rims/hubs were suspect since I got the bike. They were okay, but I just felt in my bones that there was something missing. She’s like a whole new bike/personality now – one hundred percent more awesome which makes her pretty awesome. She’s alive!

Blood on the Tracks

2009-11-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

“We [rode] that [bike] as far as we could, abandoned it out West…”

Mindful Mule took a fall crossing the railroad tracks over the weekend. Pretty slippy sometimes, those tracks. Black cherry elbow. She’s up and riding again though…

Jonah and The Immovable Object

2009-11-07T06:44:00.000-08:00

Fire hydrants are extremely hard and immovable objects. I’m sure I knew this, could have guessed this, but a couple of days ago I found out the real-world-way by smashing my knee into one of those tough little yellow stalwarts.

I was sure I’d cracked my kneecap (but didn’t – low threshold for pain!) It all happened so fast. I was gardening and that little bugger was lying in wait, hiding behind a low bush. Wham! Everything stopped – all forward progress halted. I saw my future flash before my eyes in a blinding light – surgery, months away from running and riding – for all intents and purposes, a death.

If it hadn’t been for the little old lady standing near by I would have let out the most cursed howl of my life (probably more like a yelp) – whole flocks of black birds would have suddenly taken flight from their perches in nearby trees, darkening the skies with their numbers and echoing my cries to the morning turning quickly ominous.

Suddenly, I’m very aware of the presence of these fireplugs all over town. It’s like they’re stalking me. It seems I see one every time I leave the house, every time I round a corner, Ha, there’s another. They’ve definitely got it in for me.

Despite the fact that I smashed my knee a couple days ago I seem to be more or less okay. I made it through a long run yesterday with no ill affects. So with that my 6-month hiatus from 12+ has finally ended.

catch of the day

2009-11-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

Saw someone fishing for their breakfast in the LA River this morning on the first half of today’s ride. This is actually a pretty frequent sight but I’m still a bit surprised every time I see it. Just over the weekend I was telling someone who was looking for places to fish that they could fish The River. They wanted to know if you needed a license. Uh, well, yeah, I suppose, I mean, I think you need a license to fish anywhere in the state, technically, but no, you don’t really need a license to fish in the LA River because no body will ever, ever check up on you.

They’ve been working on the bike path that follows the river. It also follows the I-5 freeway. It’s wedged right in between. It could be more beautiful. But it’s still okay, fine, fun, nice-ish. The bike path is still gated off even though they’ve shifted their work to a more southerly section. Luckily, some thoughtful cyclist or hobo or cycling hobo has cut the fence in half so it’s passable again – you just duck your head and ride right through.

experimental drink

2009-11-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

Lemon juice – squeeze a few wedges
Agave nectar – a couple spoonfuls
Water – about a pint

Might be a good replacement for Gatorade-ish drinks.

trailhead

2009-10-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

I rode by the trailhead this afternoon. You remember that giant sign that said “Forest Closed To Public Use”? Well, someone (and I don’t have an alibi, so maybe I shouldn’t be posting this, but…) someone has uprooted that sign. It’s lying text down a few feet away. So, I’m wondering if maybe I should make a run at Brown this weekend. If there’s no sign saying it’s closed then it’s open. I don’t have to tell anyone that I know all about the one year forest closure order and that I’ve been checking the fed website every week and that I’ve been stabbing voodoo dolls of Jody Noiron, the Forest Supervisor that signed the order to close Brown.

nice view from this plateau

2009-10-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

So I’ve been running in the cross country shoes almost exclusively the last couple weeks - a few 9s and some 3s. I do like them a lot.

They remind me of kung fu shoes. You know those little black slipper-like shoes. They (both) are super light and svelte.

Now when I run I think a lot about that movie “Remo Williams” where there’s some sort of ex- military/cop/CIA guy (or something of some sort – haven’t actually seen the movie since the eighties) that gets super trained by a little martial arts master – you know, the usual one finger push-ups, running around in kung fu shoes, eating a spoonful of food per day, avoiding bullets, etc.

I can’t help but wonder, though, if I’m doing serious damage to my body. It’s strange, how different running feels now. My legs seem to really crave it but my mind has yet to be convinced of this new strategy.

The biggest stress so far has been placed on my calves. They’re just not used to that extra stretch down to the bottom of their range of motion. I’m not concerned about them though. The calves can handle a solid beating. They’re already adjusting to a level where I’m not noticing them with every step.

Of course, now that the calves are paining-down, I’m noticing some of the other things like knees. My knees feel funny. They don’t exactly hurt. They feel like they did when I first rode fixed gear. And, actually, that’s really the perfect analogy to this new form of running. Fixed gear to freewheel. Traditional running shoes to track flats/barefoot. Seemingly identical but so very different.

I think my funny knees are partly due to a combo of running and riding. I’ve been riding quite a bit. Even without Brown (sigh) my weekly average is way up from past years. And this higher mileage combined with slightly different running style is bound to throw a wrench into things.

At some point I should probably take a rest week, but I’m not quite ready for it yet. I really like hanging out on this higher plateau. I can see a lot more places I could go.

