The Run Turns PG-13 today!!

Haven't blogged our trail runs for the past couple weeks because they have been ...well.. boring honestly.  Since we are training for Race to Robie Creek, that is where our trail runs have been.  Not really much to blog about.  For instance I could have written about last weeks run being the run of silence.  We hardly said a word to each other because it was a hard run day.  But that was it.

So today, the run became a bit more interesting.  Yes, it was still another Robie Training day, but it got spiced up a notch.  Why?  Two simple words..... BOSSY BANDIT.  That's right folks, she has emerged from her secret training.

We planned the run out earlier this week (what time to leave etc.)  But then the "weatherman" started to mix things up.  I really think we should start to refer to them as weather guessers from now on.  Anyway, he had Michele so worked up about today's weather. High winds, 100% chance of rain ALL DAY!  She sent me a text last night worried about the rain.  I said "Let's chance it."  She said, "Let's decide in the morning."  Then she said that Kris (the Bossy Bandit) was not going to go because of the rain...WIMP.  I replied "She is getting soft, What a shame."

I woke up and there was NO rain, and in fact not too many clouds.  So I dressed in the dark and tiptoed out of the house (it is spring break and I wanted to let the kids all sleep in).  When I pulled up to Michele's there was Kris in the driveway, she toughened up after all!!

Immediately spice was added to our morning.  If you have never driven with or ran with the bossy bandit you are truly lacking adventure in your life!  We began before even getting into the car with the curse words!  Probably because we were making fun of her two hats she was wearing.  The entire drive was just as spicy as we then learned that she had chugged a 5 hour energy drink moments before, oh boy.

Kris told us for 20 minutes how much wiser she is than the both of us.  She informed us that she would run today at her own pace and we could not make her do anything else otherwise.  "You run on ahead without me."  Much to my dismay I had forgotten my watch which is total torture for me!  Michele laughed and said she was glad because I would run a bit slower with out it, which in turn meant she could then run slower.

When we parked at the dirt and started to get ready to run, Kris jumped out of the car and took off!  I don't even think I had my hydration belt buckled yet.  She was waving her arms like a mad woman and running away from us laughing like an evil cartoon villain.  We laughed as we finally started our run.  We caught up to her and I thought it would be funny to sprint past her.  As I did I yelled and taunted her.  She just growled, "Shut your face!"  But she said it with love.

As Michele and I ran we slowly pulled away from her, which was fine.  But then passed this creepy old white truck. As we passed it a man sat up and looked at us through the window.  CREEPY CRAWLERS!!   We wisely decided it would be "wise " for us to wait for her so that he wouldn't jump out of the truck and grab her.  It is a good thing we did because she had COMPLETELY zoned out and didn't even see the truck.  So, today we saved the Bossy Bandit's life!  You're Welcome!!!

We went all the way to the summit, Kris talking about how she wished Michele had not told me exactly what a "Jell-O shot" was.  I thought it was just a drink of liquidy Jell-O.  Michele laughed and told me what it REALLY was.  Kris was mad.  She wanted me to discover for myself.  Ten she said she could beat me down the hill.  Gotta love how she looks out for my well-being!

As we got to the summit, everyone became a walker.  The conversation turned to Winnie the Pooh of all things.  Michele was trying to match our running personality as a character.  In the end, Kris turned out being Owl, Eeyore and Rabbit.  Haha.

All in all, a good run and a perfect day!  The "weather guessers" were wrong again!  We had blue skies and sunshine.  The rain did come, when we were in the car and the drive back.  It was our DESTINY to run  today!  The Samurai Weather Gods made sure of it!

The Run of PAIN!

So it happens to all of us, some more often than others.  You are ready to run, excited to run, pumped up for the run and with in the first few strides it hits you....PAIN!

Now I'm not talking about minor throbs or simple aches or even an occasional twinge.  I am talking about full on, I don't think I can run anymore, PAIN!

