Tom's Thumb: A Granite Treat

   I found myself rousing my sleep deprived body from the concentrated mess of the bed and sitting upright, feet gently touching the cool wood floors. Two hours of sleep had once again reared its monstrous face upon my world leaving me staring blankly into space gauging my coming approach to the new day, with a sun rising quickly and sharply outside to the east as if to say:

"I wait for no one. Follow if you choose. If not you will not be missed on this day."

   My goal was to wake my sleeping beauty as is nearly almost always needed(then again who would want to wake to this world on most days?), drop her upon her place of employment doorstep and from there follow a carefully calculated route across Maricopa County zig-zagging the jumbled hulking city all the while ascending and descending six of the highest points in Maricopa County by foot.
   But, plans are futile. Plans, are, plans.

   When a sun rises and sets there within lies our chances to explore our gift of life, existence. To some that may range from reading a great book from dawn to dusk while to others it may mean spending a day standing over an operating table, hands fumbling, angling throughout, piecing together bodies in the way they were mean to be, leaving their hands aching with pain awaiting the next life threatening injury to bound through the adjacent double doors. There is no tried and true path to this exploration, only the guilt that comes with letting night fall over us with nothing gained, nothing learned.

   After waving off my beloved and curling up fetal style in the sea of striped sheets and pillows I dozed in and out of consciousness for ninety minutes dreaming of worlds and yearnings that no human has before been given nor granted, before finally accepting my fate and pivoting up angrily feeling my heels dropping to the wood beams laid out below. My mind races with a somewhat controlled and confused rage before finally rising and commencing with my days activities.

   Striding slowly to a stop atop the saddle below Tom's Thumb I am devoid of any thoughts of sleeplessness, anxiety, confusion. Instead I am drinking in what comes with the exploration of this world. Granite pillars stand around me like the fair skinned cousins of Stonehenge, gathering together as if spreading gossip or admitting a secret crush to one another. I glance up the ridge to the base of the Thumb to the north following the thin vein of trail that delivers us all to its vantage, catching a family of five all in unison hurriedly scurrying up the well packed path in anticipation of the fruits of their labor.
   Good for them, I bemuse.

   As the parking lot splays itself into view in between each rolling hill on my descent I realize that life is quite simply just that, a series of rolling hills, peaks and valleys, with an intangible reward awaiting those who make it to the other side.

   A new day.

 




 

A Breath Of Fresh Air

   So I knew from the week that had just faded into my past that I would surely need something to ease my mind and body. That paired with the fact that Michelle was out of town for a batchelorette party in San Diego made it eternally harder to resist leaving town albeit for only a day and a half. So after tying up loose ends early Saturday morning with the mortgage team over at Bank of America(some real winners they have working over there lemme tell ya) I kissed the wife on the lips, watched the Jeep Patriot roll out of the driveway and with that came the instant satisfaction of knowing for the rest of the weekend I would not have to hear: "Can you please.... please just turn off the lights when you leave a room?"

   You know I love you Michelle. I know you love me, unconditionally. So we can joke like this.....umm right?

   Soon, after doing up the dishes, laundry, and of course turning off all the lights, I made the decision that I would head to the northwest into the Yavapai County hills, to Prescott, Arizona to not only drink in the simplicity of the life that is so entrenched there but also to see my good friend Jon who also just so happened to be in a Battle Of The Bands competition out at the world famous Prescott Valley fairgrounds. You know the PV fair grounds? It's where Dwight Yoakum played all those years ago after resurrecting his music career after a couple of failed attempts in Hollywood? Think Panic Room.
   Anyways, you get the picture. It was gonna be a good time.

   So I gathered enough supplies and clothing for not only a good nights stay under the pine studded skies but  also I knew I would have to enjoy the trails at least one time if not twice while up there, so I dutifully grabbed my running gear and as a last minute decision grabbed my bike and hit the road for the drive.

   I always love the drive up off of the 17 freeway because once you get through the outskirts of Phoenix the landscape slowly melts into a almost at times extraterrestrial world full of cosmic like shapes of the geologic features which hug the freeway and surrounding boundaries that frame the view heading up. But also the people, the houses, the cars. It takes a different breed to live in the desert but it takes a different animal to exist in mere solitude in the relentless drought ravaged deserts of south central Arizona. Yet, they hold their ground. They watch you from their porches and turn away as if a ghost had passed, which in time we will all be.

   I curved and the western horizon caught my windshield, and as I passed and briefly contemplated the turnoff to Arcosanti I felt the gas pedal become a bit lighter, the sun a bit brighter. I settled in and rolled the windows down and the mid day sun hovered above with just the right amount of anger. This was gonna be worth the drive.