Pacific High by Tim Palmer was a really good book. Now I’m just finishing In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan – super good, too. It seems like every book I read now goes into the good books section to the right. Still waiting to borrow Born to Run – it’s super popular at the Library.

the future is arriving by bicycle

2009-10-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Hilary biked to work today!

Eight miles - uphill.

Her goal is to make this a monthly happening. Maybe more… You gotta start somewhere…

When are YOU going to ride?

First Rain

2009-10-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

We had the first rain of the season yesterday and through the night. Got off to a solid start with 4.6 centimeters (about 1 and 7/8 inches.)

Hilary and I got in a little mountain time the day before the rains came. Walked up Echo Mtn and felt the first few drops up there. We saw a few deer and pink flowering buckwheat in this small remaining area of unburned wildness.

Then ran down and went to the cozy “Oh, Happy Days” natural food store/ magic veggie kitchen/ place for mountain folk… really nice for lunch on a cool winter-y day…

running out of the box

2009-10-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Just got back from my first run of significant distance in my new cross country shoes. Headed to the Arroyo to find the naturally soft sand and leaf litter. The Arroyo is about two miles from my home so I was a little concerned about the sidewalk and blacktop approach. I considered riding to the Arroyo and then running but that seemed like a bit of a hassle and I knew I’d eventually want to run the whole route directly from home so I just went for it.

The run felt amazing. I little painful at times - especially the last mile of sidewalk at the end of the run – but good overall with some interesting breakthroughs in stride and posture.

I don’t fully understand the mechanics of how this lower heel stride works but it seems to lean my body more forward. This is opposite from what I would assume. There seems to be some sort of counter balancing going on. But that’s good news for me because I’ve always had a weird lean back sort of running style – like Michael Johnson, but without the speed.

I also feel like I can really push off with each step to launch myself forward more effectively. I was trying to take it easy to just get used to things so I didn’t want to sprint anything out but I felt like I suddenly had a lot of potential speed that I’ve been missing for a long time.

At about seven miles, on a long straightaway of asphalt road that often lulls me into a wall of drudgery, I let it open up a bit and it turns out there’s still a little speed left in my legs. It felt really good – like nothing was holding me back. Also at this point I noticed that I was running with my chest a little bit more expanded than normal so that my lungs were really blown wide open providing what seemed like endless air supply. I’m excited to see where this could lead to next.

Of course, there is some potential downside, too. Clearly, there’s a lot more impact, and I don’t know how my body will react to that. Already, I know that my calves got nailed to the wall today and will probably be very sore tomorrow.

It’s amazing to me that a pair of shoes could make so many changes to my running experience right out of the box.

Do these shoes make my butt look big?

2009-10-06T21:25:00.001-07:00

Okay, so the new cross country running shoes have arrived. They fit well and they’re super light. I think they’re just what I was looking for to conduct my experiment. It will take a little time to adapt to the new running style. I’ll try to do it slowly while continuing to wear my older shoes for longer runs.

I took them out on a real quickie last night - just up and back the street about a mile. I’m sore in new places. Which I guess is to be expected when trying a new running style while wearing shoes without cushioning and running on a concrete sidewalk. My glutes are sore. I wonder if wearing these shoes a lot will make my butt get big… ha. Can’t wait to try them out on the softer surfaces along the Arroyo.

It feels good to be maximizing my range of motion with a full heel drop. I didn’t really push the speed but it did feel like I had the potential to move pretty quickly. Either the shoes or the technique or both seemed to encourage me to lift my knee up and forward with every stride – a key element to speed, I think.

On a related note, I saw a barefoot runner today. I think that’s the first I’ve ever seen in real life. He was running pretty fast down the sidewalk. Looked very smooth, fluid.

some silver lining

2009-10-06T19:17:00.001-07:00

Despite the fact that I’m totally crushed about the Brown Mountain closure, this may be the impetus I needed to explore other areas in the mountains.

As I mentioned before, there are a few trails still open. Today I rode up to Henninger Flats. It’s a very steep ride up the Mount Wilson Toll Road (dirt) (toll free since 1936.) Used the granny gear all the way up. The last time I rode up there was probably about 1995 – on a very young Mindful Mule, of course, which I also rode today – a reunion of sorts.

I only went up about three miles but the dirt road continues up to Mount Wilson – I think another six miles or so. I don’t know yet if it’s open all the way to the top.

Also, I still need to study a few maps, but I think there might be a way to link from Henninger back around through Inspiration Point and down to Echo Mountain.

So, there’s still a few possibilities for running and riding up in the mountains.

Big Enough Font For You?

2009-10-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

Note the reflectors too.

Brown Mountain Closure Details

2009-10-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

The most recent information I have is that the southern section of the Angeles National Forest (home of Brown Mountain) is closed until September 30, 2010! One whole year! There should be rioting in the streets! This seems impossible… like a really bad dream.

Entering the forest is punishable by a $5000 fine. I’ve heard reports that there are people up there anyway. I don’t see how they could enforce such a large area very well. They probably won’t even try but until I get my black ninja suit I’ll probably have to stay out.

It appears that the Echo Mtn trail, Mt Wilson trail, and Mt Wilson Rd (just recently reopened after years (4 or 5, I think) of closure due to landslide) might remain open. None of these lead to Brown Mountain.

I’m basically in shock. I have no idea how I’ll make it through the year.

