The Insanity

Madman heads for Knoxville on temporary assignment. For the next 6-12 months (with possible time off for good behavior), I'll be working in a distant land: a beautiful one, no less, with lots of single track, scenic back-roads, and the nearby Appalachians and Great Smokies to provide adventure.

Today, the mountain bike was crated up--step one. Tonight, the gear gets boxed up Step two. The honey-do list is getting checked off-- step three. And now it's time to pack the personal items--step four. Weirdly, or accurately--your choice--, I have more gear to pack than working clothes: helmets, gloves, mtb shorts, road shorts, mtb shoes, road shoes, mtb helmet, road helmet, pump, tools, running shorts, trail shoes, PFD, riding lights. Damn! I think my gear is 2x more ...wait! make that 4x more, than my working clothes! Ahah!!! This proves it: my priorities are almost perfectly balanced between work and play! Step 5: the road bike awaits...the last minute addition, pending weather and a final ride with my road mates. Seven more steps and I could create a 12 step program for endurance athletes, but I fall short for now. Harmony across the 3 legs of the training priorities (Work. Play. Family.) is the continuing struggle.

The third leg, family will be balanced, as well. They will spend the summer there and in the fall, I will become the frequent flyer spanning the continent on every third or fourth weekend. I have no plans to be fit, tested, and single.

In the meantime, and for the short time, the training routine is interrupted. But, adventure awaits! And!... I'm geared up for it.

Pt. Reyes Ride!

So, it's the weekend after the Pt. Reyes run, and not coincidentally, my 49th birthday. Racer X and Yo-Yo decided to take me for a convivial tour of Marin a la the road bikes. Thus, a return to Pt. Reyes on two wheels this time. And Wow! what a ride.

Somehow, we hit the most perfect day of the spring. Not only were the hills an Irish green filled with wildflowers, but not a cloud, no marine layer, nada, along the coast.

We launched from San Anselmo at 0800 and picked up the bike route towards Olema. Coming up on many other bikers we learned the "toe tap" stop; a learned behavior due to law enforcement actions at the numerous (and somewhat trivial) stop signed intersections. The ride towards Olema was gorgeous, but we missed out turn and found ourselves weaving amongst the pot-holed, patchworked tarmac that wound it's way--shoulderless--through Samuel P. Taylor park. Fortunately, we were spared the anxiety of cars as we seemed to have timed our route perfectly from a traffic perspective. I did recognize the look of anxiousness in two other riders headed up Sir Frances Drake Drive reflected my own.

Reaching the coastal highway we turned south and rolled along towards Stenson Beach and Bolinas with no traffic in sight and only the occasional bike. Where are the people!?

Pausing at the beach, we learned from two other bike riders of alternative routes back to our car, now firmly halfway or 27 miles from our current location. We opted for the more scenic yet lung extracting climb up Panoramic Drive to the top of Mt. Tamalpais slowly overtaking one rider who incorrectly told us we were 1 mile from the top. Three miles and 14 cardiac edemas later we reached the fork that would climb us up even more along Mt. Tam. I will testify that this climb from Stenson to the Mt. Tam ridge is long and hard but worth every bead of sweat that clings to your nose or stings your eye. The sites of the ocean, Stinson below us, and Bolinas and Pt Reyes to the north or the view west towards the Farralon Islands, or the southern expanse of the Golden Gate, the San Francisco skyline and Bay were worth it. I wish that pain on any rider!

From Mt. Tam, we dropped down through towering redwoods towards Alpine Lake and climbed again towards Fairfax. We had been advised that "Gestauhlt Hause" for beer and brats was the bike riders destination. Man! were the right!! I highly recommend that any ride end here (I'd recommend start here too, but it makes for tougher riding.) While we stood out as roadies in a mud splattered crowd of mud riders, we soon became cyclo-bros despite our lycra with a group that had just returned from riding singletrack. After having displayed our fat-tire cred, we were warmly welcomed though the many rounds of beers didn't hurt. Soon we were trading ride suggestions, comparing bikes, and dissing and dishing dirt to tear-filled laughter.

Put this ride in your bucket list...the start, the middle, and the end were perfect. Lunch: $6.00. Beer: $20. Views and time with mates: Priceless

Pt. Reyes run

Madman's anniversary was this past weekend and after 15 years of his antics, incessant "training", and zen moron-like focus on finding any means available to go run, ride, or paddle no matter where he/they are. Fortunately, Mrs. Madman is a late sleeper and I am a stealthy exit artist.