  Coasting past the V A cemetery and into old town Prescott I made the quick decision, after futilely racking my brain over the course of the 10 miles between PV and Prescott for someplace different for once, that I would head out for a run in the Prescott National Forest just north of Thumb Butte Regional Park in the western reaches of Prescott. After finding a good pull off spot where I was hoping I would not get ticketed for parking on someones front lawn, though I can never tell where the road shoulder and someones front yard ends in Prescott, I locked my bike to a nearby ponderosa pine and headed up the roadway leading into the park with the intention of doing a 8 mile-ish loop which would give me some great views of the surrounding valley and both Granite Mountain as well as a bagging of the iconic Thumb Butte.

   I knew my attempts at any kind of a decent day on the trails would have to be put aside since I had not run a step in nearly 2 weeks so I tried to go in with the goal of just getting some good rhythmic movement over a long period of time on foot as well as take in the nice early summer day in a beautiful locale. However, though my physical body, mind, and even my uphill speed climbing legs decided to make this trip with me(I really appreciate that also), my quads, my lungs, and even my flat as all hell very runnable terrain legs were essentially non-existent. And you know what, let me back track. NO, my mind did not make the trip because one simple rule that anyone of sound mind would not have forgotten was to remember that they would be running at 5,900 feet altitude all day and that that alone should be taken into account when they jot out a mapped route with plenty of climbing in it.

   I didn't. And soon I found myself a bit dizzy, sweating profusely, cursing somewhat profusely and already resorting to the euro style power hike at some of the early semi moderate climbs. I tend to do this a lot, that is underestimate not only the terrain but the conditions. I have grown up quite a bit over the last 4 years since I decided to punish myself with shoes, shorts, and anaerobic activity. Yet, to this day I still find myself hovering near the danger zone occasionally, dipping in with cupped hands and gorging myself on the darkened ledges of our lives. And in some way, when I emerge from the shadows I feel stronger. I feel like the more I test those waters the more the winds calm, unfolding a day, a life in front of me like a clean white sheet waiting for a warm body to stretch its limbs across its cool white surface.
   My predetermined route was to take me out from the parking lot connecting on trail 315 heading northeast which would round to the west gaining altitude before connecting to 317 which would give me some great peeks of the valley to the north and even the red rock formations of Sedona in the far distance. However, I went off route and accidentally took 316 off in a switchback section that emptied me off off the western side of the hills leaving me at a cross section of cabins along the hillside. I was well aware heading down into the rural area that I had gone off the route I had readied myself for but figured I would see where it would take me as I had never ventured into this arena.
   So as I took in the views, took a quick but shameless number two behind a accepting pine, and drained one of my two bottles down the hatch, I powerhiked back up the hillside and reconnected with the 318 trail which then got me back on course. At this point though I only had 4 or so miles on my legs I was a bit drained so I just let my body take me on a stroll through the woods. It was a bit slower than I would of liked, and definitely a bit under what I would call a good effort on my part, but it felt good to just let my body do all the work and give my mind a breather. I turned on the auto pilot and just tried to keep the engine running with a couple ounces of H2O every 5 minutes to stay on top of my intake.
   As I approached the roadway on the descent and connected to trail 392 I drifted under a thick canopy of skyscraping ponderosa pines. I welcomed their arrival as I knew their fallen needles would provide the nourishment that my feet were yearning for. Their visage and towering beauty always greets me with a sense of a past life. Oregon shaped me. Its trees, they spoke to me. I have always been fascinated with trees and the way they cling to this earth, roots clenching and digging into the flesh of the world readying themselves for   what is to come. And these, these ponderosa of the west, were no different. They sat quiet as I danced below them and whispered to and from as I dissolved out of view and into their distant families arms which speckled the hillside.

   Upon reaching my final destination, my F-150, I unchained my bike from the tree and tossed it in the back and with the truck in neutral coasted the 3 miles back into downtown Prescott. Along the short drive back into civilization I found myself asking why anyone would not want to live here? Why the easy going life of small town America seems to be stretching further and further beyond our reaches? Are we losing our connection or our yearning to this minimal, simplistic style of life, or better yet are we just simply going with the flow? Keeping up with the Joneses.

   I can say this much, upon leaving town I stopped for gas. After grabbing a Gatorade and snack, the young, fresh from high school clerk looked me in the eye smiled and said,
   "Hope to see ya next time your in town?"
   I might as well of had Mr. Jones etched on a name tag.

   

No Name And A Place All Our Own

"What is his name?" 
Me, directly, "I have no idea?"
Pause. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah, no clue, Michelle literally brought it home probably a year ago and said....."