Michele's bad luck started out before she even left her house.  She thought since I was running late she would do some stretching and....tweeked her knee somehow.  So she was doomed before we got out of the car.  Today was to be a Robie training run.  We started at the bottom of Shaw Mtn Road.  Immediately I felt excruciating pain in my Achilles.  I tired to grit through it but after a mile and a half I knew I could go no further.  I had already stopped twice to try and stretch them out with no luck.  So we stopped.  I reached into my hydration pack and TADA!!  A Biofreeze wipe single!  The relief wasn't immediate, but it did come!

Michele snatched it from me and rubbed it all over her knee before we continued.  Boy we were quite the pair today.  We ran up to the Orchard Gulch Trail Head and turned around and headed back to the car.  The run down was easier, it is always easier.  The trail was in great condition too and it wasn't too windy.  A fierce headwind did pick up though on our last 2 miles down.

We realized that we have become long run snobs.  What exactly is a long run snob?  Here are some of the definitions:

1)  You only run in races that are half-marathon or longer.  Anything else is just not worth the time or money.
2)  You cheat on the back off days in your training when you are only supposed to run 3 or 4 miles.  "I'm not lacing up for a run that short!"
3)  You don't feel warmed up and good until mile 4.  Those first miles are just the warm up and don't really count.
4) When someone asks what you ran that day you feel guilty and apologetic if it is anything under 10 saying "Oh, I only ran 9 today."
5) Thinks "sprinter" is a bad word.
6) A half marathon is a "training" run.
7) You're daily runs are now too long for the dog!

So we laughed at the new place we have come to in our running life, as long run snobs and we decided, we are happy to be there.  Most the aches and pains have subsided and we cruise on down the last mile to the car.  Today we definitely EARNED the sprite!  There were no complaints on that one.  We stretch and hope that we can be pain free on our 18 miler in two days, dreaming of ice and rest for the rest of the day (which neither of us gets to do).

So as I write this I wonder.  Why do we run even when it feels like our legs are on fire or joints may fall off?  Why do we continue when the pain is impossible to ignore?  Why do we run in the snow, wind, rain, when passersby give us strange looks?  It is because we CAN so we DO.  If we didn't we would go insane, and thus explains the INSANITY.  We do insane things...to stay SANE.

And now I realize, that was my last Biofreeze wipe.  I just toggled over to a different window and ordered 24 more.  Better safe than sorry.

Wisdom and Sprite

Today's run was not as eventful and hilarious as they sometimes can be.  Because Michele and I both got in to Robie (applause) we decided to run it to train today.  We started at the Fort Boise Parking lot.  We of course had a head wind.  A pretty substantial head wind.  Running uphill, with a headwind is tiring.  I could tell as much when we both turned up our music and didn't converse as much as usual.

The great thing was we actually saw other runners today!  8 was our exact count!This was a first for us!  Michele said it was because now that registration has taken place people will start seriously training.  I think it is because no one else is stupid dedicated enough to run Robie year round like we do, just to do it.

Coming up was tough and Michele and I were both thinking we could use a walk break.  But then a pair of runners started coming towards us.  "Well we can't walk NOW," I said, "we'd look dumb."  Then after they were gone before we could agree it was time to walk, along came another pair.  Haha, no walk break for you!

At mile 5 our wisdom start to emerge and we both became so wise it is almost nauseating,  We agreed that since we were going to be running 17 miles in 4 days, it wouldn't be the smartest thing to run 16 today.  So we turned and headed back.  For the next few minutes we shared why we thought it was such a good idea!  I think we were rationalizing it so we didn't feel like we wimped out!

Happily our head wind was now a tail wind.  Too many times we seem to get a head wind both directions. I don't know how it happens, but it does!  Our run was so enjoyable today!  We did the descent at a nice 9:30 pace.  We were enjoying ourselves so much that the wisdom and answers just started flowing out of us!  We figured out teenage and young adult stress.  We mastered the ability to be a good wife and mother and still do things for yourself.  We were really in the groove.  But when Michele started to delve into NEXT year's New Year's Resolution I had to stop her, that was TOO much.  Our wisdom and knowledge does have it's limits.

