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June 27, 2007
Investigation Concluded
First of all, thanks to all of you who wished me good luck before and good recovery after last weekend's race. I appreciate the support!
Secondly, my stomach is still not well. Better, but not well. I've been on a few runs since that awful Saturday, and they've left me having to stop several times to get a grip on stomach cramping.
And now, for the main event of this blog entry. I can safely say that I've completed a full investigation regarding the "popping gel" phenomenon that I had previously refered to. While I appreciate and am flattered by the comments regarding my leg strength in gel popping, I would like to announce that I didn't actually pop any gels!
Instead, the gel packages were, in fact, defective. Specifically, I bought a box of 12 vanilla-flavored, single-serving Hammer gels. The bottom corner of each of the 12 gels wasn't sealed shut. Under a bit of pressure, gel would ooze out the opening. Under some more pressure, the seam would open wider and gel would flow forth. So, my woodsy squatting only applied the appropriate amount of pressure to get the gel to ooze out from the already open corner of the gel package.
I figured this out last Saturday when I was trying to eat my one-and-only gel of the race. As I squeezed (squoze?) gel into my mouth via the top of the gel package, a long train of gel deposited itself on the front of my shirt from the open bottom corner seam. Luckily the gel was vanilla, and, thus, light-colored. However, by the time I finished the race, this gel dribble had manged to catch things like dust and bugs, making it a brown-ish, dirty, dried gel dribble down the front of my shirt. In addition to feeling like pooey, I clearly looked like pooey as well. On all fronts, it just wasn't my day. However, I was able to conclude my "popping gel" investigation once and for all.
Posted by Meghan at 12:38 PM | Comments (9)
June 25, 2007
Not So Hot
I didn't end up running the Old Gabe 50k. I ran the Old Gabe 25k, and I ran it rather poorly at that.
On Thursday, I came down with some sort of stomach virus. Resultingly, I was under-fueled and under-hydrated by the time the race started on Saturday morning.
I started the race wearing a 50k bib, though I had considered dropping down to the 25k race before the start. The 25k course was the first half of the 50k course, so I figured I could throw in the towel at the 25k finish, should I need to. This is exactly what happened.
Based upon my experiences running the trails of this course, I thought I could run a 7:30-7:40. I was on my goal pace for the first 2 hours (the first climb, the first descent, and the beginning of the second ascent), then things fell apart in the higher reaches of the second climb.
My main problem was that, during the race, eating or drinking calories ilicited stomach cramps, nausea, and bathroom stops in the woods, so I didn't consume much more than water. I don't think I had much in storage in the first place after being under the weather before the race, so once I used up all my (already low) glycogen stores, I just bonked.
In an effort to stave off the bonking, I sucked down a gel near the end of the second climb. My stomach totally rejected the gel. There was no way to get any calories in; I was just plain ill. Upon arriving at the 25 finish/50k halfway point, I knew my game was over (I really knew it was over a while before this, and I was desperate to get there.), so I told the race director that I had dropped down to the 25k.
I finished the 25k in 4:33, for 4th place, I think. Just for comparison's sake, I had planned to roll through the 25k point at about 4 hours while racing the 50k.
I've spent the better portion of the last two days irrationally beating myself up for not gutting out the 50k. Mostly, I've been questioning my mental toughness. I'm trying to stop doing that right about now, though.
As a side note, I wrecked hard on course, and came up with a lot of bruises and missing skin. If anyone has seen the skin from my hip, please let me know because I'd like it back. Thanks!
Another side note, my sweetie did incredibly in the 50k! I'm quite proud!
Finally, this race is awesome, and I hope my report doesn't dissuade any of my readers from considering it. The race directors put on a really great event. The race probably is one of the toughest 50k's out there. The trails are spectacularly brutal. The scenery is breathtakingly gorgeous. I can't say enough good things about the race itself, but you have to come out and see it for yourself.
Posted by Meghan at 5:27 PM | Comments (10)
June 21, 2007
Notes On Racing.
#1. The nutrition plan for this race is complex. It's a 50k, but it has 11,900 feet of elevation gain. That's a lot of time-on-feet.
#2. I'm scared for my poor feet, as I don't have a good pair of shoes to wear (See previous blog entry for details.).
#3. I'm super excited run all up in the beautiful Bridger Mountains.