     After awaking to a faint, jumbled traffic report rousing my senses, I roll over and decide that my active day starts now. 

     Before long I am moving swiftly amongst the downstairs dwelling, picking up clothes piles and scanning them for a technical tee, my favorite technical tee.

     Auburn Running Company, ahh, there it is! Wait, do I actually even need it? Yeah, what the hell. Who do I think I am? Ok, what else do I have here? Watch. Shoes. Shorts. Socks? Wait, do I have socks? Yes, I'll wear what are on my feet, the ones I slept in. Towel. Canvas bag. Ok.

     Oh wait, food. 

    Ok, a couple of tangerines and chocolate chip cookies should be enough sugar right? 

    A well-thought pause.

    Yes.

    My heart rate rises as I realize that this day I awoke. As extra credit I realize also that I feel refreshed, ready to take on a challenge. This has been a rarity since March of 2012. Since early spring of 2012 life, in its simplest form,  has for myself been a challenge. Today I move fast. Challenges can be lazy, futile in their attempts to challenge our wits, our prowess. Today, this is true. 

     As I pass the coat rack a hanging plastic bag catches my eye. Two more quick strides and I feel only the polished steel of the front door between me and my bottled energies. 

    Wait. Wait.

    I drop the bags making sure I don't miss the rug, their cushion preventing a  broken, crumbled chocolate chip cookie, rendering it worthless.

    After a deep-controlled breath I mumble, "Why not?"

    We are making good time as I nearly miss the turn off on Idaho Road. Cutting across 3 lanes of traffic and through the gore area I break the first of possibly multiple state(federal?) laws for the day. I seem more focused though today as if the day was hand made prior specifically for me. Made, In America I might add, on some television show hosted by some well-liked wholesome character of yesteryear. 

    The sandy parking lot is empty but for one vehicle as I roll off Interstate 88. A lone seashell on an otherwise picture perfect pink sand beach. I feel indifferent as I open the door and feel the elements. The wind immediately grabs me, clipping at my heels and fingertips. I shut the door.

"What am I doing?" I mutter to myself staring ahead.

    The bags containing my running items are roused about the seat and floorboards. Tangerines lie where they should on the dirty base, resting against a box of weathered tie-downs. One shoe, caked in crackled mud, is nestled neatly in the door panel like a steaming Thermos full of coffee.

    There, lonesome, and sitting where I placed it, gently, a plastic bag. Sternly and stout it stares back at me.

    "All I know is his wife said he wanted his ashes to be spread up in the mountains somewhere. So I said 'yeah, give 'em to me. Logan is always out there.' "

    So here I was. No name. No story. Just a bag and a wish.

    I realize that I have no way of transporting his cremains into his preferred place of rest. I have a handheld water bottle with a small zippered pocket big enough to hold a bite size Snickers on a good day. A pair of running shorts, no pockets, and my tech tee. I calculate the numbers. The ounces. The days. The wives. The children. The wars. The weight. The weight. He was a simple man. He will make the trip with me, I will make it happen. We will make it happen.

    I grab the now empty brown paper bag that concealed my pre-run snacks and delicately tear off a large enough swatch of paper to transport his remains securely. I am ashamed. 

    Without thinking my cupped dry palm dives into the bag. I feel my fingers surprisingly dig in deep with relative ease, reaching for life, a life. I only want to make one swipe so I tense and tighten my cradled hand knowing that it is important which part of this man will make this trip and which will stay behind, working, watching the children, the grandchildren, watching his life pass on until the money stacks up and the clouds and the roads open and once again beg to be explored.

   That's enough. I clench even harder and pull my arm from the bag. Before long I am on the trail with surprisingly heavy legs. I gain the first ridge above Bulldog Canyon to the south and finally open up my legs on the flat buttery path. I cruise the singletrack following my petrified footprints from the week prior and can think of no other place in this world I would want to be. I hope he feels the same.

    The winds from the north rip through the canyons leaving the flora dancing like wildfire. I am determined this day to make the trip. I feel I will know when I get to the right spot. The wind is a side note.

    For a year he begged. He was patient as my health improved and failed over and over again and this was my way of repaying him for his fortitude. Life in this moment, these moments, cannot be taken away. It is yours, maybe only for a moment.

    My legs loosened up on the flat terrain and the landscape painted itself in front of me trying to catch up to my churning, pulsating legs. I pass a group on horseback, maybe a dozen horses in all, not one nodding in my direction. Large eyes four times the size of a humans suddenly catch my eye. I move on down the trail, across the streams.

    I wonder to myself, "Was he a nature lover?" 
    
    "Did he ever trade tracks, footprints, with the wild animals of this world in the wild mountains of this world?"

