SBCC Track

Not everything we write about costs money.  The other day I couldn’t resist heading over the track to run a couple miles and hit the stadiums. I’m normally not a big stadium person, especially since I have a case of self-diagnosed downhill vertigo.  Seriously, I can’t run down hills and/or steps–I trip over myself. However, I will run stadiums on any day that looks like this.  With the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands as your backdrop, you can’t go wrong.

SBCC Track

It’s 80 degrees in the middle of October, and it’s free to run on the SBCC track.  There’s no excuse for bumming it out on your couch this week.

Facts:

-There are 52 steps in the bleacher sections.  Running bleachers and/or steps can increase your heart rate quicky and can provide a more intense cardio workout than running.   It’s a high intensity workout on your way up and a cool down as you jog down (or slowly step down if you’re clumsy like me).  Bleachers require a great deal of leg power, activating your glutes and quads to use expolosive force to propel your body up the stairs.  Plus, it helps prevent boredom with your usual running/cardio routine.

-The track is open to the public as long as there is not team practice or a game.  You can check out the SBCC track schedule by going here and clicking on the “schedule and results” section on the left.

Echo Peak & Angora Lakes, Lake Tahoe

Upper Angora Lake

If you want to make sure to get a spot at Angora Lakes, go early. There’s only 2 small parking lots and a handful of spots along the road, but after that you’re out of luck. The crowd seems to be mostly local families with a few lucky out-of-towners who’ve learned about the spot and make it their own tradition. To get here take Fallen Leaf Road off Highway 89, then follow it along to Angora ridge road until you reach the end (approximately 15 minutes off the highway).

If you snag a spot, remember to pay for your spot and pack smart for the  uphill hike to this majestic little gem (less than a mile). I didn’t see anyone in the lower lake, perhaps because there is no beach. However the upper Angora lake spans about a half mile wide with a sandy beach on one side, granite cliffs on the other and dark blue-green water in-between.

Angora Lake Cabins

During the summer months there are about a dozen cabins with limited availability for stay–rumor has it you must make a reservation 2 years in advance! Most people however, head up there to enjoy an icy cool private lake. The small family-owned store also carries deliciously famous lemonade, ice cream, and kayaks, boats and paddle-boards for rent. As a bonus, if you’re into cliff jumping you have the option of getting your feet wet with a 15-footer or scaling up the larger cliffs and taking a 35-60′ plunge into the deep cold water.

Repping FUGAWI!

Before baking yourself in the sun, test your acclimation to the Lake Tahoe elevation with a moderate hike up the ridge to echo peak.  Though it can’t be more than a mile and a half in distance from the upper lake to the top of Echo Peak, the elevation gain was about 1,430 feet and it took us about an hour. The trail isn’t marked very well in the beginning but once you make it past the first ridge, you start to notice little cairn rock statues along the edges.

Cairn rock statue

Add a rock or two as you scramble over large rocks and boulders. Tip: don’t be tricked into going straight up the steep face, as the back ridge is a lot easier to climb and reveals a spanning view of the other side.

Snow Angels in September!

Dylan looking good as usual 😉

Make a snow angel on the patches of snow amidst the hot large boulders at the very top and take a minute to take in the full 360 degree view which includes both Angora Lakes, Fallen Leaf Lake, Lake Tahoe and a few smaller ones on the other side. Take a moment to take it all in and appreciate the beauty. A great reminder of why we should keep Tahoe Blue!

After snapping a few great photos at the top, you’ll probably be excited to eat some lunch and relax on the water. But before you get too lazy, be careful with your footing as it tends to be a little more shifty on the way down!

Top of Echo Peak

A view of the lakes

Running the upper ridge of Echo Peak

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/111984585

Disobeying signs!

The Secrets of Superman… or Woman?

When I first ran Nite Moves two years ago I clocked in over 23 minutes. Last year I tried to break 21 minutes and failed with a 21:13. Yet somehow my first run this season I clocked a smoking 20:05. Woah!

What changed since last year? I’ve become a more experienced runner, researched and applied proper technique and form, logged my runs, lost 5lbs (hey every bit helps!), and palled around with good runners so I could copy all their secrets.

It wasn’t until the last two attempts that I treated Nite Moves like a real race and set my mind on sub-20. My first try I did what I could to eat well and rest up but inevitably excuses present themselves, “my legs were tired, I didn’t sleep enough…”

Despite thinking about the race all day, making sure to have a real warm up (I admit I did not do this in the past), recruiting a good pacer and wanting to throw up near the finish, I ran a 20:05 again. Not even a second faster. So what do you do when you give it your all and it doesn’t work? Learn from your mistakes. It’s usually the bad decisions that you remember the most anyways, right? Therefore, after my race I noted what NOT to do(from this and previous bad experiences) and later made a checklist for the next one. Now Lillie and I try not to tell you what we think you should or should not be doing. But I figured some of you could learn from my mistakes rather than repeating them for yourself.