#4. My sweetie and another friend are also racing, so it'll be fun to have friends around.
#5. I'm aware that I could be fitter than I currently am. However, my main goal is to gain fitness from this race that will be useful later this summer. I'm still racing, though.
Wish me luck! See you next week!
Posted by Meghan at 6:21 PM | Comments (10)
June 20, 2007
Sorry GoLite.
It's nothing personal.
I recommend that you do not buy the GoLite Trail Fly shoes. My experience has shown that the GoLite Trail Fly shoes are not durable enough to withstand the rigors of trail running.
In late April, I bought a pair of these shoes. On May 16th, I posted a blog entry about how they came up trashed after a trail run. Upon returning them to the store where I purchased them, I ordered a new pair and received the new pair somewhere around May 24th. As of June 12th, the second pair of shoes was also trashed.
In each case, I ran in the shoes for about 3 weeks before the upper material began to break down and rip and the seams tore loose.
I enjoyed these shoes and found many favorable qualities about them. They are quite stable on rocky terrain, they dry quickly, and they are like 4-wheel drive through mud. (There were a few things that I didn't care for; the soles are like rocks when frozen by snow and they are a very high volume shoe.) I'm sad to see them go, but it's back to Montrail shoes, I think.
PS. This is rather bad timing, you know. I'm busily trying to simultaneously break in a new pair of trail shoes while tapering. I call that an impossible challenge!
Posted by Meghan at 1:31 AM | Comments (1)
June 18, 2007
What A Mess!
Please Note: This is a story about trail running, and the things that trail runners may or may not need to do while running for hours in the wilderness. If you know what I mean. Consider yourself warned. Heh, heh.
Let's just say that, on a recent trail run, I made quite a mess.
Alright, I admit it, I wear these shorts on some trail runs (Non-trail runners, don't knock them! They are perfect for carrying several gels, chapstick, and a car key. Combine them with one or two hand-held water bottles, and you're ready for hours of trail running. That said, I would ONLY wear them on trail runs.).
Sometime last week, I was out on a 2-ish hour trail run. I put 3 gels in these shorts (And a few other things, but the gels are the key element of the story.), and set off. Sometime during the run, I had to take a pee break along the trail. I'm sure that everyone knows that, for women, this almost exclusively involves dropping one's drawers and popping a woodsy squat.
When I had accomplished my mission, I resumed my clothed, standing position. I was shocked, appalled, and disgusted to feel wet shorts clinging to the back of my left leg. I looked back there to confirm that my shorts were, indeed, wet. How could I have managed to pee on my shorts? I mean, I'm a grown-up, and I have no idea when I last peed my pants. Further, I've been an outdoors person for my whole life, which should make me a field expert at peeing in the woods.
My first thought was, Oh, thank goodness I am all alone, and no one else knows! My second thought was, I have got to find a creek as soon as possible so I can rinse off my shorts. With that, I continued down the trail in search of the elusive creek that would save me from this state of embarassment and misery. As I ran, I began to notice that my shorts were not only clinging to my leg, but they were really sticking! I stopped running to investigate again.
I began to suspect that the substance on my shorts and leg wasn't pee after all. In a brave moment, I pressed a single finger to my shorts and it stuck, thus proving my suposition that I now had gel all over my lower body. Upon this discovery, my first thought was, What a relief, I didn't pee on my shorts! My second thought was, This is really sticky, I need to find a creek to rinse off my shorts. And so, I headed down the trail again, with my sticky left leg, in search of that still elusive creek.
I forgot to mention my third thought, that I felt like perfect bear bait. I mean, here I was, running through the Montana wilderness with a sweet, sticky substance slathered all over my body. I can imagine the headline already, "Local Woman Found Licked Clean By Bear."
I found a creek, rinsed off my shorts, and finished my trail run without incident. During that time, I thought about how the gel got from inside its single-serving pouch to the back of my leg and shorts. I'm a smart girl and I figured it out pretty quickly: When I dropped my drawers and popped the pee squat, I also popped the gel. Literally, the pouch must have been squeezed (squoze?) between my upper and lower leg as I squatted.
Now really, what are the chances of doing this? In my own amazement and bewilderment (And with the encouragement of the others to whom I've since told the story.), I tried to re-create the incident to better understand what happened (Yes, I'm a dork like that.). Let me be the first to say that it is very easy to pop a gel this way!
