I love mornings

At today's group run I was being teased about sending e-mails at 4 AM. I mentioned how someone once responded to an e-mail of mine at 4 AM, "what are you doing up this Late?"
Heck! I just woke up!
I've always been a morning person. I could never stay up late. I remember as a child how I would go to bed looking forward to waking up before the sun came up. Later as an adult I would think about how good the coffee will be as I sit and watch the day break.
I don't know what caused this, my loving of the morning.
Was it the fact that when I was in elementary school my brother would wake me up before he headed out to high school and cook breakfast for me? My brother would cook his favorite breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheese, and onions. Or as he would say, Onions! with scrambled eggs and cheese. Or did I go to bed early because my Parents demanded it? A local TV station would start their evening newscast with, "It's 10 O'clock, do you know where your children are?" My parents demanded I be home and in bed by 10 O'clock for as long as I lived in their home. Sure, I sneaked out a time or two. Or three, Or four. But when I did sneak out I'd hear my Mom's voice in the back of my head calling my name.
Where I grew up we had alleys behind our homes. As pre-teens, my friends and I would set up camp in the most wooded alley behind one of our homes late on a Friday evening. We'd plan to meet early the next morning to pretend we had camped all night. we would arrive just at daybreak, start a small camp fire, and cook breakfast. As we grew older, the early morning meetings would take us on a run to Woodlawn lake where we would see the sun come up as the ducks were stirring, the fish were jumping, and the sailboats were being launched.
Oh! It's late! I've got to go to bed. The sun will be up soon. Good night.
I Love mornings.

Better than running in the cold rain is taking a warm shower after running in the cold rain.
Seven of us ran at Government Canyon this morning. The morning was a damp 40 degrees with a stiff wind coming out of the north. We would be sprinkled with a light rain on and off after about an hour of running. Running on the trails in or after a heavy rain has been the subject of many a discussion within the group lately. Government Canyon has stated that they will close the park when the trails are very muddy to guard against trail erosion. One of the reasons is people will go around puddles and thus widen the trails. We are all guilty of that at one point or another. But early on today Connie showed true trail stewardship and ran right through a puddle without hesitation. She got cheers from us, and we all did the same.
The shoes I was wearing are not gore-tex so my feet got wet and cold. later I asked Connie if her shoes were of the gore-tex variety. She said no and mentioned how they are quite pricey. They are. I've had a couple pair through out the years.
I got to thinking about the money we spend on gear. Especially shoes. Then I saw an add for cigarettes. $4.39 a pack?! And that's if you buy two packs! I recalled how I thought I should quit smoking when the price reached $1.75.

What really helped me quit was exercising. More specific, bicycling. I remember getting to the point where I could ride 25 miles but not much more. I had cut down from smoking one pack a day to about 5 cigarettes a day. After a bike ride one day, I asked myself, "what do I like more? Smoking? or bicycle riding?" Bicycling won. Next week it will be 21 years since I quit smoking. And at $4.39 a pack, plus tax, running shoes at about $100.00 a pair are a better investment. I don't miss smoking that cigarette.
But keep me off the trails and I begin to go nuts.

Smoothies and Sprints

On a run not too long ago my friend Liza and I were talking smoothies for breakfast and what we put in them. This morning I was creative with my smoothie making.
1 large Kale leaf
1 small beet with it's greens
(I had vegetables fresh off the farm! Ronnie and I were at the Pearl brewery's farmers market yesterday.)
2 tbsp. greek yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. milled flax seed
2 raw eggs
2 tbsp. almond butter
1/2 cup Almond milk
Yum, Yum! It stopped my stomach growling!
I contemplated running for a couple of hours at Government Canyon but again I was too lazy to load the truck and drive over there. So again I was creative, this time with my workout.
2 1/2 mile run to the soccer fields at O.P. Schnabel park.
4 X 100yd. sprints with 12 pushups after each one and 1 min. rest between each set
rest 2 minutes.
4 X 100yd. sprints with 20 squats after each one, 1 min. rest between each set
rest 2 min.
4 X 100yd. sprints with 10 box (bench) jumps after each one, rest 1 min. between each
rest 4 minutes.
Chase some deer around a couple trees in the brush.
2 1/2 mile run back home.
10 X 3 one handed kettle bell (25lb.) swings (3 sets each side)
Great workout fueled by a great smoothie! I wonder if I can keep it up.
Now I can justify the homemade Tamales I'll eat later today! And not feel so bad for being too Lazy (playing on my iPod on the way home) to drive to GC and run long.
Ronnine had oatmeal for me when I got home.
At the farmers market I bought raw honey. It's good! The farmer said "this is what honey is supposed to taste like." He's right. Growing up, we had a bee keeper who lived across the street. The taste of this honey brought back that memory. I also remember when some of his bees built a hive the size of two basketballs on a neighbors tree. We kids stood (far away) and watched in awe as Mr. Cano, decked out in his bee keeper suit, climbed a ladder and removed the hive!