I guess now would be a good time to overhaul every centimeter of “Metamorphosis.” I’ve certainly got the time…

Spikeless Cross Country Flats or WWPW?

2009-09-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

I’m thinking about getting a different type of running shoe. It might be a crazy idea or it might be a bit of sneaky genius. I got the idea from thinking about the book, Born to Run by McDougall. I haven’t actually read it yet because it’s a very hot item at the library right now but the idea it puts forth (probably) is that humans have run long distances for a long time and are actually designed (creatively or evolutionarily) to do so. The problem is that we’ve forgotten how to run properly and running shoes (companies?) are forcing bad habits upon us.

Running shoes have really high cushy heels designed to absorb the impact of heel strikes. While the idea of cushioning seems pretty okay, I think it’s the high heel which causes problems. We never really get a chance to let our feet do the running. We’re always cramped into a shoe contraption.

The book looks at the Tarahumara people of Mexico that have been running long distances barefoot as a natural part of their culture for many generations with few running related injuries. Many people have started to follow their lead and try barefoot running or running with specially designed barefoot-shoes like the “Five Fingers” by Vibram which is basically a fancy (expensive) rubber sock with individual toe spaces.

Running shoeless, or nearly so, allows you to lengthen your calf and hamstring and back muscles (probably) with every stride. You land on the ball of your foot our almost flatfooted depending on your speed and the terrain. Your heel is lowered to the ground slowly by your leg muscles to reduce impact shock.

And your heel is lowered further. Probably close to an inch lower than would be possible with standard running shoes. So you can’t really practice this form technique while using your old shoes.

Since it’s cross country season and all, I’ve been seeing a lot of the local school teams out on their training runs. Most of them are wearing regular running shoes. It’s a hard habit to break (same old story.) But when you look at all the elite runners from the track or cross country none of them are wearing standard running shoes. They wear shoes that have low heels. This gives their feet some amount of protection from ground abrasion and a minimal amount of shock absorption, but again, maybe most importantly, it lowers their heel. (What Would Pre Wear? WWPW)

It reminds me of the call to arms of the telemark skier, “Free your Heel!”

So, I’m thinking it would be an interesting experiment to get some of these cross country shoes and use them as a transition to occasional barefoot running while still maintaining a bit of foot protection and not looking like a fool running around barefoot.

I should probably just use them on the trails for a while until I can redevelop my natural running stride.

Plus, racing shoes just look really cool… And if Everyday Joes can dork around in running shoes all over the place then I (as a fairly non-poser runner, right?) should be able to wear sweet looking racing runners.

Injury will be the judge…

“Forest Closed to the Public”

2009-09-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

That’s the giant sign that “Lefty Tony” and I found waiting for us at the trailhead this morning.

It’s kind of a rude sign. Couldn’t they (NFS) have at least tacked a note on there saying, “gee, we wish we didn’t have to close the trails but we just don’t think it’s safe up there right now. We hope you’ll understand. Feel free to use the drinking fountain just up the road if you need to fill your bottles. We’ll open everything up just as soon as conditions improve. We’re looking forward to seeing you up here for lots of adventures this fall. Until then, be safe and pray for rain (but not too much as it will wash the mountains away.) Have a nice day, Smokey and friends…”

Maybe I’ll print that out and post it myself…

I’m not sure why the forest is closed now. There’re rumors of there being Santa Ana winds that could stoke a fire but it’s not windy where I am. And it’s hot (95) but certainly not hot enough for anything to spontaneously combust. And there’s really nothing left to burn up there.

But still, it is closed. With no report about how long it will be closed. Maybe a day. Maybe a year.

No biking Brown. No running El Prieto. Not even riding the Angeles Crest Highway – that’s closed too.

So I guess I’ll have to be a townie this weekend.

Black is the New Brown

2009-09-13T12:03:00.001-07:00

Brown Mountain is Black. Everywhere. I thought there’d be a few spared spots but it’s pretty much torched all the way up to the top. I’d call it 99.9% torched along the 6.5 miles of trail.

The dirt road/trail is still in fairly great shape. There’s a lot more loose rock on it than before but in time that will all get brushed aside by shoes and tires and maybe the NFS will send a road grader up there soon.

There are already a lot of slides coming off the slopes above the trail. It could get really ugly up there come the first rains of the season. Maybe there will be some regrowth in the next few months to keep the entire mountain from washing down into the ocean.

Visibility around the corners, however, is great. Better than ever.

And, actually, it’s pretty awesome to be able to see all the landforms next to the trail that have been hidden under brush for decades. So many little canyons and slopes and rocks and gullies that are all new to me.

Sorry I have no photo evidence but I have no camera. You know what a campfire looks and smells like the morning after… well, multiply that by a million and that’s Brown Mountain… I mean, Black Mountain.

On a positive note, it felt really good to be riding Metamorphosis again and it’s still a great ride up there. Luckily it was pretty cool and foggy up there this morning, though. It will get pretty hot up there when the sun is blasting it. There wasn’t much shade up there before the fire, but now there is none.

I did see one new green shoot punching through the soil. Hopefully lots more will join it soon.