Thus, trail runners (Female and make alike. We all know that men squat in the woods as well, albeit for a different reason!) be forewarned, exercise caution while squatting in the woods when you have gels in your pockets.
Posted by Meghan at 2:33 AM | Comments (12)
June 14, 2007
Nosing Around...
...Because I can't leave well enough alone.
(Back in April, my sweetie and I ran half of next weekend's 50k course. Then in May, I repeated a portion of what we had already run.)
...Because I want to know!
(This 50k course is billed as one that is quite tough, and I want to see just how tough it is.)
...Because you're supposed to train in similar conditions to those in which you will race.
(What better way to accomplish this task than to run the actual course?)
...Because what else should I do but play in beautiful mountains?
(Yesterday, I ran another portion of the course, which involved galavanting around some more beautiful country.)
There are 4 long climbs that occur on this race's course. I've nosed around this course enough to see that, individually, none of the climbs are too long or too steep (I guess I've only seen 3 of them in person, though.). However, if you put all of them together, plus the regular ups and downs that the course makes, it adds up to a hella lot of elevation. If you add up all that elevation, it also results in some hella spectacular scenery in its wild undulation from high point to low point to high point, and so forth.
It was just me, my dog, a million wildflowers, and 1 coyote out there in the the positively empty but never lonesome abyss yesterday. I can't quite say that I have the Fear Of God instilled in me after all this time-on-course. However, I can say that I've got a healthy respect for just how crazy this race is going to be.
I wish I had time to write more. I'm headed off to Salt Lake City tomorrow for a weekend wedding. See you next week!
Posted by Meghan at 8:21 PM | Comments (4)
June 13, 2007
A Bunsen Peak Repeat
A mountains go, Bunsen Peak is relatively small and insignificant; from the trailhead to the summit, it's a 1300 vertical feet elevation gain over 2.3 miles. I also find Bunsen Peak rather unattractive; it's an oddly-shaped, eroded, kind of orange-ish volcanic plug that has been overswept many times and left charred by wildfire. Once you reach Bunsen Peak, you wander amongst an unnatural assortment of radio and other communications equipment placed there by my employer. Despite all this, I often take my visiting family and friends up Bunsen Peak, as it provides an extraordinary view of the northern portion of Yellowstone, including my personal stomping grounds. In fact, with a pair of binoculars, you can see my house from the top of Bunsen Peak. And further, I learned yesterday that it makes a great place to do hill climb repeats.
The goal for the day was to do two Bunsen Peak climbs/descents at a solid but sustainable pace. I wished to mimic my planned pace and effort for the 50k I will be doing in two weekends (You know, the one that I mentioned which features nearly 12,000 feet of elevation gain over the 50k distance? Yeah, that one.). I set out from the trailhead carrying what I thought I would need for these two climbs: 20 ounces of fluid, 1 Gu, and my can of bear spray.
There was a fair number of tourists out on the trail, and I saw the same people three or four times while I was out there. One man told me I was "his hero;" I'm not too sure how much his female companion liked hearing that. Another woman was like my personal cheerleader; I could hear her yelling for me from a few swithcbacks below as she saw me coming up. One lady asked me, "Doesn't that hurt?" I replied, "To some degree." as I passed. One older fellow briefly stopped me (Quite literally, he blocked the trail in front of me.) to inquire about my can of bear spray and to compare his bear spray with mine. One couple never answered my greetings and looked just plain annoyed with me each time I passed. However, for the most part, the tourists were all very nice and quite encouraging. It boosted my spirits for complete strangers to be cheering me on during the workout.
I accomplished my goal, but I can't say I felt awesome doing it. My cardio was right on, but my legs were somewhat off. Mainly, my lower calves burned a little too much given the relatively conservative effort I was putting forth. I suspect I was harboring some remaining fatigue left over from our weekend endeavorings in the Beartooth Mountains.