    "Was he a wild animal?"

    "Did his faults destroy him? His family?"

    "Was he an athlete?"

    "Am I an athlete?"

    At the 6 mile mark I knew it was time. I knew because he told me. I knew it was time because the heavens sucked the circling clouds from above like a straw and hushed the surrounding winds that had rented the space inside the broad sweeping mesa to a halt.

    When my lungs returned I paused and for a moment scanned the land. A wind, after its brief pause, grew in size and strength from the northwest. It swept over the surrounding cliffs 500 yards out and gained power and force. I fumbled for the zipper. It was in my hand in an instant, the brown bag, folded like a small brown packet of sugar bulging at the center.

    The zippered pocket was opened, and, void of his cremains was covered in fragments, in dust, that had seeped through the package and coated the inner compartment. I let him down. 

    A gust of wind rips through the canyon like a blade reminding me of my mission and in an instant my arm shoots to the skies and I feel the release of a weight, a substance, an existence, which quickly dissolves into the backdrop of colors and sky and sweeps quickly down the mountainside enriching its worth. 

    The mountainside calms to a silence. A sea of clouds accompany a flock of sparrows that float above, heading east, dotting the ground in dancing shadows.

    Time may stand still. But for now, time, life, has moved on.

    My bottle is empty. I turn and head back the way I had come.

    

    


     
     



   

August 8 - 19 summary

Miles:24.3

Time:4:29

Elev. Gain:3,500'

YTD Miles:352.8

YTD Time:59:17

YTD Elev.:46,200'

 

To make another boring sob story short I have been going through somewhat of another sleeplessness bout. In this state I am not much for elaboration, more just quick and to the point. I had some decent days of running but it has been overshadowed by the last week or so of just trying to stay sane. Hopefully this passes.

July 31st - August 7th

Miles:14.1

Time:2:55

Elev. Gain:3,400

YTD Miles:328.5

YTD Time:54:48

YTD Elev.:42,700'

So this past week+ was not a very successful week mileage wise but it was definitely a success in the area of total time on foot, especially time spent vertically on foot. I hiked Humphrey's Peak(12,633') two Saturday's back just to get out into the mountains again and see how my body would hold up. It held well over the 9.5 mile hike which covered also 5,300' of gain rounding out the hike in just over 6 hours. I felt good and refreshed for most of the coming week so I summited Camelback Mountain here in Scottsdale 4 times over the course of 10 days with a few of those being a concentrated effort at pushing the pace. In temps almost always hovering around 105 degrees I would say that that is a step in the right direction. I feel that the energy and emotion needed for longer runs on the trails is starting to slowly come back to me and getting over 11,000' of vertical over a week+ is the confidence that I will need as the temps start to slowly lower over the next few months and my yearning for the mountains builds. I am so glad to even be remotely back to my normal self. Knock on wood!

July 2nd - July 30th

Miles:27.9

Time:5:05

Elev. Gain:1,300'

YTD Miles:314.4

YTD Time:51:52

YTD Elev.:39,300'

After spending the better half of the last 4 1/2 months trying to get a correct diagnosis on a sleep/insomnia disorder, which unfortunately never materialized in reality, I have finally been able to string together 2 weeks of not only sleep but also slowly getting my mind back and body mentally out of the hole that it was sucked into which drained me of not only my energy but it also forced me to re-write my entire life from my diet down to things as simple as the way I brush my teeth, and look at it with a magnifying glass, dissecting it like a science project. I honestly at one point not only wondered if I could ever run again but it got to the point that I started to accept that I may never fully be able to perform any type of athletic endeavor again. My thoughts ran the gamut and through it all I kept the most positive attitude I could considering the circumstances. 

And now I stand here on the 30th of July feeling like I may actually be fully on my way to recovery and I can say that though I have had some ups and downs in my life which made me appreciate the little things that we all take for granted in life, I never truly realized the depths of which our blessings are as human beings. I have a new set of eyes to view the world that I am blessed with awaking to each day, and I can promise I will not blink again.

Oh What A Couple Fortnight's!

Miles:26.8

Time:4:44

Elev. Gain:2,400'

YTD Miles:286.5

YTD Time:46:47

YTD Elev.:38,000'

 

Stay tuned in the next 48 hours.....if ya give a damn! 

 

8,000 flight miles, 3,000 driven miles, and a whole lot of germs and sleepless nights. A detailed run down, pardon the pun, to come hopefully tomorrow. 

The Real Start To Summer

Miles:22.0

Time:3:26

Elev. Gain:2,000'

YTD Miles:259.7

YTD Time:42:03

YTD Elev.:35,600'

5/19/12 Treadmill 8 miles. Some inclined with some speed and heart rate concentration sprinkled in. It was a tough week prior with sleep, work, etc. so this was not ideal conditions coming into the new week.