It will recover. And I’ll keep riding it over and over again as it does.

the mountains are open…

2009-09-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

The fires are out…

Sunday is forecast to be a cool 82 degrees…

Things are looking Fall.

I rode by the trailhead yesterday to scout out the openness of the forest. I figured everything would be blocked off still with signs and that yellow do-not-cross tape but it was totally clear. Totally quiet too. No one around. I don’t think anyone knows it’s open. Unfortunately I only had time to ride back about a mile just to see if everything was a go. I don’t know why but I was scared I was going to get arrested for entering the closed forest.

Hope to make it up there this weekend to observe the fire (and ‘dozer!) scars first hand.

CX 2009

2009-09-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's cyclocross season! I'm not a cx'er but it does get me excited anyway. Found this old film over at SoCalCross:

celebrity sighting

2009-09-06T07:11:00.001-07:00

I spotted Andy Kumeda last night in Old Town Pasadena. I almost got up from my beers to talk to him. Next time (as I tend to say a lot.) It’s strange when the cyber and real worlds mingle – sort of like seeing a ghost. Ghosts are inspiring.

Currently reading: Pacific High - Tim Palmer

a run of some kind

2009-09-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

It’s been three weeks since my last real run. But I made it out this morning for a slow/easy (sleazy) three miler. It felt okay. The back is almost better. Maybe this injury was providential, though. There’s been enough smoke in the air lately that it may not have been a good idea to have been out running in it. If I hadn’t been injured I probably would have gone out running in the smoke anyway and maybe caused some lung difficulty. Although, the smoke hasn’t seemed to bother me much on the bike – nor has the back – I’ve been riding along just fine.

I haven’t been up Brown all summer - two months! That is just dumb. Now that it’s on fire and the NFS has closed the trail due to threat of death, I suddenly really crave it up there. I hope we won’t have to wait too much longer to visit our mountain.

fire on the mountain photo 2009

2009-08-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

fire on the mountain (2009 tour)

2009-08-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks, it’s that natural and normal time of year again. The hills are alive with the sights and smells of smoke. Yesterday evening looked like a scene out of that primordial soup world of ancient earth – dark orange skies and smoke everywhere providing for an awesome sunset. One smoke column rising straight up from behind one of the rounded mountain peaks up in the western San Gabriel’s looked just like an erupting volcano – I’m pretty sure I heard a pterodactyl’s cry in the distant sky…

ImageCredit:adrianchesterman.com

Saturday 57

2009-08-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Rode out to Santa Monica (the beach) yesterday on Mindful Mule for a CICLE ride. Even though it’s a pretty long ride out there I took Mindful because the roads are pretty rough pretty much the whole way as I went all the way across the city of Los Angeles. Two months ago when I went out to Venice I took Totally Eighties and just got pounded the whole way.

The CICLE ride was fun. We toured some art galleries in association with the Santa Monica Museum of Art. It was a big group of riders – probably about 200. By far the biggest ride CICLE has ever put together.

I was a little concerned about this because Santa Monica has had some conflict in the past couple years between Critical Mass rides and motorists. And there’ve been arrests and complaints and hoopla. We did manage to attract the attention of some cops. I was taking up the rear of the ride as is my usual position when I volunteer for CICLE. I’m the caboose – making sure no one gets dropped. At one point a copper dude pulled up next to me on his motorcycle and inquired about our group and ride. He was pretty cool about the whole thing though and even complimented us on our ride style.

It’s fun riding next to motorcycles (if only for a few seconds.) Mindful Mule was definitely puffing out his chest all proud like. (Actually, I’m not sure if Mindful Mule is a she or a he, but since she’s a mule, I guess the distinction is less significant – no offspring.)

Well, after the group ride I pushed off into the night and rode back through LA. I was reminded of that movie, “A Night on Earth,” (trailer) I think it’s called where they zoom in on four taxi cab drivers in four different cities through out the world and each has whacky experience which somehow brings you to the realization that the city at night is the same all around the world.

This part of the world at night always smells like doughnuts...

worst run

2009-08-19T20:22:00.001-07:00

Worst run of the year tonight. Hopefully worst ever. Although I can’t fairly call it a run. More like a speed walk. A slow speed walk. Went a total of one and a quarter miles. Half a mile to the track. One lap on the track. Half a mile home. I think it took me like half an hour. My lower back is jacked up. I thought that easy three mile bike ride to lunch would have loosened it up a bit but no. Electrical spikes shooting all over the place down there (Sciatica.) What’s my cure? Watch the World Track Champ’s and drink mint tea…

am I ready to run?

2009-08-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

I had a barefoot running dream last night. I haven't run for a few days - I've been sick. Hoping for a run today, although sickness always seems to throw every part of my body out of whack for no particular reason - now my back hurts. I'm thinking an easy three will get the juices flowing again and everything will be fine.

If you run with forefoot down style (as in barefoot running) but still wear shoes, can you wear those shoes forever until they fall off your feet or would you still need to replace them on a regular basis?

