How To See Care Bears On Your Trail Run

70 miles of running this past week. That's my highest in the last few months. There were quite a few adventures in those 70 miles.

Monday, August 19th 2013: 30 miles @ 14:47 minutes per mile.
Tuesday, August 20th 2013: Nada
Wednesday, August 21st 2013: 7 miles @ 11:46 minutes per mile.
Thursday, August 22nd 2013: 8 miles @ 10:25 minutes per mile.
Friday, August 23rd 2013: 5 miles @ 9:51 minutes per mile.
Saturday, August 24th 2013: 20 miles @ 12:30 minutes per mile.

For today’s lesson we’re going to talk about how to see Care Bears in the middle of your trail run. I consider myself an authority on the matter following my 30 mile run this past week.

Step # 1: Decide that since there is a 100 miler coming up in a few months, it would be a good time to fit in a 30 mile training run. Ignore the weather forecast saying that today’s temperature resembles the lairs of the underworld. After all, heat training is good for you. Stop being a baby! Pull over to the side of the road during your drive to the trail because the sunrise is saaaweeeeet.

Step #2: Drive to the Chinle Trail. Ignore that sign at the trailhead saying that mountain lions may be in the area. Surely your muscles slightly larger than tooth floss will be able to fend off a hungry cougar. The Chinle Trail is good training for Javelina. Some smooth, some hills, and some technical.

Step #3: When you get to mile 18 and your brain has zoned out, don’t forget to jump over that snake laying right across the middle of the trail.

Step #4: Be thankful that animal is a snake instead of a famished mountain lion.

Step #5: Heck, if that snake is just going to lay there begging to have his picture taken then just take a picture already.

Step #6: Just run and run. And run. Run. R. U. N. You might as well listen to ESPN radio for a few hours on your mp3 player since you are able to get reception in the middle of nowhere. Enjoy the scenery.

Step #7: When it is so hot that you feel your flesh melting off your bones, you are allowed to walk in certain sections that are so smooth and flat that you should be running.

Step #8: Finish the 30 miles and get back to your car. Turn on the car. Look at temperature. Yes, the temperature really does have three digits. If that isn’t enough to make you hallucinate some Care Bears along the trail, nothing will.

In all honesty, I didn’t have any hallucinations. It was downright roasting outside but I’ve gotten pretty heat acclimatized so with plenty of water it was manageable. The last time I ran the Chinle Trail it snowed! I am hopeful that it won’t be quite this hot at Javelina. My legs were plenty dirty when I got home. (Still some lingering toe nail polish from when my girls painted them before the Bryce 100.)

On Friday’s 5 miler I decided I’d see how fast I could do the last mile. It ended up being 7:06. It’s been a long time since I tried to run a fast mile, but I’m sure that is the fasted mile I’ve run in at least a year.

Saturday morning I did 20 miles. The first 8 were on the roads around our house, including a complementary lovely sunrise.

Those 8 miles were accompanying my wife Mel. We ran past the grocery store with scents of freshly baked glazed donuts calling our name. Note to self: Bring money next time you run past the grocery store.

I finished the rest of my miles meandering around the base of Gooseberry Mesa.

I ran some trails that I hadn't been on in four months since the Zion 100. That brought back good memories of running this section with Shacky and Vanessa from www.vanessaruns.com.

I seriously love these desolate, dry desert trails.

Stay tuned - in a few days I'll be having a contest for some free entries into a "rad" race.