5/26/12 South Mountain 6 miles, 1,200'. After a few nights of decent rest I had an open day to myself so after getting some errands done I headed out in the late morning for what I had hoped to be a 6 mile+ run at SMP. The relentless temps from the week prior I knew were going to relent so I knew that if my fitness held up that this could be a pleasing day on the trails. After realizing the park was quite busy due to the cooler temps I decided to do a reverse of my normal loop which would normally give me some time to myself but with the reversal I figured I may be able to avoid even more of the crowds which lined the roadway like the lines found at Disneyland. Luckily I was right. After gearing up for what I had hoped to be an hour to hour and a half trot, I headed out at a little bit slower pace than normal because I knew that even the low 80 degree temps could catch up with me soon in the somewhat weary state I found myself in. But, to my surprise I was able to hold my own throughout the first few miles, keeping both my breathing and my mind in the right place. It really was a pleasant day with breezes creeping in at just the right moments and the nice rolling terrain played well with my limited energy levels and fitness. I somewhat surprised myself with carving up a new trail that I had never laid foot on, this was not intentional, and found it to have a prolonged inclined stretch which lasted just a shade over a mile which seemed daunting at first but yet I found myself able to settle in at a decent climbing pace and tackle this stretch quite effectively. I was a bit astounded at my energy levels and found this to be quite endearing to my confidence moving forward. 

After a speedier decent off the back half of the loop back to the truck I rounded out the day by a good meal and a good flick with the old lady, Moneyball.

5/27/12 Papago Park 5 miles, 700'. I felt like I had some momentum on the heels of my last few runs so I headed into the closest set of tall rocks I could find in my immediate area, Papago Park. I have always found the Papago Park area of Tempe to be quite mysterious and astounding in that it gives the runner/hiker/walker a taste of all that a wilderness or state park has to offer in terms of flora and fauna as well as all that comes along with a water source and yet it is situated literally in the middle of a metro/dry desert area in the outskirts of north Tempe. I really do sometimes like to let my mind wander while I run under cottonwood trees and over rushing meadows all while being no more than 20 feet from a busy freeway linking Tempe to the local international airport. It was a treat. I was still a bit tired from the day prior's outing so I rounded out a sluggish 5 miles and headed east to my hut.

I really do feel like I made some progress in my health and fitness this past week. I cannot say that I have found a remedy for my insomnia other than just positive thoughts. I will try to post from across the pond in Great Britain over the course of the next few weeks. 'Til then, cheers. 

Treading Water? Feels Like It Sometimes

Miles:21.1

Time:3:25

Elev. Gain:1,900

YTD Miles:237.7

YTD Time:38:37

YTD Elev.:33,600'

 

5/10 Treadmill: 10.1 miles. Variable speeds and inclines. Boring as always but sometimes to avoid the 105 degree weather ya gotta suck it up and hit the 'mill.

 

5/13 Dreamy Draw Park: 3.0 miles, 500 ft. After a nice Mother's Day breakfast I decided it would not hurt to get out into the Phoenix Mountain Preserve for a few miles in the afternoon. I knew it was hot and I knew I had less liquid than I would of liked so I stuck to a nice slice of track that was somewhat flat and just kept it easy for a few miles around the base of Piestewa Peak. This trail and park holds some memories as this was the trails that I was able to share with Tony Krupicka a few seasons earlier. Overall a decent short run. Ran into a park ranger who after a short Q and A with myself was sold on the MT110's and said he was most likely gonna give them a shot. In my own little way I felt like an NB Ambassador for the day. Good feeling.

 

5/14 Black Mesa Trail: 5.0 miles, 800 ft. I try to always get one good trail run in on my weekends and even though I was still quite tired from some more insomnia like effects I headed out and took the Black Mesa Trail in the Superstition Mountains out for a nice 5 mile clip. It was hot and exposed for most of the run so I knew that even a 5 miler would take quite a bit out of me. The trail has so so footing throughout and this and the fact that I knew the rattlers were out and about made me a bit pretentious going into it but I enjoyed getting out alone and getting to take in the scenes of some trail I had never ventured into. Good day, a bit taxing.

 

5/17 Football Field: 3.0 miles, 300 ft. Used my spare time to get a nice, speedy couple in on the soft cushioned field. Temps hovering around 102 degrees.

 

It seems hard to tell if I am going to be 100 percent back to normal on the sleep and rest front considering I have had about 5 or 6 days now of only an hour or two of sleep each night. I am hopeful that this will pass and that I am on the right track. It is unfortunate that I had such high hopes for this year after a couple mishaps in the last two years, but I am hopeful that the coming trip to Europe will relax my head, heart, body and soul and get me back and yearning for more time on the trails.

