j-lyn's corner

when writing 2 reports is just too hard:

http://jennilyneaton.blogspot.com/2013/06/bryce-100-race-report.html 

45 mins core + upper body. tried to do core w/o brace, but foot still felt "floppy"

 9 miles on the bike. ugh. 

80 mins of core, legs, shoulders. did about 1/2 without ankle brace. had a good adjustment on the ankle that got rid of the clicking sound every time I stepped.

30 mins core. did something than sent a zing and a pop through the top of my foot. WTH? being a climber, i think--oh crap! popped tendon!

my ankle has hurt substantially less ever since. whatever happened, it sure did help. never put the ankle brace back on, can walk around ok without it...

Did a 5.5 mile jog/hike on the castle rocks apline loop trail- my all-time favorite short trail. I was so happy to be up at the crack of dawn in my favorite place, out camping iwth friends. Early in the loop the wildflowers were dwindling, I was thinking that the meadow you hit 4 miles in was going to be dead.... but surprise! I was so happy I stopped to take pictures and frolick thru the flowers. Orchids, tulips, daisies, and other tubers I don't know the name of... Ah.

Then I was a bad girl and climbed all day. Started the day leading the first route of the day (gear lead) and was surprised at how well I handled my emotions leading- ended up with only 3 pieces in the 35 meters (and I brought I double rack thinking I'd be nervous and sew it up).

A few climbs later and my ankles were killing me so I stopped climbing, since I had night plans. Come dinner time Em and I headed out for a "Mom's adventure." I stole her, she hasn't had an adventure out since her 2nd baby was born. After I  brought up JAckson's thumb, her husband says to me, "Well what are Ben and I supposed to all evening with all the kids?" I laughed, "Ask Ben. Have fun!"

Em and I got to the base (long hike) and the ankle was tender. We decided to swing leads. Ankles were NOT happy- so the pitches I didn't lead I climbed barefoot or in tennies. I belayed Em up pitch 1, and she stopped to scope out how to set up the top belay for me. (It's been a while since she's done a multi)

"Oh, did I need to bring one of those?" she said, pointing to my ATC. Crap, I start trying to decide who gets the short straw to be belayed on a muenter (what's worse, muenter on a top belay or lead belay?) but fortunately she just mean the type of ATC I had (reverso style)- she had an old school ATC on her. Whew.

It was breezy, by pitch 2 it was picking up and we started to worry a bit. Mid pitch 3 the wind increased to 30mph with 50mph gusts! We were blowing over trying to clip. After we rapped from the tip of the thumb, we go to pull rope, said a quick prayer "God, please don't let the rope get stuck up there and make us be here all night" Tried to do the famous pull slow, fast jolt at the tip of the rope.... but the wind blew the rope and we couldn't. Fortunately the rope almost came down.... actually, about 30 meters of rope blew down the gully and snagged onto the rock about 2 ft from the ground the whole way down. Hooray! So we bushwhacked down, picking up the rope as we went. Ankles were screaming, and I was getting worried about my uhhh "rest day" slowing down the healing process.

After we got out of the gully we couldn't find the climbers trail in the dark and buschwhacked around for an hour. By the time we were halfway to the car we saw Ben pull up in the distance to the parking lot. So we pulled out a headlamp and turned it on flashing so he'd see it and know we were ok. Unfortunately he thought that was a sign of distress (he was remembering how I couldn't take steps at Bryce) and ran out to come carry me out. Silly boy. I hiked out like a big girl. 

 Apparently the kids loved staying up til 11pm eating marshmallows, and told me it was the best day ever. They did a few climbs, hiked, and played with friends all day too- and yes, it was a great day. :) Woke up the next morning, ankle much improved... really I was just stretching it out.

Wire Wednesday!

 ...one of the bum deals about being injured is I couldn't keep up, even on the way down (couldn't trust my ankle not to give out). So I took a wrong turn and added on some mileage.

So pleased to get out. It was rather painful, but by 3pm I felt better than I had before the run. I took that as a sign to keep going. 

I asked Neasts if she felt like running. Sure was the response, something easy. I suggested Grandeur. Then Zac was looking for a morning out so I sent the invite, knowing he was injured too. It was a worry-free slow climbing morning. 

I was told stability and a big heal-to-toe drop would help the ankle. Enter the 11mm drop ultraraptors.

Grandeur was pleasant and lovely. Wildflowers in bloom... I couldn't stopping to take photos!

plus, Zac took a pic of me that makes me look like I have leg muscles. I cropped my fat belly out of the photo (phew)

I was going to take the day off, but got roped into running before the movie under the stars. I was still a bit reluctant knowing I was heading out early the next AM for a longer run.

About a mile in about stupid steep asphalt, I was told we were running down the bobsled. WTH? I was so giddy I actually WANTED to run uphill. I'd heard so much about this trail but never run it... I wanted to see if it lived up to its' legend. 

It was incredible. Running up the dishes (for lack of a better word?) on the sides of the hills, stupid steep ups/downs... jumping off stuff for photos... running ramming into friends to stop after said photos...

 Yeah, I giggled, whooped, hollered and squealed more than I ever have on a roller coaster.

SO FUN.

Oh, and Neasts is becoming quite the little downhill runner...

Mill D to Deso to Red Lover's Ridge and back with the SLC track club gone trail runner crew.

I drove carpool and made grown men listen to Party in the USA.

hahaha. 

Ran up the LCC Creek trail in the eve. Lost of bikes but they dwindled out as time went on- didn't start til after 8pm. 1:03:25. Felt like pushing pace a little up the hill so I did. On the way down I tried to make it so a certain biker wouldn't catch me but he ended up getting there.

First time in LCC without a trad rack. So weird to run by the "trail" towards sasquatch, after having bush-whacked out there so many times. 