20 ounces of fluid wasn't enough yesterday, though. I suspect that, under yesterday's conditions, I could have happily consumed 30 ounces of fluid. I've been experimenting with fluid intake lately, and can't quite get it "just right." I'm learning that my fluid needs are just so-danged dynamic. If it's cool, I need less fluid. If the humidity is very low or very high, I need more fluid. If I'm running on already fatigued muscles (Such as on the second day of doing back-to-back long runs.), I need more fluid. If I consume only gel instead of a mix of gel and solid energy bars, I need less fluid. Quite obviously, I'm still very much a learner in this category (And, well, most categories in the fields of ultra- and trail-running.).
Despite my calves and thirsty gut, I had a good day out there. I've been dancing around the edges of self-doubt with regards to my preparation for this 50k, and yesterday's run was a confidence booster.
Posted by Meghan at 8:49 AM | Comments (3)
June 11, 2007
A Weekend In The Beartooth Mountains
I could write for quite some time with flowery prose about the beauty of the Beartooth Mountains. However, nothing I would write could do justice to that which I experienced this weekend. So, I will simply say: the Beartooth Mountains in Montana are jaw-droppingly spectacular and you must go there sometime in your lifetime.
I am told that the Beartooth Mountains cover 3000 square miles of the earth. The majority of the range is composed of tall, above-treeline mountains and plateaus, as well as deep, steep, glacier-carved canyons. Glaciers sit high on the mountain peaks and some say there are dozens of still unmapped alpine lakes. It is wilderness in its truest form, with most of it wholly untouched by humans.
Thursday
Despite last week's snowstorm and resultant road closures, my sweetie and I decided to go ahead with our weekend in the Beartooth Mountains, and we took the long way around to get there. At sunset on Thursday evening, we found ourselves bumping up the dirt road into East Rosebud Canyon, one of the main drainages on the east side of the Beartooth Mountains. The road ends at a small lake called East Rosebud Lake, and we camped at a forest service campground there.
The snowstorm had abated and the skies were clear, but there were remnants of the winter weather. Snow covered the mountains around us and a bitter wind blew down the valley. We set up camp, cooked dinner, and retreated to the tent as efficiently as we could. I slept long, hard, and completely unaware of the world around me after 9 days of sleep deprivation and challenging 12-hour shifts at work.
Friday
We woke up the next day to a beautiful Friday morning. There was almost no one else in the canyon, so it was completely quiet, except for a moderate breeze. We took our time, lounged around, cooked a hearty breakfast, and generally relaxed the morning away.
Around 1 pm, we set out for a planned 2 to 3 hour run up one of the smaller side canyons that feeds into the gargantuan East Rosebud Canyon. I don't know what the canyon is called, but the trail roughly follows Phantom Creek. The trail begins at about 6100 feet elevation and tops out at a pass at about 9800 feet elevation. From there, it drops into the next big canyon to the north. Because this trail rises steeply into the mountains and likely into the snow leftover from the previous few days of bad weather, we didn't know how far we would make it.
From the trailhead, the route immediately switchbacks 1000 vertical feet up a glacial moraine, which fills the bottom of this side canyon and allows Phantom Creek to cascade steeply downhill. The grade was perfect for running and we made our way quickly to the top of the moraine. From there, the trail edges around one canyon wall for several miles, climbing gently as it goes. Before we knew it, we arrived in the back of the canyon, at about 7700 feet elevation, staring up at the pass over which the trail climbs. It was clear that the pass was impassable. We could see that, not only was it still covered with a giant cornice created by a long winter of wind and snow, but also by a fair bit of new snow from the last snowstorm. Additionally, there we a few slide-outs of the new snow over old snow.
However, at 7700 feet elevation, we had not yet encountered snow, so we continued uphill on a long series of well-graded and entirely runnable switchbacks through a forest. At 8000 feet elevation, we encountered snow. At 8500 feet elevation, the snow was continuous and a few inches deep. At 8900 feet elevation, it was truly winter again, and our running was reduced to a post-holing hike. We kept saying that we would turn around, yet we both kept climbing uphill. The trees were thinning out as we approached the treeline and we were seeking the big view that would be our reward for all the climbing. At 9500 feet, we got the view we were looking for, and it was spectacular!
There, we finally turned around, as it was becoming unsafe to proceed ahead. The weather was iffy, with darker clouds, rain drops, snowflakes, and a stiff wind, for us in our nearly naked (not literally, but in a mountain-climbing sense) trail running attire. The trail was headed straight into the treeless, snowy, and still dangerous abyss beneath the pass. We had only brought fuel for a 2 to 3 hour run, and we were now 3 hours into our jaunt.