 

Slow But Steady

Miles:13.5

Time:2:05

Elev. Gain:2,100'

YTD Miles:216.6

YTD Time:35:12

YTD Elev.:31,700'

5/2/2012-South Mountain- Decided against staying home and taking it easy and made my way out to South Mountain for a run in the low 90 degree temps. Ran my normal 5k loop at a noticeably slower pace than normal. The heat did play a part but mostly just sluggish. My Garmin dying a mile into the run did not help mentally. Hills really took the wind out of my sail also on this day.


5/6/2012-Canal- I had an opening on Sunday so I decided to test my legs on the canal in Chandler on a muggy mid nineties day. Not a good idea. I knew from the start that I was a bit dehydrated and unenergized, but that never keeps me from making a dent so I pounded the dull as ever canal in a brisk pace for 4 miles. I found myself bent over and heaving 3 times over the short run which goes to show that pace and heat are not in the cards for me right now. I know I have a long road back to where I was in the last year but this was not a day to remember.


5/7/2012-Roads- I had the time to get a few miles under the belt so I hit the frontage road next to the house for a few miles in the dim light at dusk. Kept a good pace but was a little drained in all.


5/9/2012-South Mountain-Luckily I had more time to spare so I headed out to South Mountain in the rain soaked skies for what was to be a pretty nice little jaunt. Though the lightning bolted from the blanketed skies throughout I was able to make my loop with a small add on at a brisk, comfortable pace. The trails were nice and packed with the rainfall prior and during, and the brisk winds kept the temp well below normal, probably 65 or so. Legs and mind felt good throughout. Good day on the trails.


I know that my running will be affected by my sleeping disorder and the aftermath for quite some time but I hope that the soothing affects of my time on the trails and all the positives I am able to derive from it will speed up my recovery as well as the road to wellness moving forward in my life. I am grateful for everyday I wake energized and healthy and I can fully appreciate the little things which I took for granted in my past life. My life is enriched by the simple fact that my insomnia provided enlightenment in an area with which darkness crept before. I am grateful for the lessons and plan to learn to live by these experiences.

A Start To Say The Least!

Miles:10.0
Time:1:42
Elev. Gain:1700'
YTD Miles:203.10
YTD Time:33:07
YTD Elev.:29,600' 


Thursday- 3 miles on the treadmill. Easy.


Saturday-  3 miles at Pinnacle Peak in the northeast valley. I decided to test the legs after another sleepless night. I figured it couldn't hurt to try and get out for some normalcy even if my body never again provides it. I felt good in the initial minutes but the overall steepness of the peak really got to me and I had to cut the run short after a few miles even though I do love the trail conditions of nice flat, soft trails with abrupt switchbacks. Headed home a bit weary.


Sunday- 4 miles at Picket Post Mountain in Superior, Arizona. After a decent amount of sleep on Saturday night(thank god!)I decided that my open morning would be filled with another jaunt so I headed out east to a landmark that rises out of the desert south of the interstate. After a somewhat lackluster effort on Saturday I knew that I would most likely have a better day at Picket Post especially considering the temps would be about 15 degrees cooler at start. After avoiding a headless and tailless dead Rattlesnake at the mouth of the trail head I headed off the warning signs embedded in my mind which was to keep my head up and looking forward for any signs of movement, as well as bound around any large(r) rocks with any shaded areas. To my amazement I only encountered one rattler which was up on the hillside when I passed and he did not seem to interested in my pathetic fantasies of "Ultrarunning". I rounded out a few miles and decided to head back in as to not push the envelope with my weary and deprived body.


Overall I was happy with actually getting out and including a little bit of vertical into my runs after a day on the treadmill to get my legs back used to running. I am nowhere near through my current insomnia bout but I think I am on the right track. I will see how the second week goes with my progression.

Simplicity And Its Elusiveness

Miles:6.0
Time:52:00
Elev. Gain:
YTD Miles:193.10
YTD Time:31:25
YTD Elev.:27,900'


One thing I have never been able to accomplish in my short life I guess is contentment. Looking back that seems like a double edged sword lingering over my head. Part of me always looked forward to getting out into the world, the new world, seeing new places, new roads, new bands, new faces, new mountains, never letting myself hit the "repeat" button. This "New World" in a way did in fact lead me to a contentment I guess in which I always knew that I would be looking for something new when the sun rose the next day. But, upon a recent life changing turn in my life I believe I came to a crossroad, one of probably many in my ever-changing life, in which I have had to look at life as a sort of model, like the ones we used to get as kids with the little battery propelled motor and such which in turn we would affix to other simple machines thus making a moving(usually in some means) object such as an old vintage Volkswagen Beetle or an old P38 Lightning fighter jet that we would subsequently crash before takeoff. In the end we seem to all be just that, simple machines. It may be our beautiful fault, or, our beautiful secret, either/or. The problem, at least in my case, is it seems like I have lost or most likely have never realized that, in finality, human lives, my life, is most efficient when I am open to our world, this world, but at the same time closed to what my/our world calls "progressiveness", "technology", or "the road to success". 


