Crunching Leaves

After the 4 mile Mt. Nebo Bench Trail Race on Saturday (story on that to come), I knew I still needed to get some mileage in for the weekend so while the man went out on a 20 mile gravel road hill ride with a buddy, I went out for some speed hiking and running on the Ouachita Trail Sunday morning. The morning was a little overcast but warm, I was able to wear shorts with no problem. After partaking in far too much Christmas cheer at a party the previous evening, I wasn’t exactly feeling like running but a commitment is a commitment and training doesn’t wait just because I’ve behaved badly. And if I’d chosen to skip it I would have missed the scenery. And I would have missed the sound of the leaves crunching beneath my feet and the wind whistling through the forest.

Along the way I found an old orienteering marker that I recognized. These were markers the man and I had made years ago for an adventure race and after we used them a few times, we gave them to a race director friend. The punch was still attached. I wonder how long it’s been out there? It must have been placed as part of a practice orienteering course.

I’m thankful I have beautiful natural areas like this so close to home. Some day I’m going to hike more of the 223 miles of this treasure in the Ouachita Mountain Range in Arkansas and Oklahoma. I keep hiking the sections closest to my house over and over again. This is also the trail that I’ll be running my first 50K race on next Spring. I think I should become very well acquainted with it. We’ll be the best of friends. Rocks, roots, dirt and all.

 

 

 

 

I Lived to Tell the Tale

Every once in a while I do something stupid. Actually I do things all the time that could be classified as stupid but I have a habit of doing this one particular stupid thing: I attempt to perform some ridiculous athletic feat without training for it.

My list of idiocy includes an 18 hour Adventure Race before which I only trained somewhat sporadically. That was stupid. I did my first 100 mile bike ride with one 50 mile ride as my longest ride. Ever. That was stupid.

I’m not always an idiot, I trained for 4 months following the recommended training schedule for my first half marathon. I’m not much of a swimmer so when I thought I wanted to attempt a triathlon I spent several mornings a week at the pool swimming laps and even went for an open water test swim to make sure I was prepared. Then I had a panic attack in the water. Maybe that burned me on preparation.

This weekend I returned to my idiotic ways and decided to rely on my base fitness to do a 25K trail run without training. At all. I knew from a lot of other regular participants in the ultra running community that many people speed hike or walk these events so I figured I could and would slow down and hike if I needed to. I mean I can “walk” all day long. Right.

Signing in and getting a race #…no turning back now. This is the only time past LR Marathon winner & local legend Leah Thorvilson will ever be behind me.

The Full mOOn 50k/25K Trail Run would be on forest service roads in the Ouachita National Forest beginning and ending at Lake Sylvia. I started toward the back of the pack of about 150 runners. Since there was a 50K option as well, there were close to 50 who started at the 7:00 pm early start option while the rest of us started at 8.

Getting Ready to Start

I’d gotten some advice from friends who are experienced ultra runners: walk the hills, especially in the first half to conserve energy so you have something to give at the end. This was great advice and I tried to follow it. Sort of. I had the company of another woman who was also running her first ultra trail run. We kept each other company and she probably encouraged me to walk more than I would have on my own.

Starting off feeling like I have wings!

We kept a good 10 minute plus average pace, easily talking and enjoying the sunset. Within an hour we were turning on our headlamps as the light faded and then disappeared. It was called the Full mOOn Run but the full moon had already passed and on this night, what moon there was hid behind a heavy blanket of clouds. I thought I was drinking enough to keep me hydrated and about mile four I ate a Gu. At the halfway turnaround of the out and back course, I felt really good. I mean really good. So after a sip of ginger ale, an orange quarter, and a mini snickers bar, I left my running company at the aid station and headed back. It didn’t take long before I realized how much running with a partner helped not only pass the time, but helped me keep a decent pace and stride. By mile 10 I had started walking a lot. My knees hurt. The roads were loose gravel and were banked pretty hard. It was tough to find a level route. Especially in the dark. My pace dropped off and I was only able to “run” for a minute or two at a time. I knew it was my knees that were holding me back, my energy level was good and other than the knees, my legs even felt good. But just in case it would help I thought I’d try a new energy fuel, PocketFuel Natural nut butters. I don’t know if it helped but oh my goodness it tasted great. I had the smaller 1.8oz package of Chocolate Haze, a hazlenut almond butter blend that pretty much tasted like squirting nutella in my mouth. I don’t think I ran any more or any faster after that but I felt great other than the knee pain. I finished in 3 hours and 14 minutes or something close to it. I had my RunKeeper going but I forgot to stop it until after I had gotten a drink and 2 pieces of watermelon.