We donned windbreaker jackets and picked our way carefully downhill through the snow. Soon we were out of the snow and running again. The trail was smooth, soft, clear, and just perfect for running. We were within sight of the trailhead before we knew it. We were pushing hard at a good clip, but I was feeling the lack of fuel. I tripped hard over some rock that I never even saw, let out a yelp, and proceeded into a series of stumble steps. Somehow, by the grace of some omnipotent power and certainly not my own, I never actually fell down. Thank goodness because it wouldn't have been pretty to go face-first into the nasty, rocky, sharp glacial moraine that surrounded the trail. What an interesting ending to an interesting run! We arrived back at the campsite after about 4:40 time out running.
We spent the evening refueling and relaxing. We cooked dinner, made a campfire, watched day turn into night in East Rosebud Canyon, and fell asleep under a clear, star-filled sky.
Saturday
We awoke to a warm, sunny morning. The plan for today was to run the trail up East Rosebud Canyon. We set out in the late morning, headed up the canyon. East Rosebud Canyon is an absolutely huge, glacier-carved canyon that descends steeply out of the high Beartooth Mountains. Every few miles, a glacial moraine of some sort chokes the canyon. Behind the moraine, the East Rosebud River naturally dams itself into a lake. Through the moraines, the river cascades quickly and steeply downhill. As such, the canyon is made up of a series of quiet lakes seperated by loud, boisterous, fast-moving river cascades.
We headed up the canyon from East Rosebud Lake. It was 3 miles and 700 feet elevation gain to the next lake, Elk Lake. The climb was gentle, but I could feel yesterday's run (both general fatigue and the muscle destruction that comes from running without appropriate fuel) in my legs. From Elk Lake, it was 3 miles and 700-800 more vertical feet to Rimrock Lake. Then, Rainbow Lake was just another mile and a few hundred vertical feet above Rimrock Lake. Rainbow Lake was our destination and turnaround point.
The run up through the canyon was unreal. The canyon walls were unforgivingly steep and laced with waterfalls. We could see mountain goats high above us, and I stared in awe at how they could place themselves so precariously high on cliff faces. The river flowed through the cascades with a deafening roar that made conversation impossible. Contrastingly, the 4 lakes were quiet, calm, and peaceful. We took our time and tried to absorb every little detail that we could.
After sitting briefly at Rainbow Lake, we headed back downhill. I was happy to feel that, despite feeling fatigue while running uphill, I still had my downhill legs. So, we returned the 7 miles to the trailhead at a tough but sustainable clip. It was actually downright hot by the time we got back to the car! In all, we were out just under 3 hours.
We took our dirty, sweaty, hungry selves into the little town of Red Lodge, MT, which sits near the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains. There, we indulged for the evening in a nice hotel and some gourmet food.
Sunday
On Sunday, we planned to cycle from the town of Red Lodge up the infamous Beartooth Highway to the Beartooth Pass. This highway climbs from 5500 feet elevation at Red Lodge up to the top of the Beartooth Mountains at 10,900 feet elevation over about 28 miles of paved road.
I didn't make it. In fact, I'm embarrassed to say that I turned around at 7500 feet elevation. I wasn't even close to making it. We climbed for 2000 feet up a canyon that served as a wind funnel, and the headwind was stiff. There was a lot of tourist traffic and almost no shoulder. On the other side of the guardrails on the edge of the road, there were multi-hundred foot cliffs. The weather was chilly, and promised to get even colder up high. I just felt unsafe.
My sweetie, who is a much more talented and experienced cyclist, decided to continue on. We agreed that I would ride back to Red Lodge, pick up the car, and head out the Beartooth Highway until we met up again. My 2000 foot descent back into Red Lodge with a huge tailwind was fast and easy. I ended up with about 2 hours of riding time. I loaded up my bike and headed out the highway. A time later, I found my sweetie at about 10,100 feet elevation and a few miles below the pass, riding uphill into a constant wind of at least 40 mph. It was still a violent winter up there! My sweetie said he was glad to see me and he happliy jumped into the car. He ended up with more than 3 hours of riding time, all climbing.