I vividly remember parts of my early childhood. Behind the old pines that pressed up against our home like a woken cat lay a trail that was quite trodden though it seemed I was the only one to ever dare traverse it. It led past the blueberry grove which seemingly always produced rather large berries. Ones that to this day I have yet to see their equal. And eventually through an opening in the overgrowth and salmon berry bushes that, on a sunny day, I could stop and gaze as far as my young yet already weary eyes could see. I remember how it led to an old what must have been machining shop of some kind. Old woodworking and metal working tools littered the walls and floors almost seemingly balancing between the broken soggy planks, victims of the Pacific Northwest's fervent rains, and the decade(s) old clumps of pine needles which seemed to like to huddle together like they were devising a plan. I remember every broken window, every rusty nail, whose location it seemed I knew by the counted paces from the front sliding door. Yet the trail led even further out and behind the old shed. It came to a "Y" which to me always seemed like an easy decision, the one leading into the dark forest because after all, it had the secrets. I always tended to turn over the stone to see what lurked underneath, to unlock the secrets, to see what went on when our gazes were elsewhere, when no one was listening. Stunningly was that it was a huge, unending world that seemed to all fit in just over an acre near the coast of southern Oregon.


I can remember every broken branch, every dead sparrow carcass lining the path and where I buried them. I always buried them, they deserved it. Yet, now I find it hard, almost impossible to memorize a simple dance step for a sister in laws wedding. Simplicity is in all things big and small. It will be a delight in finding it once more.

3/19-4/10 My Biggest Hurdle

Miles:1.0
Time:10:00
Elev. Gain:
YTD Miles:187.1
YTD Time:30:33
YTD Elev.:27,900'

After a nearly five week absence from running today I finally logged a mile on my weary legs. Reason being you say? When I last posted to my blog I had relayed the info that I was in the middle of a bout with insomnia that had resulted in only a few days of sleep over a 2 week span. Well, 2 weeks stretched into 5 weeks which in turn stretched my mind and body into a spiral of confusion and despair that I could find no answer for.
After seeing 3 different doctors and prescribed a plethora of prescription pills, which was my absolute last resort, I finally, on April 5th, found slumber. The reason for the episode is still unknown and something that may take months to cure but I am determined to not only get back to health but also to get back on the road, or should I say trail to running. My goals have been pushed back and nearly wiped clean but I am confident that with a few changes here and there I should be back to my normal self soon.
Well, I guess I am off to bed to try and make up for the 200 hours of sleep I am back logged at the moment. Hopefully I can get caught up by the 2016 Rio Olympics.

March 5th-18th

Miles:11.8
Time:1:56
Elev. Gain:1,600'
YTD Miles:186.1
YTD Time:30:23
YTD Elev.:27,900'

To make a very long, boring story short, I have been experiencing a bout of sleeplessness/insomnia dating back to I believe the 2nd of March which was the last night that I had a full night of sleep without the help of sleeping pills. This is not the first bought I have had with this in the last few years but it is definitely one of the worst. I believe I have slept a total of around 29 hours since March 2nd. So I can honestly say that the running has been dismal and non existent. I will keep you posted.

February 28 - March 4

Miles:16.0
Time:2:24
Elev. Gain:2,100'
YTD Miles:174.3
YTD Time:28:27
YTD Elev.:26,300'

Pretty low key week because of a little laziness but mostly just "life" getting in the way of my time on the trail. I did however have a highlight of getting out to Table Mesa Trail in Black Canyon City which is the site of the Xterra Half Marathon Trail Race on March 25th, which I am planning on partaking in just as long as my health holds up over the next few weeks. I will admit that I was a little pretentious about the day on the trail after I found out that the trail ran directly through a shooting range which was teeming with gun toting NRA members waiting to pick off some sissy trail runner treading through their path. After dodging bullets for the first few miles I was in the clear and found the trail to be a nice little slice of singletrack coursing through the canyons and winding alongside and over running streams, which was a surprise, and carving upwards to the small, quaint, Black Canyon City perched up the hillside. I rounded out the run in just a 6 mile chunk and headed back to the city, happy and with a new respect for the area.