Finishing, feels good.

15 miles, 3 and a quarter hours, and 2090 feet of elevation change and probably one of the best group of racers, volunteers and organizers I’ve ever had the pleasure of spending an extended period of time with. I think I’m going to try this again. But I’m going to train first.

The Adventures of Other People

It’s getting busy round here. In addition to all the “normal” hubub, I’m wishing I could clone myself so that on the weekends I could get my own training in AND go out and cover stories about all the other cool events and races going on. Managing time so that I can do it all seems like an impossible task. I spend a lot of time watching, photographing, cheering and writing about other people’s adventures.

Instead of blogging I’ve been out doing stuff like climbing Pinnacle Mountain before dawn to take photos of people doing that 50K/ 50Mile race I “thought” I wanted to do. On no training. I’m not sure if I’m glad the opportunity to photograph it became more important than doing it when the regular photog had a family emergency. I really think I’d like to give events like this one a try.

This is my favorite photo that doesn’t have people in it, just as the sun was rising and the racers hadn’t made it up the boulders:

Coming up over this boulder scramble from the East was the first real test of what would be a very long day for some, a matter of a few hours for others. Either way I really appreciated those who took the time to mug for my camera, they made me laugh.

He's got a little Cap'n in 'im.

So fitness for that day was confined to the climb up the West Summit, which took less than 30 minutes for me, even in the darkness of  5:30 a.m in the forest. While waiting for the first finishers to come off the trail for the short road section to the finish, I entertained myself (and probably a few others) with lunges, squats and pushups on the sidewalk.

That afternoon I drove out to Perryville just in time to watch my husband finish 58 miles of Forest Service Road racing in the Slobberknocker. I was so glad I made it there in time to see him finish even though it meant leaving the Ouachita race before even 1/2 the racers had finished, I do have priorities. And I got to take this photo:

While life is hectic and crazy and manic and chaotic I must remember that a full life is never boring and I am thankful that I am able to do all that I do, even if I sometimes complain that I don’t have enough time for myself. And I have to remember that I am having my own adventures, even when it seems I’m helping others live and document theirs.

Workin’ Out or Training?

Last week I said I was thinking about doing a certain race. A person close by said “have you trained for that?” Well no, actually, I don’t know that I ever call what I do training. I rarely stick to one activity long enough to call it training. When I feel like running, I run. When I feel like lifting, I lift. When I feel like circuits, I circuit. And when I feel like riding, I ride. I don’t have a schedule that says how many miles I’m going to do on a particular day. I do what I want. Training schedules aren’t the boss of me.

That being said, I took off and did 16 miles of trail “running” on a recent day. It took me 4 hours. I think that qualifies as speed hiking more than running but so be it, it’s a tough rocky rooty and sometimes steep trail. It made me realize that I’d like to do a 20k soon. And I’d like to be able to do a 50K, but I think I should get some more long trail work in before I commit to one. Heck, I might just go out and do it one day just to say I did. Cause I’m rebellious like that.

I stopped to take this photo about 13.5 miles into my run, I call it: The Honeysuckle Points the Way.

I stopped at a recently renovated trail head at my favorite urban Arkansas State Park, Pinnacle Mountain. This is: My Peace Portal.

I’ve totally lost track of my workout log but I’ve been running and biking a lot more than my usual morning circuit workouts. The opportunities have come up, the weather’s been nice and I’ve jumped at the chance to go play outside more. I’ve been trail running/hiking a LOT. I’ve put in close to 30 miles of trail and another 30 on the mountain bike in less than a week. I’ve missed a few mornings and had to rely on some help from my DVD pal Bob Harper’s Inside Out Method and I did keep hold of a couple of circuits from the past week too.

