18 mile long run with Bob.

Having to work at 10:30pm can pose challenges for my training. I'd hoped that after running 18 with Bob and taking Shane (Lance Jr.) on a 9 mile bike ride I'd be ready for a nap. I've never been good at naps or sleeping during the day. I was able to get about a 10 minute nap before work which seemed to do some good. I guess because of my running I end up telling myself when I've been up for 24 hours straight that it is "training". Whatever works! 3 more nights of work then I'll have a few days off and be able to get in another epic hike this Friday. I'm planning on doing an all day trek like I used to when I was in good shape. I'll bring a good lunch and circumnavigate Pt. Mugu State Park for 8-10 hours. I only hop that the ticks are not bad like can tend to be on some of those less used trails going down the west side of Sandstone Peak torwards Big Syacamore Canyon and ultimately to the Ray Miller Trailhead of the Backbone trail. For the past two years I've been throwing around the idea of doing a one day assault on the Backbone Trail. It's 65ish miles from Ray Miller Trailhead to Will Rogers State Beach. I think this would be an epic trip. I plan to leave at 3am and make a long day of it. The other option is to bring pillow and take a nap along the way. But heck, after all of this "training" staying up for 24 hours I won't need one.
Happy Trails,
Mike

Hike up to Tri Peak.

Happy weekend to everyone! I don't return to work until 10:30pm on Saturday, so I decided to take a hike up to Tri Peaks in Pt. Mugu State Park. It was a gorgeous day. I saw 4 other brave souls on the trail as I was coming down. Sure was nice of them to let me clear all the spiderwebs! I was listening to Phidipidations by Steve Runner and was saddened by the fact that he will no longer be doing a weekly podcast. I've been running with steve's voice in my headphones for 2 years, often planning my long runs around the release of his latest podcast. I hope he continues to put out the show even on a limited basis. I know that balancing life and running is hard enough without adding 20+ hours of podcast prep in the mix. You will be missed Steve. Run long and taper my friend.
Happy Trails, Mike.

Winter and the primal instinct.

Is it me or does everybody try to put on weight during the winter months. I believe that it is an ancient, instinctual survival mechanism that triggers in us when the weather gets cold. It couldn't be because I've gotten lazy and lost my discipline! It seems that as the days grow shorter and the temps drop, I tend to start to crave a diet with more fat than I usually would be comfortable with. I also tend to want, to the dismay of my wife, to grow a beard! Could it be the primordial Mike showing through? Is it just an excuse to eat more pizza? Is that wrong? Is this the same primal instinct that draws me to the mountains to run. It is almost as if caught in a Star Wars like tractor beam. "Can't pull away...Must run in mountains...must eat cheeseburger..." Will I next be chasing neighborhood cats with a club? Maybe. I don't like cats! Just kidding. Whatever the attraction is, whether diet or call of the wild, I feel that it is important to listen to our bodies and be in tune with what we need both nutritionally and spiritually. If being in the mountains running or eating a slice of pizza is what my body and mind are craving who am I to argue. As the great George Sheehan once said, "Listen to your body. Do not be a blind and deaf tenant."

Happy trails. Mike