February By The Numbers

Miles:4.0
Time:34:00
Elev. Gain:700'
YTD Miles:166.3
YTD Time:27:13
YTD Elev.:25,400'

February Totals:
Miles:86.20
Time:13:48
Elev.:13,100'

February I will admit may have been one of my most consistent months I have ever had in terms of days spent on the trails as well as quality of time spent on said trails. I had a few longer runs peppered in with some nice climbs on the shorter outings with it all coming on close to perfect conditions both in the skies and on the ground. I still find myself sometimes going out with insufficient fluid levels or nutrition levels and trying to make something happen and this is not only ruining the present outing but also it has affected the days preceding it and this must stop. I have tried to make both mental and physical notes of some of my downfalls I have encountered on the trails to prepare myself for some of my loftier goals in the future. I must learn from these if I really plan on trying my hand at a more competitive side of running. I think it is definitely on the horizon, I just have to keep working hard and smart and it will arise.

A Look Towards March 25

Miles:22.0
Time:3:25
Elev. Gain:2,600'
YTD Miles:162.3
YTD Time:26:39
YTD Elev.:24,700'

Superstition Mountain Park; Treadmill-

My week was somewhat clogged with prior engagements which probably worked in my favor considering I had a high mileage week for my standards last week, 34 miles, and this gave me a reason to somewhat lay off the trails for a few days. I did however get out twice on the trails with the first being a bit of a downer physically since it was the warmest day of the year to date and that along with the fact that I had a rushed lunch at nearly 3pm, 1 hour before I hit the trail, this made for a disastrous day on the trails for the most part. I didn't hydrate enough prior and when I did it was with milk and soda in the hour leading up to the run. I sometimes think I can get away with crap like that and it needs to come to a screeching halt if I really want to get over the hump that hides the next level of fitness. I rounded out the week with another trail run and a few more speed intervals on the treadmill for an overall low key week.

I believe the next race I want to enter is the Xterra Trail Run Series-Arizona Black Canyon, in Black Canyon City, north of Phoenix off of the I-17 freeway. It looks like a killer course and it has a killer luncheon following it at the Rock Springs Cafe in BCC. I will post more details. It should be a blast.

M83-Midnight City-Carson Daly

Very Promising Outing

Miles:16.1
Time:2:32
Elev. Gain:1,700'
YTD Miles:140.3
YTD Time:23:14
YTD Elev.:22,100'

South Mountain trails;Treadmill-

So after a few shorter runs on the treadmill I headed out with the intentions of doing a long run at SMP since I had not gotten in any longer runs over the few days prior. After initially deciding on a 12 miler I told myself "Why not go for a half marathon?". So my plans changed and I decided to go for 13.1 if my health provided me the chance. Luckily it did and right from the start I could tell that for whatever reason I felt super chipper which calculated to super speedy. I noticed early that I was able to comfortably keep a 9:00 to 9:15 pace for the first few miles without much effort so I decided that I would try and shoot for a fast time. It was a little warm but not too bad with little cloud cover and a slight breeze so the elements played no factor and I soon found myself at the 6.5 mile turnaround with still quite a bit of reserves so I munched down some salted almonds and graham crackers and chugged about 5 oz's of water and steered my way back down the zig zagging maze back to the parking lot. I honestly never felt like my legs or my energy levels were low or tiring so I continued pushing and rounded out the run in 2:03 and change.

I think I can honestly say that I have never felt so in control of my actions and movements on the trails before as I did yesterday. I really believe I could have knocked off another few minutes if I really had known my levels would hold up as they did yesterday. It was a great run and a great mental boost going in to late winter and possibly a few races to motivate myself.

Taking It Nice And Easy

Miles:13.0
Time:2:01
Elev. Gain:1,300'
YTD Miles:124.2
YTD Time:20:42
YTD Elev.:20,400'

Treadmill/South Mountain Park Trails-

After suffering a decent sized blister on my right heel early last week I decided to try and take a step back running wise to give it some proper time to heal properly. Of course that means just a few miles here and there since I found it extremely hard to not hit the trails since I had started to physically see some improvements in my mountain fitness over the last few weeks or so. But all in all I was able to back off a bit and today I finally headed out for a 7 miler in the northern end of the park and found it to be quite pleasant with a brisk breeze swirling and a vacant trail system for the most part on the north side. It did however feel as though I was favoring my left foot/plant too much trying to avoid the impact on my right foot and the blister that was still peeking through the overgrown scar tissue surrounding it. But after a relaxing but somewhat quick 7 miles I was left with a sense of closure on the heel. Good news.