It was the 10 that felt like 5 or 6!  That's always a great day!

Afterwards we had a mini chilled sprite waiting for us (something we indulge in after long hard runs).  A few sips in Michele said, I don't feel like I earned this today.  I had to remind her that we earned it on the 5 mile head wind climb.  Then she took another drink!

WE ARE IN!!!

After an intense few minutes of my computer freezing, kicking me off and then timing out... I still got registered for the Race To Robie Creek!  So did Michele!!  WooHoo!  The Trail Madness sisters will be there truckin up the hill with the rest of ya!

Must go now... need to get my Samurai Sword sharpened!

Valentine's Day "Heartbreaker" Trail Run...aka the Heart walk-a-thon!

It's Valentine's Day!  A perfect day to spend with those you love; your trail shoes, the trails and your running partner!  Haha!
Michele told me I got to choose our trail for today.  This is quite an honor since she had recently forbade me from choosing any more trails since my choices always end up being back breakers!  So after consulting my trail maps and reading some facebook comments from other local trail runners I picked out what I thought looked like a good 6 mile loop.
We headed up the 8th street extension, intending to park at the parking lot by the Hull's Interpretive trail #0. This was the first time either of us had ventured up this way.  On the drive up we passed by what looked like the remains of a lawnmower that had been hit by a nuclear bomb.  Not exactly a good omen.
We came up to a locked gate.  We could not drive all the way up to the parking lot.  Apparently it is locked until mid-may.Therefore, we could only get within a tenth of a mile or so from the parking lot.  Good enough!  We parked there by the gate and started walking.  We have learned that on our trails, we need a short warm up walk anyway. (especially when the road is still uphill).

 

 This is a view of the gate.  This is NOT Michele's car.  It is an old man's car who was walking two GIGANTIC white poodles. No joke these things were the size of ponies!

We quickly found our trail head for Corral's #31 and off we go!

 This trail was wonderful! So welcoming.  A nice surface, slightly downhill, good running trail.  We were both so excited by my trail choice.  But then we realized it was a trap.  Like a predator that entices you near its den with good smells and a promise of fun.  Then when it is too late to turn back SNAP! Its got you!  That is exactly what happened to us.
We were enjoying the trail so much, when suddenly!  We came to a fork in the road.  We were now going to switch trails and continue on Scott's Trail #32.  That way we could make a loop (I strongly dislike out and backs).

This is when out of no where we were blind sided out of our stupor of lulling downhill enjoyment.
The land of uphills attacked and attacked and attacked!  It was crazy.  Then to make it even more interesting, the trail became narrow with a terrible runoff trench down the center.  The trails were frozen, no mud, but the ruts and incline made it so challenging to run!  Just walking was making us both breathe like we were in labor!  That is when we decided that had now become a walk-a-thon.  Since we were doing so much walking!

 We did a new stride as we ran.  Michele called it the cowboy Scott!  You can imagine what this looked like since you had to basically straddle the trail at some points while trying to run.  We also have come to realize that we loose our common sense brain cells while running hard trails.  I also lose the ability to do any math of any kind which is pretty bad since my degree is in Mathematics.  Michele loses the ability to read.  So we make quite the pair!  It also begins difficult to form words into coherent thoughts.  I would yell back things to Michele as we trudged up hills.  She confessed that she only processes about half of what I say and the just make a sound in response.

We would be walking a hill and I would then decide to run.  I'd call out "Let's do it!  Come on!" Then I'd start running (more like fast shuffling).  I'd hear a reply behind me of "NO!"  But Michele would end up running anyway!

We saw a lot of things today.  Beautiful views! (This is a view of Boise)

 The snow line!

A very close look of Bogus, but I forgot to take a picture.

A weird Christmas Shrine of sorts.

Then as I posed by it I realized that I hoped there was not something or someone buried here. Some crazy runner perhaps?

But the most glorious thing we saw was this......