I finally passed the 500 miles mark this year. Seems like it took me a long time. I guess I'm still just about on track for 800 for the year but that is seeming pretty lame at the moment. Maybe I should try for more. But why?

whoa

2009-08-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

9.58!

the coldest August I ever spent…

2009-08-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

“I can’t believe how cold it is!” I can’t believe I keep saying that. I mean, it’s August, generally the hottest month of the year, and it’s only, like, high-eighties. It could easily be 108. And, it’s really cool in the morning and the evening. It’s amazing. I almost needed a sweater to sit outside with my wine last night. I’ll probably need to start bringing my gloves with me on bike rides soon. The forecast for next Sunday is 81 degrees! It’s unheard of. I have to say, I’m liking this global climate change thing…

Currently reading:
Los Angeles – A.M. Homes
The Mojave – David Darlington

slasher

2009-08-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

Had a massive blowout on the road bike yesterday. Luckily I was at low speed having just started through an intersection after a red light. Heard a really loud pow-pop and was instantly riding on the rim. I must have ridden over something just awful. There was an inch-long slash right through the tire tread and inner tube. As always, I had a spare tube with me, but it took a little work to prep the tire. I’ve been carrying around a couple feet of duct tape with me for about a year in anticipation of this blowout. I taped both sides of the slash and placed a long strip of tape several layers thick in between the new tube and the tire before pumping up – otherwise the inner tube would have pushed right through the hole in the tire and popped again. I was able to limp home on probably about 50psi – I was only about 5 miles out.

Although these blowout events are pretty rare I would like to be a little more prepared for them in the future. On really long rides it’s probably a good idea to bring a spare tire. Maybe some thread and needle or fishing-line and needle to suture up slashes. I cut about a four inch piece out of the ruined tire when I got home and will carry that around to create structural support in between the tube and future slashes.

Right now I’ve got another old tire on the rear wheel and have continued riding this weekend. But I also ordered some new tires that should help me avoid most flats in the future - made by Schwalbe - I have tires from this company on Mindful Mule and they’ve been great. They’re a little pricy, but you’re supposed to be able to ride over glass and tacks and knives and such and not get flats so maybe in the end I’ll save money on tubes – and time off the road.

2009-08-08T08:30:00.001-07:00

2009-08-07T08:02:00.001-07:00

2009-08-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

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2009-08-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

2009-07-31T16:44:00.001-07:00

fat camp

2009-07-19T12:28:00.001-07:00

I’m heading off to the Tuolumne Meadows area (Yosemite N.P.) in a couple of days to do some walking through the hills with Mom. We’ll be walking several miles a day and staying in the High Sierra camps in tent-cabins with cots and wood burning stoves with meals provided. When we did this same route 20 years ago I lost ten pounds.

the rarest of phenomenon

2009-07-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was at a party over the weekend and I happened to be wearing my Sycamore Canyon trail race t-shirt. Someone commented on the shirt and a group of us got to talking about going for a run sometime – a sort of trail running club was formed. Now keep in mind, there was some drinking going on at this party and I’ve had my share of these drunken late night agreements that never pan out. Amazingly, though, running club actually happened this evening. Of course, only two out of the five showed up for it, but still… Mike (no nickname yet) and I ran up the El Prieto trail for a total of about 6 easy miles. It sounds like he’s done a fair amount of long distance running in the local mountains so he might be a good running buddy to push my limits. Hopefully we’ll run again sometime soon. As for the rest of the club members... well, we’ll see if they ever show up…

beach running

2009-07-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Barefoot running on the beach last weekend was awesome. I went 2 miles. I don’t know if this really counts as barefoot running because doesn’t everyone run barefoot on the beach… well, no, actually, it seemed most people were wearing shoes. I ran along the waterline in the harder sand. Dodging seaweed clumps added some agility testing to the route. It felt so liberating to be rid of the shoes and to be able to run right through the shallow water when I felt like it. Running barefoot felt very natural, animal. I loved it and can’t wait to try again on trails or grass – I’ll save the concrete for later or never. The only draw back is that now my calves are super tight – although that could be due in part to the sand running too and not just the bare feet.

Currently reading: The Golden Spruce - John Vaillant

barefoot thoughts

2009-06-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

I’ve been wanting to try barefoot running for something like 10 years now and never have, except for a few times on the beach. Way back then, I went to this website and actually started running with a forefoot landing while still wearing my shoes as a form of compromise. At that time I was running like two miles at a time and kept up with the forefoot landing for a few months or more.

Billy’s recent posts on the topic have brought the barefoot idea back to me again. I seem to revisit it about once a year but never do anything about it.

I think my biggest obstacle is not the running barefoot itself so much as the being seen running barefoot. I think I would be very self-conscious about running down the street without shoes. It’s weird enough just to be out there running while everyone drives by in their cars.

So maybe the best time to start is at night, under the cover of darkness. Of course, in the dark you can’t see and avoid things like glass and/or cockroaches and/or other disgusting or painful obstacles.

But why barefoot running… well, I don’t know, it seems neat and simple and natural and cheap. I like running and barefoot running is a different kind of running that I think I might like. Maybe barefoot running is to regular running as fixed gear bicycle riding is to regular bicycle riding – a nice, fun alternative when you want a change of pace.