Circuit day 1-

4 Rounds:

• Line Drill
• jump rope x 125
• plate push x 45lb x 20yds
• push ups x 25
• box jumps x 20
• body squats x 25
• mountain climbers x 50
• situps x 20

Circuit day 2-

5 Round for time:

• 15 wall balls x 10lb
• 12 thrusters x 45lb
• 125 jump rope
• 20 dips with a25lb
• 30 yds lunges with 20lb DB

time 24:39   then a nice long CORE

2 lift days:

• dumbbell incline press 4 x 8 x 25lb
• upright rows 4 x 10 x 25lb
• bench press 3 x 10 x 65,75,85lb
• cable row 3 x 10 x 40lb
• standing military press 3 x 8 x 25lb
• dips 3 x 12 with 25lb plate in lap
• 21’s x 2 x 12lb
• flexed arm hang for time x 2 (13 and 15 seconds)

and

• bench press 10 x 75, 8 x 85, 6 x 95, 4 x 105lb
• lat pulldown 4 x 10 x 70lb
• cable crossover 3 x 10 x 30lb
• single arm db row 3 x 8 x 30lb
• 6 way shoulder press 3 x 8 x 10lb
• tricep pressdown 3 x 12 x 35lb
• plate curl medley from 12 counts- 1 count x 15lb

Christmas Traditions

Cedar Falls 12-25-2007

For the past several years, Christmas Day has brought with it a tradition I share with my husband. Because we are a blended family, Christmas and all the chaos surrounding it has often been especially challenging. At some point we kind of gave up trying to conform to the schedules of all others involved and took it upon ourselves to retreat from the firestorm, give up having a family Christmas on Christmas Day and head outside together instead.

For 2006 we were on top of Pinnacle Mountain just in time to see a beautiful bald eagle “buzz the tower”.

Christmas Day 2007 meant another trip to a favorite, Petit Jean State Park for the Seven Hollows and Cedar Falls trails with lunch in between.

In 2008, we took a trip to Mt Magazine State Park just before Christmas to celebrate the anniversary of our first date. Christmas Day had us hiking at Pinnacle again, but bushwhacking the backwoods, scouting the area for the mountain bike trails we were hoping to build.

Lake Catherine State Park was the destination for December 25, 2009.

2010 was a year we managed to keep our family close, but still go hike on our own by renting a cabin at Lake Ouachita and hitting the dirt while others enjoyed the comfort of central heat, couches and a warm fireplace.

Starting at the Woolly Cabin

Each trail we choose has its own Christmas magic for us: the story of seeing that soaring eagle never gets old, listening to  the beautiful waterfalls at Lake Catherine, seeing Grampie in his Santa hat at Ouachita, or spending the day dreaming about a place we can ride our bikes. This year we chose a trail in a park I’ve only visited in the heat of summer. Mainly because Woolly Hollow State Park has a really nice swim beach complete with a great snack bar. Did someone mention nachos? After a short drive from Little Rock to the park near Greenbrier, cleaning up after one car sick dog and figuring out a new remote control for the camera, we were ready to get on the trail.  We started at the Cabin Trail, used the Cold Creek Trail to connect to the Huckleberry for what should be about 4.5 fairly easy miles if we had calculated correctly.  The trail magic for this year…the new puppy.

The Park System tends to be very good at dual usage and using what’s on hand to get a job done.

Trail Markers: Use What You Have

Our route took us all the way around Lake Bennett with a beautiful view of the park and the swim beach from across the lake. But this was my favorite spot of the hike:

Rushing Water

Merry Christmas! Next up- New Year’s Day traditional mountain bike ride. We’ve been invited to paddle on New Year’s this year. Choices, choices.

Ready ta GO!

I won’t be getting up at dawn to baste a turkey tomorrow. I didn’t start making pies yesterday. Nope. We will be doing something we like to call “avoiding the holiday”.  Our family of four plus one 55lb puppy will be strapping on backpacks and heading to the wilderness for Thanksgiving weekend. We’ll be driving up to the Buffalo National River area and the Ponca Wilderness.  This isn’t the first time we’ve done this.  A few years ago we took the youngest on her first overnight backpacking trip during Thanksgiving break, 3 days and 2 nights on the Ouachita Trail.  Woohoo for instant/dehydrated foods and summer sausage!