Mick the cat

WHAT NOT TO DO

• Don’t leave the bedroom door open so your fat cat wakes you up with his loud cleaning habits at 3 a.m.
• Don’t run barefoot on the beach the day before (kills the calves!)
• Don’t forget to eat breakfast
• Don’t pound a large glass of water an hour before because you forgot to drink enough earlier—unless you like that swishy feeling in your belly
• Don’t try something new—such as running without music if you always do, it’ll mess up your groove (literally)
• Don’t forget to double-knot your pumped up kicks—it really sucks to stop and re-tie them mid-race with shaky fingers!
• Don’t be lazy before you start–jogging up the hill to the starting line is not a real warm-up

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

• Get good sleep all week
• Do little to NO activity the few days prior
• Eat a good breakfast…I like oatmeal with almond butter & chia 🙂
• Drink water all day
• Eat your last meal no more than 3.5-4hrs before the race
• Make a killer playlist & charge your iPod
• Double-knot those pumped up kicks
• Warm-up: 15-20 minutes with strides & active stretching

The latter is all the important stuff, but every good athlete has those weird with rituals that are a lot more interesting. Being a good sport I’ll share mine… I shaved my legs EXTRA close—clearly for less wind resistance. I bought a sweet new Lululemon tank for good luck and wore my Superman (or superwoman!) undies.

Lucky Lulu tank

Then there was the fact that I shared my sub-20 goal with the entire world. Not only did I announce it on “The Book” and to all my classes, but I also told everyone I ran into that day whether they cared or not. This is a good motivator in itself because towards the end of the race I realized how many people would be asking me if I broke twenty minutes and how embarrassing it would be to say no! I just had to do it. There was no other way around it.

Right as the downhill started, Rids shouted at me, “China, you’ve got to decide RIGHT NOW if you want this or not!” Um, yeah. Duh Steve. “You’re close, and I know you can do it, just DIG!” So I buckled down and pushed HARD. I glanced up at the clock on the straight away and saw 19:21 and ran harder, pushing with every bit of energy I had all the way across the finish line.

Rids and I after breaking 20

Not only did I break twenty minutes, I beat by PR by 23 seconds AND got 1st place female with a 19:42! It felt awesome! Ok, I don’t mean to sound like I won the Grammys or anything but I just feel so thankful to everyone who I learned from, and those who gave me support and cheered me on. I have to give a big THANK YOU to Steve (a.k.a. Rids) for being such a great pacer and motivator, Dylan and Devo (a.k.a. Coach) for knowing I could do it and giving me the confidence I could, Lululemon for selling such good looking and wind resistant tanks, and all the people who that cheered for me at the finish. Considering the pain I felt at that point, I’m sure I looked terrible by that point and I apologize for my face of agony, but no one runs to look pretty!

Running is one of those things that everyone thinks we naturally know how to do but just like any other sport, instruction is key! Otherwise it’s the equivalent to banging around on a piano without lessons. Sure there are the rare Beethoven types who have a natural gift, but the rest of us will bang the keys (or joints) noisily and most likely injure ourselves due to the repetitive impact.

1st place female 😀

If you know how to run properly, it is a great de-stressing exercise and is excellent for losing weight. You should feel light and soft on your feet, rather than pain in your knees or hips. This is especially important if you’re gearing up to run longer distances and are putting in some mileage for training. I have so many positive things to say about running, yet continue to see so many people beating themselves up and hear them tell me “I used to run.” If you’re crushing yourself with poor technique, you’re not only setting yourself up for injury, but also slowing your progress and making it harder to accomplish your goals of weight loss, toning and increased mileage or speed.

Ladies, if you want to run in a way that’s fast, fun, pain-free AND helps you tone your tummy, tush and thighs, contact me to learn more about my Born 2 Run 6-week technique workshop. The last one of 2011 starts NEXT WEEK!

For more info contact:

• China Cisney
• china@innatewellness.com
• (805)722-0303

Side Trip: Big Sur Camping

Book your trip in advance. Far in advance. One of our camper neighbors told us he books his trip for the following summer the day he leaves. Normally a few months would be plenty of time for planning a camp trip, but Big Sur is a very popular summer getaway and fills up quick! Calling 5 months in advance we snagged the last campsite in the only campground available.