 The fence that marked the END of Scott's Trail!  Hallelujah!!  I have never been so glad to exit a trail before!! Michele informed me at this point that she would NEVER run Scott's trail EVER again.

We then were running down the 8th street connection.  It was nice and wide and downhill (mostly) but still a crazy run.  That road is full of crevices, ruts, inclines and sand pits!  It also has very large and deep puddles of water that were partly frozen.  When we came upon the first one Michele said, "I dare you to run across that and see if you can do it without falling in. Come on let's see if you can walk on water."  Now you know how I say I am "always in" when Michele suggests something.  Well, while that may be true, I am not stupid.  So , no I did not try to run across that half frozen pond nor did I try to run over every other one that we encountered that she wanted me to try out.

Michele began to get the "Loopys" as I am going to call them.  On flat ground this usually occurs around mile 17 or 18.  Your thinking gets foggy and you get a little giddy.  Small thinks can set you to laughing, you get puppet legs and sometimes even begin to hear things that aren't there like

But, we did it! 6.6 miles to an elevation of 4,805 feet. Out actual elevation climb was 1,380 feet in 3.4 miles.  It was a harder run than the 16 miler we did on the greenbelt last week and also more fun!  Trail running always is more of an adventure than any other run. So Happy Valentine's day!  We had a great Heartbreaker run!  Though we both agreed it was also a lung-breaker, ankle-breaker, back-breaker, and leg-breaker!

Side note!  We saw the Poop Count sign on our way today.  You will be pleased to know that piles of poop is down from last years count of 81 to 40.  Way to go dog owners!  All of us runners thank you (as do our shoes!)

Another thought.  Why is Scott's Trail thusly named?  I am curious who this Scott guy is. He must be quite insane!!

The 15 Miler that felt like 20!!

We had already gotten a trail run in this week and on our marathon training schedule, today was supposed to be 15.  "Let's do our 15 in the trails!"  Michele the wise suggested.  Yep, you guessed it, I was in!  I looked at the map and came up with a genius idea!  (Side bar, non of my genius ideas ever come out like I say they will)

I decided we should run from the Fort Boise parking lot, up Shaw Mtn Road, then up Rocky Canyon as far as the conditions allowed.  Then, we could pop onto Orchard Gulch trail where it meets with 5 Mile Gulch Trail.  This would then come out part ways down Rocky Canyon and we could run the road out.  "It may end up closer to 17 or so, but who cares!"  I said with enthusiasm.  I always feel invincible when I plan runs at home in my sweats!

So, we are off!!

Aside from the fact that people tend to give you a dirty look and don't like to get out of the way, the run from the parking lot up Shaw Mtn road was pretty uneventful.  We ran pretty good up Rocky Canyon.  I am feeling prepared and really excited for Robie!

We did not make it to the Summit today.  We did hit some snow and ice, but nothing impassable.  At the point a half mile from the summit when it gets really steep, it was too icy.

This is a view from where we stopped.

Jodi running on the snow and ice.  We wore only trail shoes, yak trax weren't needed.

Here is where we should have turned around and just done the road down and called it good.  But NO! I wanted to try a new trail today!  So we ran back down the road to the Orchard Gulch Trail head #7.

Here is how the trail looked at the head.

And the Insanity Sisters (which is what I think we should be called) declare, "Looks great! Let's do it!"  Running UPHILL  in the SNOW is a different experience.  You step differently, you run differently, you use different muscles.  Thus, you get tired faster, feel the burn sooner and harder, and (haha) walk more!

It kept climbing and climbing.  The snow slowly getting deeper.  It was tough.  I finally declared that I was going to imagine we were in a plane crash and our only hopes of survival was to RUN our way out.  I needed some motivation, all be it imaginary, to run in this snow! 

One mile and four deer later, we stopped.  The trail ahead was still climbing and staying quite snowy.  This loop could possibly be a total of 5 miles!  We agreed it was wiser to go back down.  This trail would be reserved for another day, a dryer day, a non snowy day.  But the view was INCREDIBLE up there!

