Looking for a Challenge? Try this Uphill Battle

It's probably been three or four years since I have hit Skyline trailhead in Corona but this time was much different.

Only three of us showed up this week for our run, and I hope it wasn't my pick of trails. Although everyone else knew what we were in for except me. First of all, the trailhead and parking is much better now that they have paved a way behind the houses and a street provides all the parking. And it's free! It's probably been this way for a while but I hadn't been here in a few years or so. The first time, it was a family bonding event with my brother and his family as we "hiked" it with a stroller in tow talking about the latest of events in our lives. Strenuous I remember, but not too much to handle that day.

Running, though. Much different approach to this trail. Bonnie and Robert knew it and had run it quite a few times. Robert even reminisced about the days when you could drive to the top and as we ran this day, we did see a car off the cliff in the depths of the hills. With chains and gates, I am not sure how it got there but some people are still finding ways to drive it. The road is big enough for a car, but is limited to cyclists, runners and walkers. Get there early if you don't want to walk to the trailhead. Cars were already lined up halfway down Foothill Parkway by 6:30 am.

Once you hit the path off of Foothill Parkway, the trailhead is about a mile up a paved road behind some houses. Once you get to the trail, you simply climb upward with some hairpin turns and relentless elevation. On the trail, it is busy with walkers and a few runners for the first mile or so but they start to taper off after that. As you climb, you will see more cyclists working their way up only later to pass you on their way down.

About three miles up, it gets a bit rocky but still a moderate run path for the most part. The challenge of this trail was in the uphill climb. There is absolutely no break in elevation or any flat areas to the doppler. But if you slow down a bit in the early morning you can catch a beautiful sunrise and views of the Inland Empire and San Gabriel Mountains. The morning was warm already but the views were worth it. We took the road up about four miles and headed back down. The sun was hot and your legs start to burn when you run uphill that many miles. I am still lagging a bit behind everyone but I am hanging in there, hoping to hit a growth spurt in speed and distance in the next few weeks.

Once we headed down, we flew. I flew so much that at some point, I was afraid I would trip over my feet when my legs seemed to slow down. I am pretty sure we got to the bottom in half the time. And as always, everyone enjoyed the run and wanted to return.

Another one on the books with 11 more weeks to go!

Week 2: Surf City USA

Week 2 training for Ragnar is on! This week, we headed out to good ol’ 9^th street in Huntington Beach, CA. Not unfamiliar to me, or any of my boot camp girls, running PCH never disappoints. With a paved trail and the sand and ocean on your side, you can’t go wrong with this run and in this case, my team. I absolutely love that we all just show up with no question and it is not until we sync our running apps and turn up the volume on the headphones, does someone pop the question, “How far are we going?” Eyes shift and we all make a joke or two about getting to breakfast, but we are ready to hit the ground running. Six sounds good.

Today, the sun was hidden, as it typically is in the early morning, but it hasn’t stopped So Cal to come out to play. Seven am and you would think it was lunch hour on the trail. People walking, running, biking; kids begging mom to come to the water to play; families trekking across the trail with ice chests and easy ups to save a spot at the fire pit for the family reunion. Just what you would expect at the beach on a Saturday in July! But there was more as we shuffled our feet towards Newport Beach. Volleyball tournaments, surfing contests, lifeguard trainings and a street fair to busy the roads, the sand and even the parking lots.

Stopping to take a few pics, I found myself overwhelmed by everything that was going on. After the first mile or so, I realized we have two types of runners in our group today; the one who watches three feet in front of him to make sure he doesn’t trip or run into someone and the one who can’t stop looking. I’ll call the first one, “the fast and furious” runner, the one who moves swiftly through the crowds, dodging walkers and kids, and listens to the beat of her music while working towards a consistent pace. He is focused on getting to the finish line, getting his heart rate up and beating his own time. While the other, I will call “the distracted and dangerous” runner, the one who slows his pace when something catches his eye, picks up his pace when she realizes her team is at least a half mile ahead, stops for a photo, cheers on the seniors as they run past her, engages in small talk with a man who sits with his backpack and is amazed by the early morning hustle and excitement this day already has started. She sees things, hears things, smells things and takes it all in. When the run is over, she can appreciate the man walking his bull mastiff, or the women who chat with friends while taking a morning walk, or the family setting up for the day. When the run is over, she wants to go back because the ocean calms and running excites.

As a child, I spent many days with friends, sno cones and jack in the box on the south side of the pier.  But one thing I took for granted was that I live this close to a place that brings peace and energy, and promises that I can do anything I want. Whether you are the “fast and furious” or the “distracted and dangerous” runner, you can go 1 mile or 20, and along this trail, you will always have a different experience.

Depending on the race you want to win that day, choose your inner runner. Sometimes we need to go fast, but sometimes we need to slow down and simply enjoy the noise.

Psalm 96:11

Let the heavens rejoice; let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is within it.