As a side note, I don't like being schooled by something. I don't like setting out to do something and then not doing it. I'm already plotting my revenge on the Beartooth Highway. I will ride the highway this summer, so stay tuned.
Our weekend ended on Sunday night when we returned back to my house in Yellowstone. To be honest, I was exhausted (but elated) after this weekend, and I slept for 12 hours on Sunday night! By the way, my sweetie took a bunch of pictures, and I'll try to post some here this week.
Posted by Meghan at 11:04 AM | Comments (5)
June 6, 2007
Sweet, Sweet Relief
It is very close now. At 6 am tomorrow morning I will be again free to play at my own will. Today is my sweetie's birthday, so tomorrow we're headed out to spend a long weekend playing in the Beartooth Mountains, near Red Lodge, Montana.
However, the weather is currently crap, and the weather tonight is supposed to be crap. The snowline is about 8000 feet elevation right now, and the prediction is for snow down to 7000 feet tonight. In addition, some high elevation roads, including our route to the Beartooths, are closed due to this inclement weather.
I'm not quite sure what's going to happen yet. We were supposed to run up to about 9800 feet and bike up to 11000 feet elevation this weekend, and it seems those plans are currently in doubt.Then again, the weather is supposed to move on sometime tomorrow, so maybe it will clear up.
Regardless of the weather, I'm sure that we'll have fun.
Posted by Meghan at 7:38 PM | Comments (5)
June 4, 2007
Week of June 4th
Monday:
6 miles, hilly and easy, in my neighborhood
(52 minutes, paved roads and dirt trails by my house)
Tuesday:
1. 5 miles, hilly and easy, in my neighborhood
(500 feet elevation gain, paved and dirt roads)
2. lifting arms
3. lifting legs
4. core
This is my 8th night of 12-hour shifts. It's been a wild, wild week in Yellowstone. I'm exhausted. Hanging on by threads now. I'm tired running physically, but it's good for my mind in the midst of this craziness. Must. Power. Through.
Wednesday:
1. 5 miles, in my neighborhood
(500 feet elevation gain, paved and dirt roads)
2. yoga 45 minutes
Posted by Meghan at 9:20 PM | Comments (7)
June 3, 2007
Just Sick About This
My blogging friend Beth was hit by a truck on Friday while cycling, and I'm just sick about it. Thank goodness she's alright, really, really banged up, but alright.
I would love it if you paid a visit to her blog to wish her well.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, to a group of talented and conscientious athletes, but keep your eyes open for EVERYONE that's on the road and drive the speed limit. No excuses, no matter what.
Take care, Beth.
Posted by Meghan at 7:04 PM | Comments (0)
June 2, 2007
Where There Was Once A Few...
...There are now many. I'm speaking of the Uinta Ground Squirrel, one of Yellowstone's most prolific creatures. My neighborhood is already one of their habitats. Now that it is spring, these little buggers have exponentially increased their population.
I like them, though this blog entry might lead you to believe otherwise. Back then, I was just a little angry while in the throes of sleep deprivation. I actually find them to be quite endearing. They are tiny and cute, and they make even tinier, cuter little babies.
This year, I'm taking the time to figure out what this ground squirrel community is all about. My front yard currently appears to be the territory for 1 family of ground squirrels. There's another family just across the street, and another one that shares the boundary between mine and my neighbor's yards. I think that the family of squirrels in my yard consists of 1 adult female and her 6 (Count 'em, 6!) munchkin babies. I don't really know where the male creator of the munchkins is; I don't see him around. The 2 squirrel families in close proximity to my house are also seemingly composed of 1 adult female and her respective babies. Somewhere out there, it seems, there's a big ground squirrel bachelor party happening, since they seem to be absent from the neighborhood.
The buggers live in what must be an amazing network of tunnels and cavities underground. This year, there are 4 holes that serve as entrances for the squirrels' underground palace. Notably, according to the blog entry that I linked to above, there were 14 holes in my yard last year. So, it seems, my yard should be a quieter ground squirrel center this year. Really, though, I can't tell much of a difference. Of the 4 present holes, there is 1 main hole and 3 auxillary, or lesser-used, holes.