Overcast skies greeted me, as I slipped out the back of the Point Reyes Seashore Inn, crossed the narrow creek that bordered it in back, and began my run up Rift trail to Big Bear Trail. A circling golden eagle kept a steady orbit over me as I covered the open and marshy ground towards Big Bear trailhead. Despite 4 days of road/mud riding my legs were feeling fresh, so I scouted the big trail map for a 1 hour loop. Having done the trail out to Arches, and wishing for something more than the widely hiked and run Big Bear, I selected Old Pine as a backcountry connector to other trails that would circle me back. The others however were steep, so I played it safe by electing Old Pine for slower ascent.

Running Pt. Reyes is a very unique run in coastal California. It's topography and fauna seem somehow different and other-worldly in contrast to Big Sur, Monterey, Aptos or other central CA runs I've done. There's something almost jurrasic about it as the trails meander through giant coastal redwoods, large swaths of fern and laurel. It's almost rain-forest like. 1.8 miles in the breaks out in another large meadow after a slow but steady climb from the start. I took a few minutes to take in the view as the marine layer's mist streamed through the pines surrounding the namesakes trail. Old Pine's trailhead advertised 1.8 miles to Skyline Trail. From there I intended to descend back on two other options. But, I also have never trusted NPS trail mileage, and, so I did a quick time calc of when I ought to see the trail's merge. Given the steepness of the trail, I guesstimated I should connect in 16-20 minutes. If I didn't, I'd turn back as I was without water and off a more widely used trail where help--should it be needed-- might be long in coming.

With a glance at the standard trail warning sign about the dangers of possible mountain lions, I rehit the start button and began my climb up. The trail pitched up steeper than the prior few miles, but the vegetation was lush and sometimes spooky, as it wound its way through dense laurel shrubs under towering pines. Horses had recently passed through, and though the trail was firm and relatively dry, it still provided a few things to watch, 'horse apples' being just one of them. As I approached my first time mark of +16 min I still hadn't summitted (I had assumed, of course that Skyline ran along the 1500 range top above me). In fairness to the NPS, the trail was steep, the occasional mud/bog holes slowed me up, and I had take a couple short walks to take in the view and yell "Hey Bear!" (that always throws off potential mountain lion attacks as I'm sure it gets them to look over their shoulder too!). By +20 I had summitted but still had no connector trail or signs. I cheated by walking a minute or two more to ease the heart rate, but still no trail.

Now this is a facet of trail running, I think many of us share. It is damn hard to mind turn-around times as you just KNOW the next trail/fork/descent/bar is 100 yards ahead/around the turn/past that bush). I am absolutely sure that had I gone just 10seconds further I'd have found the turn along with Swedish models cooling down for their run down the hill with me.

But alas, it became an out and back. A great out and back that gave me 7.5 miles of gorgeous running views and experiences and I'm sure that the Swedish models would have just giggled too much and drowned out all the cool bird calls.

The Wall

The normal route to work involves a long rid on Calavaras Road through the rolling hills and quiet backroads of the bay. In the am, siting a car is a rare thing. Seeing eagles, turkeys, deer, and of course, cows, is a very normal thing. Occasionally, we'll see a bobcat, coyote, Thule elk or, even more rarely, a wild pig. But our normal route is from east to west and includes a steep drop back down into civilization, we call "The Wall." It's a great and fast descent with twisty turns, sticky pavement, and the occasional turkey that crosses the road too soon and makes for a near-miss and early turkey feast and added bonus trip to the hospital.

Recently, we've begun to drive in to work, leave a vehicle and ride out. Racer X did it last week and I did it this week. The Wall sucks riding from west to east. It sucks big time. It is 2 miles of near constant climbing in a steep 6+ degree pitch. There are two short flat spots that allow you to get your heart back in range, before the final .5 mile climb that concludes with a 12+ degree 200 yard heart attack inducing, out of the seat, will power testing climb. No matter how good my physical condition, I hate that hill. I have a mantra that seems to get me through, however, and even allowed me to overtake and outclimb another rider which I repeat with every turn of the crank for those 2 long miles: "The road wants you to climb it; the bike wants you to roll."

I know it's a lie, but it helps. The Wall is only interested in your suffering.

Poopy Ride

Spring is making a brilliant appearance with a wider display of colorful flowers and varieties than I have seen in years. The trails along the Pleasanton Ridge are bursting with yellow, blue, purple, orange, and red wildflowers ranging from the usual California Poppy and Bush Lupine to some reds that I haven't yet seen before or yet identified. The great rains and regular storms I'm sure have helped bring out varieties or the intensities we're now enjoying. Rides this time of year are both eye-candy and filled with fast and grippy trails with a mix of wet-stream crossing and puddle hopping and splatter.

And while the fields are blossoming with flowers so to are they filling with critter crap. While not nearly as colorful as the vegetation, there certainly seems to be something bringing out the crappers! I don't know if it's approaching mating season or lots of border skirmishes taking place between rivals marking territory, but it makes for some shitty riding at times. A quick scan of scat pages leads me to believe most of it is bobcat and some coyote. (I almost linked in a pic, but prudence got the better of me.) Almost all the piles are in clusters and rather prominent compared to the past few weeks of riding. One location of many poops is an area that I've seen a large bobcat in previous rides. A few tracks in the mud confirmed that one was definitely a small bobcat.

