Trailrunning the Tram to La Luz

I was way too busy to take photos but I had a GREAT trail run today in the north Foothills. The downhill section was encouraging when looking at the map of the Valles Caldera race for next year. 

Three day weekend trip to Arizona

  We always say we're going to Phoenix to visit Jodi's aunt when technically we skirt the edge of Phoenix on our way to Buckeye, AZ just west of Phoenix. This is the first trip I've ever actually made it to the big city of Buckeye, accidentally on my way back from a Sunday morning x/c run in Buckeye Hills Regional Park. The area where Carol and Stephen live is part of Buckeye but far more contemporary than the "real" Buckeye. To locals it's a boring wide spot in the road to Jodi and me another town with much more character and potential excitement than the area growing up near the interstate exit.

White Tank Mountains trails

  But, I'm here to write about what happened before my grand urban discovery. In researching before we left for the weekend I had hoped to find a park with a nice set of trails to choose from for running that were closer to Carol's house than the White Tank Mountains where Jodi and I camped and trail ran the last time we were in town or Estrella Regional Park where I mountain biked the time before that.

Community trail

  Buckeye Hills passed the test by being closer, only a 25ish minute easy drive, but failed the trail system test. The website said this park has no designated trails but people do mountain bike and run there. So on Saturday afternoon after Jodi and I had done a 2.5+ mile run in the neighborhood and before we went to the pool we drove to the park to check it out. True to the website's claims there were no trails but there was lots and lots of open desert with lots of rocks, hills, dirt, cactus, bigger hills, saguaro and bigger hills.

Mountain biking Estrella

  I set my alarm for 5:30 Sunday morning to TRY to beat the heat. I woke up before the alarm and checked the weather on my (un)trusty Droid, it was almost an hour before sunrise and it was already 84 degrees with no wind. I dressed and grabbed cold water, a few bites and pain meds for my back (NOT so I can run, because I have to start every day this way) and headed out.
  I was lucky to be met with mostly overcast skis so that helped. For once I had a good idea early in the run and headed over a saddle to the backside of a hilly range in order to run in its shadows as long as I could. I ran across rocks and gravel, down into, through and out the other side of arroyos, washes and small canyons; up hillsides, some with the easiest way to pass being across boulders, dodging cacti all the way. Then when I came to the end of the property I turned around and climbed a little higher on the backside of the hills so the shade would last a little longer. To make a long story short it certainly was not a fast run in the terrain and the heat, but it sure was fun.
  I hope to find an area even closer or at least as close with at least a bit of a trail system. If not, I'll return to Buckeye Hills. Next time hopefully I will at least see a rattlesnake or cougar or wild pig or .......

View from the picnic tables

No trails means run where you want to

As early as it was it was already HOT!

Saguaro everywhere

Many, many arroyo crossings on this run

Great view from the hill tops

Rocks, rocks and more rocks. 

Trailess hills everywhere

And more rocks

The guts of a dead saguaro

I love the desert

From any angle

And the many different cacti

So, the plan today was to get in a good trail run in the foothills. That plan was blind-sided by a "cookout" at the home of our department director last night.
 A shot of whipped cream flavored vodka, a few beers and two Orange Blossoms (made with more of the vodka), far too much food and then  actually being dumb enough to pile onto the trampoline. Not the best idea I've had considering how my back feels.
 Oh well, I guess I'll head to the foothills tomorrow after work.

Running on the west mesa

The Volanoes 

After a long week, including two meetings this afternoon, I needed to go play this evening. I am not yet accustomed to the days already being shorter, not accustomed to the fact that it is cool enough to run earlier and had not noticed how cloudy it was to the west so I didn't leave early enough to get in much mileage but it was still a lot of fun.

I was headed to the Volcanoes but stopped shy of there because it was getting dark quickly. Jodi and I ran in the same area evening before last and I had run in the same area a couple times before. There are a few hills/grades but nothing long or steep, just enough to get in a good workout.

I also got to watch a small rain storm wrap around from the west to the north and back to the east. Very cool to see. And the clouds in the setting sun are always gorgeous.

I love running. 

Riding to running, what a year

Shortly after my last post, far too long ago, I started having more and more trouble with my back, butt and left leg (hamstring). To make a long story short after different tries I gave into an MRI and found I have some herniated discs. DAMN IT!!! 2012 was to be my year! I've now gotten to where any ride over 20 miles really hurts if it has any climbs and/or big bumps.