A quick 4 on the rail trail in the eve.

Ran with Ben up Grandeur. Ankle was extremely painful but a tad better on the downhill.

I was thinking, oh, Ben hasn't run in ages, we have a babysitter, nice relaxing morning together.

Then he ran up the mountain and I pushed hard to keep him in sight. 1:02 to the top, a record for me- I never stopped the time. 

A quick 4 miles on the rail trail. I didn't feel much like running, so I left the watch at home to ensure I wouldn't push. No idea on the time.

A delightful run+ bushwhack up Mount Logan (thru waist-deep raspberry bushes, sadly, no berries.) Ben joined me and got all cranky on the bushwhack. "This isn't even trail running," he moaned. Hahaha. 'cuz trail runners don't bushwhack dear...

He had only planned on 8 miles round trip, we hit the summit at 6.7, it was really cold, and I was planning on tagging Providence Peak (adds on maybe a mile) but I let him talk me out of it. Bummer.

I did talk him into coming down Providence Canyon instead of back out through Dry. I couldn't imagine losing 1200 ft elevation in 0.6 miles through deep raspberry thickets to be much fun, especially since he was wearing five fingers. Oh, and he didn't bring running clothes so he was out in climbing clothes.

We got out of Providence Canyon after 16.6 miles. Oops. I noticed after 12 miles my ankle just rolled over everything- rocks I would usually use to push off of I would just roll over, so a lot of weakness. One roll was very painful, but 1/2 mile later felt better.  Got to get that strengthened.

We would have taken the deer fence trail to connect back to Dry canyon (my original 20+mile plan) but Ben didn't have food, water, salt, etc.... and the pads of his feet were tired from the 5 fingers that he never wears. So I called my Dad and had him come pick us up, since he was only a couple miles away. I really wanted to finish the loop, but I knew that my stubborn husband wouldn't have been ok with getting a ride unless I got in there too. I also felt like if I had kept going he would have felt like a sissy-pants, which he's not.

Then we went to the movies. Then boating. Then barbecuing. What a day. 

A nice 3 mile hike with my sis who emotionally threw up all over me. So nice to be there to let her vent tho!

 LCC Creek Trail again. 1300 vert-ish. 

 I think I started to feel Mount Logan. To get to my turn around point from last week it took me 3 mins longer (on a 3.3 mile section). I felt like I was pushing on the ups. So this is what fatigue feels like...

6 repeats of lower bell reservoir. Each time up has 540 ft vert. I did repeats on both sides- one had .7 the other .5 to the top/bottom. Brutal.

I was really distracted since I friend and fellow runner (my age nonetheless) was just diagnosed with cancer and I had yet to sort my thoughts out. Couldn't handle music, too much stimulation, and even after I put the music back in the car I biffed it once because I was so involved in my thoughts I didn't notice what was going on.

So, not sure it was "real" repeats since I didn't push much on ups NOR downs. Oh well. 

Grander Peak with long lost friend Marty and new friend Jen. Marty had a baby a couple months ago and spent the entire hike up apologizing for her speed. 2 months post baby---she did awesome! I am SOOOOOOOO happy to have Marty here. Our husbands were BFFs in high school and Marty and I became friends in college. What fun.

We start the downs, I take the lead, and Marty follows just inches behind me. Hmmmm.... So I pick it up a bit in the technical sections and she keeps up, awesome! Her core (post-baby stretching) got tired halfway down and she slowed a tad bit. By tad bit I mean she still flew! Awesome!! I am super duper excited to have another chica who loves the downhills. As she recovers, I am excited to take her down Blanche and Bobsled, my two personal favorite downhills.... :)

Up little black with Ku who was recovering from the San Juan Solstice and had a headcold (i.e. we hiked up it... slowly).

 ...That said, I like lil Black a whole lot more now that I know I can take the Bobsled out and the only have to run a mile on the road to get back to the car. Quality. 

I brought back a horny toad for Indy from the top of Black. I am surprised it didn't die in my vest pocket. Sure glad, I'd have to live down lizard-killer jokes forever if it had died. Indy was thrilled for his birthday present. 

After the slumber party finished, we went to Deer Creek Reservoir with some friends. I saw that there was a trail, 7.5 miles each way, nearby and decided... what the heck, I may as well run a marathon or so. I convinced my friend Marty to run 10 miles in the 100 degree heat with me. I drank 50oz in that 10 miles. Whew.

Then Leslie met up with me. It seemed to be a "normal" night run. Ya know, until it got all originally epic. Something about a tiny black kitty that Leslie stopped to pet, that followed us for a couple miles crying. Then we tried to carry it. Then we tried to ditch it, and it fell off the cliff trying to cut the switch back short to get to us and came up all covered in prickles, pokeys, and whatnot... crying it's tiny little eyes out of course. 

That made me feel like a horrible person.

What the heck is a tiny baby kitten doing miles away from ANYONE at 12am anyway?

I tried carrying kitty in my tank. My arms. Finally strapped my hat around her neck super tight and pinned her body in so we could run a little faster. I think the kitty ran about 3 miles, and I carried her for over 4. Exhausting! and slow... added over an hour to that last 7 miles.

Oh, during the last couple miles my headlamp went out, my watch died, and my ankle reared it's ugly head to tell me to cancel tentative plans I'm making for July weekends. 

I brought the kitty home til we could find it a family. My kids now think we have a new pet. She's named "Rezzy" since she was found abandoned at a reservoir. Kind of a lame name.... but better than the other options: Leslie had suggested "Stalker" since it wouldn't leave us alone, Fisher had suggested "Golden Trophy."

Rezzy now sleeps with my childrens and dotes on all of us. She kind of acts like a squirrel. I've never had a cat or even been around them before. Weird creature.