Trails, despite the rains, are in great condition and a fun ride. More rain threatens today so flowers will linger and poop will amass.

Tour-a-runism in Lafayette

I've had several trips where turning a run into a way to tour the locale has been both fun and interesting. A recent trip to Lafayette, LA provided some more run based tourism opportunities.

My runs were a mix of meanderings through neighborhoods surrounding the University of Lousiana and a few forays into open fields that I chanced upon.

On one such run I encountered scores of crayfish Chimneys--interesting mud duabs built by crayfish extending the entrances of their tunnel by 6-12"

Through the neighborhoods I had a chance to take in an interesting collection of arcadian and southern style homes--from brick to cedar to plaster and mixes in between. Gardens and flora were rich and varied, as well, and were often fabulously canopied by massive live oak with their distinctive umbrella of giant limbs and thick trunks.

Running through the open spaces near the University of Louisiana afforded me the opportunity to stop and peak into the Horticulture departments demonstration gardens.

Along the way, I got to take in the man-made bayou swamps outside the US Fish and Wildlife field offices. Swamp boats on trailers in back and a beautiful collection of cypress and other swamp flora in front made for an interesting contrast.

Muddog's Sunshine

Over a week of nearly constant rain has enveloped the area. Not bad, we need it, but it makes for soggy runs. Today, Mad Dog and I set out under dark and low ceilings for a 1 hour trail run. Rain was threatening but I left the rain jacket behind. With temperatures in the upper 40's, I guessed I'd stay warm enough and the rain light enough to slog it through.

I let Mad Dog off leash at the trailhead and she left my side in a flash. She's a runner and a sprinter and the love for both she readily demonstrates. She made quick work of releasing the pent up energy of a week's indoor confinement . She tore down the trail, leaped off to chase birds, and whatever mysterious doggy motivating smells her nose picked up. The squish-squish-squish of my feet along the soggy trail played the base notes to accompany the staccato of her highspeed run-bys. Spray, splatter, wind, squish. As the rain began and steadily picked up, Mad Dog ran happy patterns around me and my steady yet increasingly soggy run. We were in heaven.

Chrismas Wish List

Running

• A couple of 25K's races/runs including Big Basin and Desolation Wilderness
• Ohlone: just me and the dog

Backpacking

• More of this....
• Another stretch-- high mileage, ultra-light style-- on the PCT with Racer X
  
• 1-2 short mileage backpacks with Madman jr. (a father-son)
  

Kayaking/Canoeing

• Some paddles with Madman Jr. even if it's just a jaunt up to Del Valle
  
• Another outing with La Familia in the Slough
  

Mountain Biking

1. Mancation to Gooseberry/Bryce area
2. Tahoe Rim Trail and Peavine weekend
3. Downieville
4. Free Practice or Henry Coe

Road Rides

1. Tierra Bella as a warmup
2. Mt. Hamilton
3. Diablo loop 100miler
4. Healdsburg area metric or century

Adventure Races

1. Half Moon Bay as a warmup
2. Tahoe Blue 12 or 24
   

Dog days of winter

Katie is a serious runner of the four-legged kind. Rain or shine, warm or cold, she is ready to join me on runs. As the leash comes out, she does a quick pre-run stretch consisting of licking her chops several times, sitting, standing, sitting, standing and racing to the door and back.

Her pacing is a tad faster than mine but she's kind enough to only run 3 or 4 circles around me on the climbs.

Six degrees of Dog

Katie-the-dog and I went rail running this brisk morning up through Morgan Territory. She's an eager and happy trail runner who has quickly learned how to pace along side me but still lapses into pulling her slower companion up hill despite constant "heel" commands and tugs on the leash. She's a constant pace runner I guess she and seems to forget her four-legged drive and weight advantage. Or at least that's how I'm interpreting the disapproving glances I get on the steep inclines.

We chanced upon a group of women hiking with their dogs. A brief conversation ensued as is usual for people with dogs (especially if the hill is steep, the dog is especially annoyed with the slowing pace, and the human wouldn't mind just an extra gulp of air). After revealing my dog was Made in China (she was a stray Taiwanese puppy rescued by a tourist), one of the hikers told me her friend also had adopted a rescue from Taiwan the same month as Katie. Litter mates! Unbelievable. Figure the odds!

Then add this to it: while visiting Bryce Canyon last week, I stopped the car to let Eric take a photo of a buck. Another car was there, as well. The driver was a fellow employee who was a also a co-worker in my old group.

Six degrees of Dog.