But, that has given reason to start running like I wanted to do this year anyway, but as cross-training from biking not INSTEAD of biking. I started early in the year where I couldn't run 1 full mile without wanting to lay down and die. I've since run two official 5k's, several unofficial and a few unofficial 10k's. A couple Sundays ago I ran about 70 - 75% of a 8.3 mile route in the south Foothills. I LOVED it!! After about 3.5 miles I felt like I could run forever. After about 6 I changed my mind. It was getting hot.

More on running, and the rest of this sorry good-for-nothing year later. Oh, I did get in one last good ride before I had to basically stop riding, the Santa Fe Half Century.

After 16 years it's still all about the ride!

I talked to another rider this afternoon who has been cycling quite some time. As with many riders she used to ride mountain bikes but has gone more roadie now. We were talking about what time of day to ride on the weekend. She said she likes to ride early, when it's warm enough to do so, to, and I quote "... get the ride over with and ...." She continued to say do other things the rest of the day. I'm not knocking that if that's what she, or anyone else wants to do but, my mind went crazy with that.

"... to get the ride over with...." I can't grasp this concept for myself.

Thanks to a friends encouragement I started riding in 1996. At the age of 36. I had ridden less before that than anyone I know but all of a sudden a love affair with 2 wheels sparked. Now to me life is just one ride after another in ever increasing intensity, speed and more and more beautiful and hopefully someday a few exotic places.

Anyone that ever reads my blog, tweets or Facebook know that Jodi and I obviously enjoy spending time together so please no one take this as negative in regards to spending time with her doing the things we love to do together. But when I think of my picture perfect weekend it involves sleeping in a little, 7ish. Having a leisurely breakfast with Jodi. Getting my gear, bike and me ready slowly for a ride to start around 10ish. Winter I do not want any earlier, summer I can deal with the heat so I still think around 8:30 or so. Get in a good ride of somewhere between 25 and 50 miles, summertime maybe ending at the pool. That was fun this past year. Eating a well-balanced replenish, rebuild, build energy stores meal. Recup for a couple hours and trade bikes. Pile on the knobby tired bike and hit a trail somewhere!!

Now that I'm running maybe throw in a short run before dark.

It's just still about the ride. Less vigorous, less aggressive riders tell me they don't want to ride with me because they don't want to slow me down. I feel bad when I slow riders down that are much faster or much better hill climbers than me, but you know what? I just want to ride. I don't care if it's a slow bike-path ride with the slower team or climbing big hills with the fast boys and girls, I just enjoy being in the saddle and making forward motion.

It's not about where I am, who I'm with, which bike I'm on, where I'm going or how fast I'm getting there. To me it's still all about the ride!!!

See you out there!

2 wheels, skinny or fat doesn't really matter

I've had conversations with a couple people recently about bikes and biking. Yeah I know, imagine that! In the conversation I explained that if I ever had to give up one bike for the other I would always keep my mountain biking and give up being a roadie. I noticed the last couple of nights that evidence does not support that proclamation.

Yesterday afternoon I took off early to get in a good ride since the winter weather has been so amazing, 50's for highs the end of January, first of February. Monday night when Jodi and I went for a run, another night of our C25K training, the trails on the Bosque had signs all over the place that they are closed. The signs they're closed because of pesticide being sprayed but there is equipment there that I think is cleaning out underbrush and blow-down to lessen the danger of fire. Due to so many trails being "closed" and these being the only trails close enough to work to get in a ride in the afternoon before dark I opted for the road bike. Got in a great 13 mile ride with a lot of short, steep hill-climbing.

Today, I got home at regular time but it was warm again and I had enough daylight to do some more short quick hill-climbing training. So I did. Just 5 miles but a lot of good climbing. Oh, did I mention? Once again I climbed on the skinny tire bike. It is a longer ride from home to fun off-road riding and I didn't have enough time before dark.

I guess the moral of this story is, I sure hope I never have to choose. My Scott Scale mountain bike is my favorite "toy" I have ever owned but the CR1 is becoming more a part of life than I ever thought it would.

I don't really care which or where I just want to ride and climb!