But then, also, I don’t think a barefooted runner would look right wearing a standard running getup. It seems like if you’re going to run barefoot you should just wear regular clothes (well, actually, you probably shouldn’t wear clothes at all, but that’s a whole other issue.) So, run barefoot in regular shorts and t-shirt – none of that thin, wicking, racer stuff. Cutoff jeans sound about right – think, The Incredible Hulk as a runner…

I’ve actually been wanting to get into “regular-clothes running,” anyway. Then I could say stuff like, “I’m gonna run down to the market… do you need anything?” And actually run. Running as transportation. That would be a sweet way to tack on miles.

But then, again, I guy running down the street without the proper “running attire” is probably viewed as crazy and/or someone who’s actually running away from something or someone – maybe escaping the asylum or the cops.

Clearly, I’m over thinking this…

high clouds drifter

2009-06-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Got a bit of a late start this morning so it was already heating up by the time I made it out for a run. I had to get out there, though, because it had been nine days since I’d been on a run – last week turned into sort of a rest week.

Luckily, we’re having some interesting weather patterns right now. High clouds are keeping the temps from soaring too high. The skies remind me of a cross between rocky mountain afternoon thunderheads and coastal drifters.

What this means to me is that we’ve just entered a new rain season. By my definition, the season ends with June’s drizzle and starts with the first big drops of summer. It’s hard to be sure what the skies are telling me, but that’s what it feels like today. That leaves us with 43.4 centimeters (17”) of rain for last season – not bad considering that we got very little precipitation through late winter and spring.

Seasonal Rain:

2004/2005: 143.5cm
2005/2006: 66.7 cm
2006/2007: 15.9 cm
2007/2008: 59.5 cm
2008/2009: 43.4 cm

These are actual measurements taken from outside my backdoor. As you can see, there is no normal rain season here. Even if you looked at the past 120 or so years of available data there’s no obvious pattern (or so I’ve heard.)

The running legs felt really solid today. I got in an Arroyo Nine. The week off was probably a good thing. I had a dream last night in which I seemed to tap into a bit of my inner animal and I think that was a positive force on my running day, too. Towards the end of my run, my stride shifted a little and my speed increased. It all felt very natural and powerful. My feet seemed to be landing further to the side than normal – drifting out near hip width rather than returning back to the imaginary centerline. And I was itching to get rid of my shoes… to run barefoot... one of these days…

happy Friday on the coastal plain

2009-06-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

I’m riding out to Venice beach Tomorrow/Saturday… Never done that before… never ridden to the beach… weird… it’s only 22 miles…

I’m a little nervous about the ride and route as it’s all new to me. I guess this is all just part of one’s bicycling revolution… first you learn to go one mile… then groceries… then work… then… then everywhere else… I’m planning to ride Totally Eighties. She’s a sweet and super sexy bike and should cruise me out there nice and easy…

I hit the burrito stand (Los Tacos) a little early tonight after a handful of beers and the library (picked up Touching the Void – following the thread…) I stepped out with my burrito (to go) and saw the mountains all lit up (above the sunset) and proud and they made me feel real good. Don’t get to see that view from there so much as usually it’s later in the night.

Tour Divide is going awesome… for those few of you who are following it and know what I’m talking about…

Friday evening with Tony and Vin

2009-06-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hot sauna of a Brown Mountain ride in the late afternoon. “Lefty Tony” and I hit the trail a little too early maybe, although there was a pretty nice breeze going up there and no one else up there until the end of our ride.

Post ride:

A box of Triscuits
A hunk of cheddar
A glass of red wine
A pint of Cherry Garcia

And some couch time with Vin Scully, his beautiful drone tucking me into ten and a half hours of sleep.

brain freeze and wedgies

2009-06-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Maybe it’s just something about the design of my current running shoes… there’s a little crevice running across the heal… I think it’s supposed to provide flex as the heel strikes the ground… lately, though, it seems that I always come home with some sort of rock or stick wedged in there…

The weather is heating up… 85 degrees today… Hil and I went for a run this morning… and with the heat comes smoothie season… finally we’re in the mood for them again after the long winter… today’s smoothie included frozen strawberries, strawberry yogurt, and a can of Kern’s Mango nectar… spin it around in the blender and… zing… straight to the brain… very nice…

flying objects

2009-06-17T17:20:00.001-07:00

I’ve been seeing a lot of interesting flying things…

A small bright yellow bird swooping in front of me and T80s. Possibly a Yellow Warbler. I see these only occasionally - on their migration, I suppose.

I saw another bird while out on a run. It was sort of chickadee like – small and brown but with a bright red tail – don’t think I’d ever seen one like that before.

Also, Mindful and I rode along next to a big orange dragon fly along Foothill Blvd for a while. Fun to watch it pass in front of the different backdrops – Dragonfly in front of fast food joint, Dragonfly in front of Blair’s Speed Shop (don’t have much use for that place no more…), Dragonfly in front of liquor store, and then finally… Dragonfly in front of bright blue sky with passing puffy clouds (did I mention the sun is out!)

And then a pretty cool Carpenter Bee with a black body and yellow shoulder pads buzzed over to sniff my wine this evening…

nine is the new seven

2009-06-16T17:11:00.001-07:00

Went for a slow and easy nine-mile run up the Arroyo this morning. Nine is a good distance. Depending on how I’m feeling on a given day it can be challenging or energizing but never really draining like longer distances can be sometimes. And unless it’s super hot you don’t really have to prepare with water bottles and snacks and such. But it’s also just far enough that, run consistently, I think it could be good foundation maintenance for longer runs when their time comes.

