Ravings and Blather

Wanted to start the year out with a bang.  This meant hooking up with Oreo and tackling Grandeur Peak Loop.  He had never done it, so wanted to take him up.  As usual the first 2 miles are a never ending slogfest on a steep vertical stair stepper.  Beautiful views and blue sky with no wind.  hotter than we expected.  Sweating like a beast.  Backside was sweet.  No falls today.  Tired and out of gas by the end but feel good.  

First two miles very sore quads and low energy from yesterday's Grandeur pounding, but then things loosened up and I felt good.  Just a spin around the neighborhood in the fine spring weather.  Good news too, I went to the Ortho doc and found I have no fractures or significant strains in wrist from fall on ice last month, just nagging pain which I can deal with.  

Big T Loop with a beautiful sunshine day to enjoy.  Birds singing, golfers packed into Old Mill.  Just like Spring.  quads sore still from Grandeur...I must not be doing enough hills.  avg 8:54  Which is pretty good for me on this loop.

Snowrun up 45th over to 39th and loop back home.  avg 8:35 with last two at 7:45  yeehaa

Kind of a tired feeling run today after being up a lot last night.  Went up 45th then over in the neighborhood by Skyline High and loop back.  

Highlight of run, I took nap sitting outside in the sun for 15 minutes...felt good to have some afternoon sun beating down...even though a bit cold overall.

So tired and sluggish today...but went up to Millcreek and ran the Burch Hollow to Elbow Fork Trail.  Havent been on this segment for awhile but it reminded me it is one of the best of the Pipeline... definitely more vertical but was beautiful.  Had to walk more of the pitches than normal.  Spikes were handy.  This trail is in good shape though and glad that the Bathroom is still open at the Elbow Fork area.  Road is snowpacked and beautiful at that junction

Solo Mt Wire for me today...love it even though I have felt so dang slow and hungry during my outings.  Sunny, beautiful climb and then a little extension on the way down.  Lots of people out and about.  

Morning shebang on the snowy pipeline trail from Burch Hollow to the overlook.  Cold and slightly windy.  Hit it up with my brother who was in from California.  Fun times... Oreo, wish you could have snowmobiled down.   

Shorts weather again this afternoon.  Just kept this neighborhood Millcreek Loop in my wheelhouse with easy pace. These 7 reminded me again how far 26 is.  Ha ... Got to get in Long Dist shape again.  Fun day.

Had to head outside for a little run when the BuzzSaw started up at home... rained the whole time, but not very hard and not cold. Kept a pretty steady pace and felt good for most of the loop up to Porcupine Grill and back via Fort Union Blvd.  Need some new music I think.

Temps in 30's but sun shining and shorts were out today.  Beautiful afternoon on the 39th loop. Homemade choc chip cookies for the post race recovery meal.  Sweet day.

Pavement miles to Old Mill and back.  One of these days need to get brave enough to get into some double digits.  Lately I'm ready to be done about mile five.  Beautiful sunny cold day.

We are staying in Princeville Kauai for a vacation and as my good wife was sleeping in I went out for a jaunt around where we were staying.  SO beautiful here.  Lush green mountains surrounding the valley area of Hanalei Bay.  Easy running along the ocean edge and around some golf course trails before the golfers out.  Feels perfect here.  Love extra boost being a sea level to the oxygen in the system.  Definitely noticeable. 

Kalalau trail day.  Napali Coastline. This is a trail I have been wanting to see and do for years.  I came to Kauai about 5 years ago and really did not do the trail running scene yet.  So didnt even know anything about this trail.  I then wanted to do it even more as Bryce wrote about it last year.  I am only here for 5 days, and knew I likely did not have the full 22 mile round trip in me.  Especially Bryce who is a stud runner posted that it was the hardest 22 miles he has ever done. So I ended up doing just over half.  Good enough to tire me out and also see what the fuss is all about.  

This trail is a tough one.  I started at first light and was basically the only one on the trail except for a forest dweller I passed about 5 miles in.  He was wearing flip flops, hadnt had a bath or shave for a couple years and looked like he had all his belonging in a few plastic sacs tied to his waist.  He was in no hurry.  

The first two miles are widely used and because of that there is a well worn trail.  After that much of the trail is overgrown and becomes a narrow single track that is never flat.  So rare to even be able to run for any consistent pace.  The jungle is barely contained for most of it and while not quite bushwacking is close.  THe ground is rocks and roots and for a trudger like me that means I rolled my ankles, stubbed my toes and such to many times to count and went down twice.  I also ran through a million serious face covering spider webs across the trail with big freaking spiders in them. THat being said, the views are surreal and stunning and truly Jurassic parkish (i guess that is why they filmed it here).  It is so unique to be in such a place, hundreds of feet up on a single track above the pounding surf with intermittent views of this jagged prehistoric coastline.  Anyway, it was cool.  Glad I did it.  It took me almost 3.5 hours to cover those 11 miles.  Especially slow the last 1.5 because the busses had unloaded and I bet I ran into about 150 people now coming on the first bit of the hike.  No running for more than 50 feet before stopping to let some hikers pass.  

Perfect.