So to make sure I  got my workouts in before we left I hit the gym this week. Now if I could have managed to fit the endurance workout in over the weekend instead of yard work, etc. That would have been nice.

Monday: 3 rounds of as many reps as possible in 1 minute, with 1 minute rest between

• sumo deadlift high pull
• pull ups
• box jumps
• wall balls
• pushups

plus a core workout at the end

Tuesday:

• leg press 4 x 8
• DB flat bench press 3 x 8
• lat pulldowns 3 x 10
• good morning 3 x 10
• dips 3 x 12
• superset: overhead extension and barbell curls 2 x 10
• calf raise 3 x 15

ending with another core workout

Wednesday: 6 rounds for time

• kneeling medicine ball toss x 10
• mountain climbers 50 (ea leg)
• 3 in 1’s x 5
• plate push 10yds
• sit ups x 20

Snow, Tire Flips and Push Ups

No, snow has nothing to do with the tire flips. Or push ups. Except that the snow got in the way of me doing any said tire flips or push ups for a week.

Last Monday we got hit with a beautiful snow. A rare occurance in these parts. I was happy to see fluffy stuff instead of ice pellets. But, it kept everyone home for a couple of days and made conditions still treacherous in the dark hours of early morn when I usually to to work out. Then it just got darn busy trying to play catch up. Did get a bit of walking in on Monday and Tuesday- walking in the snow FEELS like a workout.

Saturday 13th- 2.5 hours on the Ouachita Trail in heavy hiking boots traversing the mud and snow.

Monday 15th- She’s Got Leeeggggs
3 x 15 plyo press 180lb
3 x 15 plyo jumps 125lb
2 x  plyo jumps 15 sec work: 15 rest: 15 work
mountain climbers between sets while other group did jumps

circuit 15 sec work: 10 sec rest for 3 min
wall balls 15lb
plate push 25lb
tire flip
wall sit

Tuesday– She’s got ARMS??
3 x 20 wide chair pushups
bench press 1 x 6 85lb, 2 x 5 95lbs, 2 x 4 attempted 100lb but went back to 95.

Circuit x 4 rounds
alternating dumb bell chest press  10 ea arm x 25lb
med ball push up (hands on top of 2 small med balls) to failure (face plant)
walking push ups 10lb DBs
: 30 sec of cable bumpouts 20lb each arm – this is like boxing but pulling weighted cables out – ouch

Wednesday- She doesn’t have speed
5 minute core workout to warm up
sprints. omg sprints.
5 light x 8.5-10 mph to fail  maxed out about 40 sec
5 medium x 11-12 mph to fail maxed out about 20 sec
2 heavy 5.5 mph on steep incline this was my favorite maxed out at 30 sec!
Took a 600 m jog outside in the cold to warm down

Thursday- 20 minutes to do as many rounds as possible
5 pullups
10 push ups
15 squats
only did 11 rounds?? It sure felt like more
then 4 x 8 push press, 55lb, 65,65, 75lb

Friday- TIRE FLIPS- Waaahooo tire flips!
50 x 2 hand heavy tire flip
25 x single hand “light” tire flip right arm
25 x single hand “light” tire flip left arm
50 x flip jumps-  flip, jump in, jump out, flip. Oh my stars.

I should have a rest day but I’m hoping the weather holds out long enough to do some trail work tomorrow. Please weather gods, shine down happily upon us!

My Favorite Gym

We are so lucky to have this park  in our back yard. Well, a 15 minute drive from our backyard. The 223 mile Ouachita Trail starts (or ends) here. We have so many hiking or running options: follow the OT for a couple of miles then head up Pinnacle or around the base trail or continue to follow the OT out for as many miles as we can stand. For Thanksgiving 3 years ago, we took the small one on her first overnight backpacking trip along 21 miles of this trail, ending at Pinnacle Mountain.