Mud and Pizza

The pond in Leon Creek is full again! We've had so much rain that water was even trickling from a spring. A stiff north breeze was in my face as I ran past the pond. Ducks were swimming and flapping their wings as they enjoyed the rippling water. The Heron, fishing at the water's edge, turned its head to keep an eye on me as I ran by.
My original plan was to run four hours at Government Canyon State natural area but I was too lazy to drive there. Even though it's only a fifteen minute drive. Four hours in leon Creek is just as good if you're creative. My legs were a bit sore at the start and, near the end of the run, my glutes would be sore too. Yesterday's run included hill repeats with Chris up the Yucca trail at Eisenhower park. They were at about 80 percent effort too! Another running friend who saw me after the hill repeats said I was walking like quasimodo.
On the run I found it amusing when I saw several deer hoof skid marks in the mud. The raccoons prints were impressive. They seemed to handle the mud OK, but raccoons are round and lower to the ground. I couldn't help but to laugh as I envisioned the deer sliding in the mud.
Going around a tree on a tight turn I lost it! My right foot slid left across my body and down I went, falling forward, breaking my fall with my hands. I got up looking at my muddy leg and hands. I looked around to see if any deer saw me and may be chuckling. The mud was the sticky kind. The kind you can't wipe off on your shorts. And rubbing my hands on a tree only got me scratched palms. I made it to a car wash off the trail a mile ahead and rinsed my hands at the spigot in the chamois wringer.
I Tried Pizza (and gels) for fuel today after a friend told me how good Costco's pizza was. I hadn't had pizza in years! Really! The supreme pizza is full of carbs, protein, sodium. It seemed to work well. Not the best food for health but in an ultra, "there are no bad calories." I think I'll go with pizza at the Bandera 100k in three weeks.

Hiking with kids is so much fun!

Saturday my grandson John and I drove out to the Hill Country State Natural Area, Site of the Cactus Rose 50 and 100 milers, and the Bandera 100K, and 50K races and
also the site of many a Rockhopper training run. Only 40 miles from the northwest end of San Antonio, this park is so remote from the hustle and bustle of the city. I explained to John that there is no electricity and no running water and miles and miles of rugged nature trails. He was OK with that and excited!
Our running group, The Rockhoppers, planned a weekend retreat to the park for some camping, running, and socializing. We have such a wonderful group of runners and most importantly, a great group of friends. There is such a warm feeling when we get together.
Many in the group are training for the upcoming 100K, and also training for the 100 miler at Rocky Raccoon.
Me? My next race is the Bandera 100k but I have not been "feeling it" as far as training hard. I just don't feel like running long distances right now. Maybe my body is telling me something. I've decided and convinced myself that I am in taper mode.
It was a great opportunity to spend quality time with John. We'll hike the technical trails and hope that he finds it exciting enough to some day run these trails with his Grandpa.
John and I started our hike before the runners in the group got going Saturday morning. We headed out to Sky Island and sat on a scenic overlook just as the running group came by 2 miles into their run. They all paused to say hello, and everyone smiling.
John and I went back to the lodge to lead the next group of hikers.
The second group were non-running family members. Spouses and children. Besides Tim who came with us too. Nine of us! The kids were very inquisitive!
Liza's son, four year old Asa, brought along his first-aid kit just in case anyone got hurt.
We paused to look at the foliage and the beautiful views of the Texas hill country.
I think I enjoyed the hike as much, and maybe more than many of my runs at Bandera.
Watching kids get excited about steep hills, mountain views, plants, and nature's wonders, make me smile and feel young again.
I,John, Tim, and My long time friend John Palmer (founder of the Rockhopper group), went on another hike at noon. We got caught in the rain but it did not not dampen our spirits, it only enhanced our appreciation for our love of nature.

Bothering the wildlife.

It's kind of freaky when you're running in the rain, through mud and puddles in the dark on tight single track, among low hanging branches, and all of a sudden you hear large wings flapping right next to your ear! Heard it twice this morning. The birds must have been Owls or Hawks. I couldn't help but think they must have been upset that we flushed them out of their roosts. I imagined they had found shelter in a comfortable place on a branch, tucked their head in under their feathers, only to have John and I come by and spook them. Just as we did to the deer who raised their heads as we came by on their bedding sight. They looked at us with an expression like "are you serious?"
John and I ran early this morning in Leon Creek. It seemed cool with the light rain/drizzle falling but once on the trail it felt humid very quickly.
I'll let the birds and deer sleep in tomorrow. I'll wait to run after daybreak.