So down we go and ARGH! It is harder to run down a snowy trail than it is to run UP!  Who would have guessed!  WATCH YOUR STEP!!

We came back out at the trail head, EXHAUSTED!  Our madness is escalating to the point of certifiable insanity!  Now we were going to just run Rocky Canyon Road back to the car, at the Fort Boise parking lot.  Those of you who have run this....we will confess we did walk up the hill to Shaw Mtn Road.  (I think we earned that right!)

This was to be the 15 miler that felt like 20!  I could feel tightness in every part of my legs.  It felt like someone hit my calves with two by fours!  "Worst run ever!" I said.  But then Michele reminded me that when the endorphins kick in later I will be saying "Best run ever!"  She was right of course!

We wore our new bracelets (thank you Michele) that declare our true running spirit.  It is hard to read in the picture but they say "TRAIL MADNESS" and they are never taken off. (ahem Michele)

So 15.5 long miles later we are at the car, stretching and laughing about how stupid we are but at the same time how much fun we had.  I am happy to say that some ice cold dark chocolate milk and a Jimmy Johns sub later, I felt like a million bucks!

One last thing.  I am a pretty competitive person.  I learned today the Michele burns more calories than me when we run.  That doesn't seem right since I run just as hard!  I guess the only solution is to put in ten pounds so I can burn more calories and beat her at that!!!

Les Bois 10K Training

So since we have decided to run the Les Bois 10K again this year, it was inevitable that we had to train for it.  Did I mention how much I hate this race?  Well, It's more of a LOVE Hate relationship. 

I HATE the pavement portion of this run.  From the gun it starts an uphill incline IMMEDIATELY!  Then when you feel like you are warmed up and doing OK, BAM! Instant incline increase!  The uphill to the turn around point is gruelling!  To make it worse there was a GIGANTIC yellow smiley face looming at the top of the foothills.  It was mocking us!

Today my goal was to just run it without stopping.  Reminding myself that it is possible.  At the turn around I stopped.  My calves were screaming on fire!  Michele was almost limping, her legs were blazing!!  It is a really tough run to do at a quick pace.  The Mountain Cove Trail  wasn't too wet, but was very rutted in spots.  We had to be careful to watch our footing. 

The run down is actually enjoyable.  On race day we will blast down it, but today was leisure pace down.  I think  mentioned at least three times how much I hated this run!  But we did have some funny memories of our experience when we ran the race last year.....

THE SCREAMER.
Michele had the unfortunate luck to be paced by a screamer.  Ever come across one of those?  She would yell "WooHoo" as loud as she could periodically and be otherwise very vocal.  Michele was going close to bonkers when finally, the downhill came and Michele was able to say "see ya"!

THE HIPPIE.
On my way down I came upon a man with very long hair, running in cut off jeans and a white tank top.  He decided to not let me pass him and instead joined my pace.  We ran together for a while.  I was really pushing the pace because I HATE this race and wanted it to be over.  He was chatting away about everything and anything.  I was dieing and could not respond in kind to any of his random thoughts with any thing more than a "uh huh" or "ya".  I subconsciously was increasing my pace, trying to shake him (okay maybe I was consciously doing it).  Finally, I looked down at my watch and saw we were clipping along at a  7:20 minute mile. I gasped out loud and said "I can't keep up this pace."  My legs were jelly.  But then , my new hippie friend became my cheerleader and encouraged me.  A few seconds later I smiled and said "see ya!"

So we reminisced as we ran back down to the Fort Boise Parking lot.  A short trail run today, but a very tough one.  Here comes the LOVE part of the run.  We LOVE to trail run, we LOVE the feeling a few minutes after the tough run is over.  The endorphins kick in and as we walk to the car I kept saying "That was a GREAT run!"  This from the same girl who was secretly cursing her sister for doing this race every year.

One last note.  We never did pass the smiley face.  It wasn't until we were driving home that we realized that.  Michele in her great wisdom said, "Well, I know it was up there somewhere, because we BOTH saw it."