When I wake up after my night shift, I sit at my kitchen table to drink coffee and eat "breakfast." From there, I have a perfect view of the ground squirrel goings-on in my yard. Theirs is certainly a singular lifestyle when they are above ground. They scamper around and eat. The mother, I guess, has two jobs: she eats and she watches for predators. I find the scene to be absolutely fascinating.
As the babies graze, the mother stands upon her haunches, watching for anything that could mean trouble, such as coyotes, ravens, birds of prey, children on bicycles, passing vehicles, and a border collie named June. Occasionally, the mother lets down her guard, drops to the ground, and partakes in the bountiful buffet that is the front yard. When something seemingly dangerous passes too close for comfort, the mother lets out a shrill alarm call, what I describe as the "Weeeeeeet!" in the linked blog entry above. At the sound of this call, the babies scurry back to the closest of the 4 holes and disappear underground. After a time, the mother peaks her head above ground, and if the world is found to be safe, everyone returns to normal business. Even further, alarm calls made by any other surrounding ground squirrel family ilicits the same response.
What's most fascinating (and humorous) about the whole scenario is that it happens all the time. This process is repeated over and over, ad nauseum. In fact, it seems that the whole crew is in a perpetual state of cautiously grazing on good grass and scurrying panicked back to their burrow. I can't imagine how much energy these creatures expend running back and forth all day!
I've been watching my squirrel family since they emerged from underground. I'm happy to report that, as of this morning, all 6 babies were still happily running around in the yard. However, I've also seen a certain coyote passing through my neighborhood with increased frequency. We'll see how the soap opera pans out.
Posted by Meghan at 8:23 PM | Comments (2)
June 1, 2007
Week of May 28th
Monday:
6 miles, hilly and very easy, Darby Canyon Trail near Driggs, ID
(about 1:30, 1500+ feet elevation gain, technical forest service trail)
I was really tired from last week's runs, so we took this about as easy as possible. Even with the climbing, I'm sure my heart rate never exceeded a recovery heart rate pace.
Tuesday:
1. 8 miles, hilly and steady, Snow King area in Jackson, WY
(about 1:18, 2000+ feet elevation gain, technical forest service trails)
2. lifting arms
3. SUPER-core
I pushed as hard as I could the whole way on this run, knowing I would be out for over an hour with a bunch of elevation. I made the downhill really hurt, as in, my legs were quite wobbly by the end and I'm going to have sore leg muscles tomorrow!
Wednesday:
5 miles, hilly and easy, in my neighborhood
(43-ish minutes, about 500 feet elevation gain, paved and dirt roads)
Super-duper recovery day today. I could feel fatigue in my legs in general, and my hamstrings specifically. I was expecting some decent soreness in my gluteus medius after some particularly hard downhill running yesterday, but there isn't any!
Thursday:
rest
I didn't mean to rest, but, oh my goodness, work was just insane on this day.
Friday:
9 miles with 8 x 3:00 hill climbing at hard effort, recovery the same distance downhill, Eagle Creek Road
(about 1:20 total time, about 1200 feet total elevation, non-technical forest service road)
I rocked this workout. I felt strong and powerful on each hill climb.
Saturday:
1. 6 miles, hilly and easy, Beaver Ponds Loop
(58 minutes, about 1000 feet gain, technical park service trail)
2. lifting arms
3. lifting legs
4. core workout
I didn't quite rock the climbs on this run, as my legs were tired from hill climbing yesterday. Aside from that, this was a great run. S. and I ran and chatted and the weather was about 70 degrees and gorgeous. Can you ask for more!?
Sunday:
8 miles hilly and easy, Old Gardiner Road
(1:17, 1300 feet elevation gain, non-technical park service dirt road)
It was Africa Hot today and I lovedlovedloved it. I'm trying out some new fueling/recovery products right now, and so I sipped happily on Heed during this run to stay cool. June the dog dipped herself into a creek twice, and she was happy as well. I did a tough leg lifting workout on Saturday and, boyohboy, my behind, adductors, and hamstrings was sore today. They burned with fatigue on the whole uphill climb! Eeeks.
Totals: 42 miles (7:40-ish, 7500-ish feet elevation gain)
lift arms x2
lift legs x2
core x2
This week turned out well. It was low volume by intention with two good hill workouts. I have neglected yoga due to time constraints, but I've been trying to fit in some stretching whenever I am able.
Posted by Meghan at 7:43 PM | Comments (3)