On the run today I thought about mileage-weeks. When I’m not too into a run I start doing math in my head for distraction. Right now I think my record is somewhere in the mid-sixties but haven’t had long weeks like that in a long time. Lately I’ve only been in the 20’s/week… I’d like to get that a bit higher but at the same time don’t want to bore my self with a strict schedule. I just want to run in the Arroyo more… and maybe someday twelve will become the new nine…

burrito in the park

2009-06-12T20:30:00.001-07:00

I found a great new park to eat a burrito in. This is a park in the arroyo that I pass all the time but I’ve never stopped there. Today I stopped under the Redwood/Sycamore canopy and ate my lovely burrito in the cool grey afternoon with Mindful Mule by my side and it was really quite nice.

After sitting still for a while I noticed an entire herd of ground squirrels (probably 10-15) foraging in the grassy meadow. Sort of blew my mind. Reminded me of all the prairie dogs in Boulder…

sleepy sun

2009-06-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

June is grey. Miles are there but...

I saw Coyote in Griffith Park over the weekend, though.
And Raven has been following me around...

And The Tour de Vide is coming up… And Le Tour de France…

Guess I’ll just drink a thousand more cups of coffee until she wakes up…

every step counts

2009-06-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

greenpeace.org/everystepcounts

.

Datura’s Stormy Dream

2009-06-03T13:11:00.001-07:00

Ran up the arroyo this morning to visit the beautiful Sycamore that marks one of my turnaround points.

Datura Queen was blooming up toward the overcast sky all along the route.

I noticed her on yesterday’s ride along the LA River, too. She must be celebrating something…

Datura is the powerful, seductive Queen of the underworld. If you approach her with humble reverence she will guide you through unimaginable realms of this world and share her spiritual powers forever…

But if you rudely disrupt her deep dreams she may just unleash her powers upon you in darker ways…

There were a couple of city workers out this morning with their weed whackers. But Datura ain’t no weed! She’s been here guarding the boundaries between earth and sky throughout ages. It was sad to see such disrespectful treatment of this native Queen – lopping of heads and limbs and luscious flowers – leaving them to wither at the surface…

We can only use “forgive us, for we know not what we do” for so long before it just becomes a typical sad sign of our times… it’s just no longer an acceptable excuse…

Her deep earthly dream disrupted, Datura released a pulse of her power… the sky grew dark… heavy clouds gathered, roiling above… winds gusted warm, then cold, wildly thrashing about hundred-year-old Oaks… large drops of rain were hurled at the ground… and thunder rolled… Mighty Datura was pissed.

I shared my thoughts and stride with her as I ran along the arroyo – meditative steps to soothe and heal. Hopefully she’ll return to her deep sleep and unleash no terremotos this eve.

Double Brown!

2009-06-01T00:11:00.001-07:00

…okay, maybe I should explain…

Brown, being the mountain that I ride the bike to on many a Sunday morning. Double, indicating that I rode it twice. This is something I’ve thought about doing for a long time - a few years. But it just seems too crazy to ever attempt.

On Sunday I went riding with Cycle Tony. He just acquired one of those whacky looking Lefty bikes so we took it out for a christening ride on Brown. Tony had limited time as he had to get to his nieces birthday party so we only rode halfway up Brown – to the junction – which is a good ride in itself – a lot of people just ride to the junction and come back down.

But as we were riding back down I had this empty feeling inside - I missed Brown. When we got back down to the trailhead Tony headed off to the party and I (secretly) headed back up into the cool clouds to find my mountain. I rode to the top of Brown and then back down to the junction and then back again to Brown and then all the way down again to the trailhead.

Then to make it completely official, after riding home and eating some lunch I biked back to the trailhead to make it two complete trips from home to Brown in one day (albeit, in rather unusual order.)

56 miles (half road, half mountain.)

Double Brown.

mini historic angeles ride

2009-05-26T21:08:00.001-07:00

Rode “Mindful Mule” on a new route in and out of the outskirts of Downtown LA this evening for a little bicycle advocacy meeting at Philippe’s - the place has been here forever (since 1908) – French dip sandwiches, sawdust on the floor, and 9 cent coffee!

The route was a little mellower than I expected and mellower than the previous route I’d used to get downtown (no rabid dogs biting at my calves) and way easier and faster than the train. So now I just might go down there more frequently. Lots of burrito potential along the way, too!

I also finally located the San Antonio Winery (since 1917) along the ride. I’ve been meaning to check that place out for a long time and now it’s on my radar.

Made it back home just as it was getting dark with a sliver of moon watching over the peaceful pueblo de la reina de los Ángeles…

Mount Wilson 2009

2009-05-24T08:27:00.001-07:00

It seemed like everything was going right on the morning of the race. As Hilary and I were driving up toward the start of the race we could see sunbeams breaking through the clouds and spotlighting the Mount Wilson trail while everything else was socked in clouds – an invitation from the mountain. The sun finally broke through just at the start of the race to provide for a beautiful day in the mountains.

Hilary wasn’t planning on racing but somehow managed to sign up about 15 minutes before the race even though it’s been full/closed for weeks. So, that was fun to have her racing again. She missed last year due to ACL. She rocked this year’s race in 1:46.