Fernwood is a private campground down along the creek shaded beneath the redwoods. It’s not the best campground but it’s a safe place for kids to run around without worrying about many cars or poison oak like some of the state campgrounds. Plus the sites seem to be a little more roomy, and if you forget anything you can walk up the hill to a little store and find everything from firewood to ice cream to plastic wine glasses. And if you’re looking to get a little rowdy with the locals there’s a bar there too! Don’t miss the opportunity to check out their albino redwood tree along the road–very cool.

Campsites are $40, or $45 for electric. We chose to pay the extra $5 for electric and set up our tents right next to the bridge. This was a first for me, as I’ve always roughed it camping. The luxury was appreciated though as we got to grind fresh coffee in the morning and listen to our iPod player without worrying about the batteries running out. Plus it was cool to sneakily plug into the outlet mounted discreetly on the tree next to us. 

The first night I awoke to hear rustling on the tarp outside my tent, followed by a crinkling of a chip bag and crunching of chips. My first thought was it must be Nyla, the 4-year old daughter of our friends camping with us, because she had complained of being hungry right as we went to bed. But as I listened closer, it lacked her trademark “num-num-num” hum she makes when she eats. Curiously I shone my headlamp out and caught a wide-eyed raccoon feasting on our chips before he ran off into the woods. Rookie move. Always make sure to hide your food in your vehicle when camping. 

Our first day began chilly and overcast but after a little fresh coffee Dylan, Danny and I got the energy to forge an exploratory trail run towards Julia Pfeifer campground. We started at the base of huge sprawling redwoods and as we ran along the steep smooth switchbacks we soon found ourselves overlooking the same trees. It was nice not to have to worry about running over rocks, however poison oak branches teased at the legs and ankles if you weren’t careful. At one point I was so focused on the ground that I almost got a branch smack in my face! Luckily my cat-like reflexes switched on and I Matrix-ed my way under it, no sweat.

We stayed right at the first fork we saw and then took a left at Buzzard’s Roost Loop, but didn’t make it to the top because we were pressed for time. Our total run couldn’t have been much longer than 3 miles, but the steep climb and quick pace kept our heart rates up and made me feel a little less guilty about the delicious peanut-butter cup s’mores I indulged in the night before, or the bottle of wine I polished off. We took about 40 minutes total, which was perfect for us. However, if you do have more time I suggest doing the whole Buzzards Roost Loop (about 5 miles) as I hear it has an amazing coastal view at the top.

OTHER SPOTS TO CHECK OUT WHILE IN BIG SUR…

Julia Pfeifer Burns: gorgeous waterfall by the ocean named after a well respected pioneer woman by her best friend Helen. Aww. Lillie I’m naming something after you for sure.

You can park along the road (or pay $10 to park in the lot) and walk less than a mile to see the gorgeous view, then go under the highway to the other side and walk up the creek along the fallen redwoods.

Julia Pfeifer State Park, The Gorge: park near Big Sur Lodge and hike a mile or so past the campgrounds along the creek. Water hole has filled in with erosion since the fire but is still a great spot to swim. Can often be sunny and warm when the beach is blanketed with a coastal fog.

Esalen Spa: beautiful tubs on the edge of a cliff over a hundred feet above the Pacific Ocean. Open to the public by reservation only between 1-3am. (831) 667-3000

Also don’t forget to stop and appreciate the scenery at the random pull outs along Highway 1.

If you happen to be driving north, I suggest stopping in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

You can spend hours exploring along the coastal headlands and hidden coves. We veered left after entering the park entrance and after about a mile hiking through the trees we came out to Gibson Beach

and China Cove. The coves had eery spider looking kelp balls that looked as though they would easily entangle any curious swimmers. We then made our way out towards Sea Lion Point Trail before looping back on the North Shore trail.

Don’t forget your re-usable water bottle (drinking fountains available for re-fill), a snack and some sunglasses. Wear layers as it can be windy but you warm up quickly after walking. I made the poor choice of wearing sandals so I suggest you wear sneakers if you’re planning to walk more than a mile or two.

Fiesta Bar Run: Tight n Bright!

China:

Running, drinking, and neon spandex. These are a few of my favorite things. Mix them all together for a glorified pub crawl and you’ve got a recipe for a great time and some interesting pictures.

Dylan and I started in matching tight Fit Buddha spaghetti tanks up at Harry’s. I look around in my neon tutu and didn’t see anyone at first, is this weird? But quickly a server told me “you guys are in the back.” Woah. We enter the back and I had to put my stunner shades on to protect my eyes from the neon! We got there at 2:30 and already hundreds of people were boozed up and squeezed into tight little shorts, tops and dresses. Apparently there was some miscommunication with the themes because between the sea of tight & bright up popped Pokemon, a Tetrus piece, Luigi and other video games. 

I barely got my first drink when an announcement was made that it was time to move to the the next spot. I downed my drink, did some over-exaggerated stretches and we took off running to the next dive bar. A little girl we passed asked, “Why are you running?” good question.