11-06. I can’t believe that little girl is now taller than I am.

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day in Arkansas. Temps in the upper 60s by mid day, sunny, gorgeous. J and I headed over to my favorite outdoor gym. We started at the Visitor’s Center and the OT trail head then  picked up the East Summit Trail up and over the mountain.  We stopped to chat with a friend just as the steep boulder climb starts, I am always up for a chat with a friend but I HATE getting passed. This guy comes flying by taking those boulders like they were office bldg stairs. RRRRRR, it’s ON! I didn’t catch him of course, but it did give me someone to chase.

At the top…I stopped to help a family take pictures. A set of 3 siblings that grew up in LR but had spread to Texas and Missouri with one staying put. And kids galore. Oh my. I hope those photos turn out, it was tough to get that many people in the photo, kids had to be wrangled, the wind was whipping and I am not a great photographer!

In the time it took the family to get situated, J had made it up and decided to take a picture of me taking a picture. Yes, I had 2 cameras-it was a big family remember?

This workout was turning into a social event! On the way down we ran into an old friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in 4 years.  He was taking his 7 an 9 year old girls and 2 friends up the West Summit. That’s a tall order for one man! By the time we hit the bottom and turned onto the Base Trail I was ready to run again and I went for it. I often fall on this trail. I think it’s because I was doing it early in the mornings for a long time. Once I even jumped the gate at 6 a.m. to get on the trail. Ssshh don’t tell on me. I din’t fall today! I can do it without being a total clutz!

Ah the end is near, but it involves up. This is always tough no matter how long or short the hike has been. This one was shorter than my normal “alone” route. But it still hurt in the end. We stopped in at the VC to clean up a little and to start gift buying for Christmas. Ozark Soaps are great as small gifts or included in baskets.      I knew that lady at the gift shop thought it was a bit gross that I washed my face in the rest room, then when I came out and J was talking to her about what we had been doing all morning, she said “Oh no wonder you were washing up!” Yeah, sunshine, dirt, and running kind of make that necessary.

Note of apology to everyone in Fresh Market and IO Metro:  I’m really sorry you had to smell me. I promise I don’t always look or smell like that. You always see me that way because your stores are on the way  home from Pinnacle and I feel compelled to stop no matter how gross I am.

My Mountain Bike is Broken, so I climbed one instead

So it seems my mountain bike is not unfixable but a part has to be sent in to the manufacturer to be rebuilt so no riding for a while. I guess that’s better than the option I was offered of calling the bike a loss and buying a brand new one. I think Joe is still worried that fixing the old one is the wrong move since the price of bikes seems to be heading up up up with the interest in biking increasing and the cost of EVERYTHING going up from transportation and manufacturing cost increases. Amazing how the price of gas affects things.

 

Holidays around here usually find us out at Pinnacle. Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving…I think the only major holiday that hasn’t seen us at Pinnacle at least once is Easter. Yesterday Joe and I headed over to Pinnacle for a climb. There was a big party in the main parking/park area so we parked farther away at the visitor’s center and hopped on the Ouachita Trail to get over to the park. J had said he wasn’t feeling quite up to this so I took it easy on him and we walked most of the trail instead of running. Then he took off up the mountain on the rocky sections and I was a full 30 seconds behind him to the top. Darn him. So I had to beat him down. And make him run. We hit the new part of the trail and ran up until the ugly switchbacks started, walked for a while then started running again when it met back up with the Ouachita. I ran him back to the steep steps below the visitor center. I heard him ask ” you’re just getting your wind aren’t you?” then I think there was a cuss word. An afternoon of yard work, cleaning the garage, making homemade individual cheesecakes and cooking dinner left me spent. We didn’t even leave the house for fireworks.

This morning J and the small one are accompanying the oldest kid to set up her new apartment in Fayettville. We loaded her up with furniture in a Uhaul. Wow, our garage and storage room seem so much bigger now. I’m headed out to do a little more work stripping a desk that I’ve been avoiding for weeks and then I’m off to help a friend paint at her new house. If my people aren’t back by the time I wear out painting, I’m going to go sit my butt by the pool.