Jonah, on the other hand, (how should I put this nicely) was flat. Despite a good sleep the night before and fairly decent training I just had nothing in me. I can throw out some excuses like cramps and cherry bombs but I guess I just didn’t have it yesterday. I had no drive up the mountain. I did a lot of walking and just couldn’t get myself to push it. Perhaps I peaked in my training too early or was too relaxed. I’ve never felt so ready for a race. I had high hopes as I’ve been running faster and faster lately. However, my time fell back to 1:37 – same as two years ago. Ten minutes slower than last year! I feel sorry for future Jonah. He’s going to be punished with some serious trail training hell over this next year…

On a positive note, the new trail shoes were great. They made a huge difference in traction and ankle twisties.

Also, I got to meet Rocky! And, of course, CatrAndy! Yea!

After the race we went down the hill to our third annual post race margarita brunch at Mijares with The Reverend (2:20) and Suz which always helps to wash away the pain and or disappointment (and or arrogance in the unlikely event of a miracle time). Next year I hope Mr. Ohara can join us again.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to start training for Mount Wilson 2010…

a time to race

2009-05-22T10:06:00.001-07:00

I have no idea what kind of time I’ll be able to run in Mt Wilson tomorrow. Two years ago (the first time I ran it) I ran a 1:37. Last year a 1:27. I had a dream a few days ago that I would run 1:17 – I guess my psyche thinks in mathematical sequences. But, I haven’t been training that hard and while I’m sort of excited for the run I also kind of wish I wasn’t running it. It’s not so much the run itself that bothers me as the specific start time and crowds on the trail. And who knows if my body will want to run tomorrow morning. I’ve tried to take it easy this week to give myself the best chance of improving my time. I’ve only run two three-milers Tuesday and Thursday and have only biked about 15 miles. But this just leaves me itching for a bike ride and/or a nice long-and-easy run through the shade after a leisurely breakfast. Instead, I won’t be able to sleep well tonight. Which will make it even more difficult to get out of bed early tomorrow morning. Then force some food down. Drive off to the start to check in and warm up and get hydrated but not too much. Wait in line at the porto-johns. Try to stretch out my cherry-bomb(neck-back-shoulder knot.) Then it starts and I’ve got to get ahead of all the people that start off way to fast for their overall pace so I don’t get stuck behind them on the trail but at the same time conserve for the next four miles of grueling uphill pull. Keep pulling, keep pulling, keep pulling. I won’t have time to stop and talk with the plants on this trip – hopefully they’ll understand my hurry. Pull, pull, pull up that hill. Go inside yourself. Try to accept the agony in your legs and lungs and heart and gut. Go. Finally it will level off. Tag that big old Oak at Orachard Camp and then fly, fly, fly back down the trail trying not to bowl into anyone or trip over clumsy feet to disaster. Keep your knees up. Stay aware of the terrain. Light and solid yet fast as you can. Then you hit the road again and that’s where it really starts to hurt but you’ve got to nail it all the way down that pavement to the finish ‘cause you just might pull off a miracle time for yourself (but that will just put more pressure on your ever-aging body for next year.) And then it’s over.

last minute shoes

2009-05-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

I finally found some trail shoes last night. I ran a fast neighborhood 3er in them this morning and they felt good. I’ll probably get one more short break-in run with them before the Mt Wilson race this Saturday. These shoes should give me a slightly more stable platform to run on compared to my road shoes. Trail specific shoes are not a necessity but I do like to have more than one pair of runners around to rotate between anyway and these were “only” $40 at Run With Us.

Brownies

2009-05-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

I changed the tire pressure on “Metamorphosis” (the mountain bike) on yesterday’s ride on Brown. I lowered it from 60psi to 55psi. It doesn’t sound like much, but it made a huge difference. Traction was way better on the sandy sections and I could even lean the bike over in the turns with confidence as I descended. Dare I try 50psi?

Of note up on the mountain: girls are everywhere! In the last couple of months there has been a great increase in the female biker population on Brown. I think they may even out number the guys now. Interesting trend. Wouldn’t exactly mind if it continued…

Sandy Brown

2009-05-11T08:01:00.001-07:00

Who’s Sandy Brown? Uh, don’ know… but the trails up on Brown Mountain are getting pretty sandy this time a year making the steep sections more challenging on ascent and the corners treacherous on descent. You’ve really got to take the corners slow and upright or else. I probably need to drop the air pressure in my tires to counter this. I tend to run pretty high pressures for a mountain biker. I guess this is partly because I ride to the trailhead, too, and I don’t want to be riding the pavement on 25psi and I’m certainly not going to mess with changing the pressure when I get to (and off) the trail. I usually run about 60psi. This makes for a ripping fast ride in the winter when the trails have some moisture in them. It’s pretty much all decomposed granite up there so it never gets real muddy – the rain just makes it set. But we haven’t had any significant rain down here for months, really, and we’re quickly entering into the cycle of heat, sun, smog, and fire. Maybe this is an okay thing though. Aside from it being totally natural for this area, it tends to clear the trails of people and lately I’ve encountered way too many people up there – especially those damned mountain bikers!