Later down the road another one of my friends would ask the same question to herself after eating pavement and getting road-rash on her nipple. Ouch. We figured the best thing to do would be to ice it with a nice cold taste of the blue rockies. Then having such a cold delicious beverage so handy, it only made sense to drink out of it inappropriately. Refreshing. 

 

Lillie:

Back to the question… why ARE we running? I never really did have a good answer, especially because running is not my favorite sport.  I met everyone at the third bar, and I had no difficulty finding them.  As soon as I hit uptown, I saw 200 tight & brighties running towards Jimbos.  Ok, I’ve never even heard of Jimbo’s before (total dive bar), but we managed to find a parking spot and join the fun.  A few screamed “cheater!!” since we arrived via vehicle, but I quickly earned approval by joining in on the long haul to downtown.

It’s obvious Jimbo’s doesn’t usually bring this sort of crowd in, and it probably reached its sweaty body capacity.  Imagine walking into a 110 degree steam room, squirming though sweaty, stinky people who reak of tequila and beer to find your friend at the end of the bar.  It was like taking a Bikram Yoga class with a bunch of football players.  I thought I was going to barf.  Actually, my friend did barf on the one mile stretch from Derf’s to the Sportsman.  Luckily, it was more like a “puke and rally” and she didn’t even flinch.  These people are tanks.  And the interesting part is that this group was full of local athletes.  There were bootcamp instructors, pilates teachers,  lifeguards, triathaloners, marathoners.  I mean I know it looked like a giant frat/sorority party, but it was far from it.

                                     

When we reached the halfway point downtown, our crew slowly diminished.  We left behind the stragglers, and continued to our final mission: the pier.  We were a little apprehensive this year since we heard the cops might be on to our jump (this race has been going on for years, and they were finally catching on), but that obviously didn’t stop us.  By 9:30pm, we finally made it to our final destination and executed the final level of the Fiesta Bar Run.  About 30 of us stripped down to our skivvies and jumped off the pier into the dark abyss.  What a rush! Can’t wait for next year.

Pretending to be a runner

I am sure this will be the first of many posts about Nite Moves, but I would share my take on it since this will be my third year joining in on the fun.  I definitely would not consider myself a runner.  I feel like every time I go on a run, something wrong happens where my shoe gets untied (happens a lot), I become short of breath, or I get a cramp in my side.  I consider myself to be in considerably good shape, but I just think my body just wasn’t designed for running.  That’s not to say I don’t run. Sometimes, the rush and and adrenaline I experience from a quick jog overrides the discomfort.  In fact, every once in a while I participate in half marathons or my favorite, Nite Moves: a weekly 5k along the beach at Leadbetter.

Getting ready for the 5k

The race begins at 6:30pm (get there early because there are many runners) at the top of the hill above Leadbetter Beach.  If you like to swim, there’s a swim race you can do instead, or if you are feeling really crazy, you can do both.  There’s even a kid’s beach run if you are under 12.  When Jake, the owner, gives us the signal (I think it’s a horn or something), we the runners begin our journey up the hill.  The beginning is a little intense just as with any race: everyone is crammed together, attentively trying avoid the man running in erratic zig zags or attempting not to run over little dogs on leashes in the sidelines.  It’s probably a little less intense than the start of the swim race happening down below, which to me looks like a bunch of tiny fish swimming up to the surface to compete for a ravenous feeding.  Once the crowd breaks through, the situation starts to calm down immediately.  The run uphill is quite nice: on your left you pass by cliffside mini mansions and little snidbits of ocean views.  Once you hit the marker at the top, the rest is downhill.  There are volunteers on the sidelines at each milemarker, yelling out your time so far, but I’m usually bumping Gypsy King remix “Bombeleo” too loudly to hear them.

Hula Run

If you didn’t know, a 5k is 3.1 miles, and I have to say it goes pretty fast.  This is especially true when you know that after the finish line, there is beer, food, and live music waiting for you.
Every week is usually a different theme, so a bunch of us run in costumes (another draw for me). I love the people that run/swim Nite Moves, and look forward to catching up with everyone on Wednesday evenings.  It’s a great way to meet new people and see good friends.  Everyone is always there to have a good time.

Tips:

-Get there early or register online ahead of time

-Wear good running shoes or bring a wetsuit (unless you are badass and don’t need one)

-Bring $3 cash for parking (and the $$ for the race)

-Be aware of the photographer towards the end of the race.  You don’t want to end up on the Nite Moves website looking like you’re about to keel over

Price: $$

Nite Moves

Wednesday Evenings
May 4 through August 31, 2011

http://www.runsantabarbara.com/nite_moves.html