If you want to see me run for the first time in 2 years... (plugging my JINGLE BELL HELL shenanigans)

...this Saturday (12/20/14) at 8 am, Inspiration Point in Berkeley's Tilden Park is the place to be.

(Notice I didn't put any minutes after that "8"? That's because we don't run a very tight ship at #JBH...yet. We're just glad when people intentionally show up...even if it's just because of the FREE DONUTS!)

Jingle Bell Hell 2014 (click that to see the informational post) will be my post-surgical debut run. It'll be short (like, a quarter of a mile) and hopefully sweet. But it might suck. Be there to find out!

There will be donuts.

There will be chip-timing again.

There will be cookies.

There will be water.

If I knew people were going to actually show up I'd get some shirts made and some bling. There will be prizes. And remember...the winner gets his or her name inscribed on the awesome trophy IN INK! And that means FOREVER.

I'm hoping we double the real-life participant numbers this year and hit The Big 5. It's way more fun than it sounds like. Really.

Come!

Jingle Bell Hell...not just another virtual race...

...but one with a sketchy prize history yet an amazing assortment of donuts at the LIVE event.

COME ONE...COME ALL...

You may or may not remember that I've been race director (using that term verrrrrry loosely) for an awesome holiday race for the last three years. (That takes you to the first running...click here to see the second year's recap and here to see last year's). Remember how no one attended the 2011 event knowingly and the winner of the real life race was a random guy who had no idea he was a part of the resurrection of Jingle Bell Hell. 

Runner Chris...random guy who won last year's race!

And then the next year the indomitable RoseRunner was crushed by SFRoadWarrior in a surprise upset. Of course she did have a 2-mile handicap! I was able to lure flesh-and-blood, intentional participants with DONUTS!!! Donuts have now become a signature drawing point for this event.

And there were all of the virtual participants who never received their prizes and probably hate me now :( If y'all knew what my last year has been like, y'all'd forgive me in a heartbeat...I promise. Note: lack of blogging was due to IRL insane turmoil and putting-back-together-of-life-pieces.

Anyway...

Three was not exactly an attendance charm. Only two participants again, but this time Jen didn't get sick...and she WON! 

We're giving it another go! It's time to begin thinking about running in this fabulous event!

Below is information on the race...past and present...a little history...some details...hope to see you there, either in the flesh or in spirit!

source

The 6th running of 

Jingle Bell Hell

1/3-marathon and fun run 

Saturday, December 20, 2014 at 8:00 a.m.

Inspiration Point, Tilden Park, Berkeley, California

Rain or Shine

or wherever in the world you might be :)

The starting point of the real-life event is Inspiration Point in Berkeley, California and the course map is...

View Larger Map

and the elevation profile is...

as determined by my Garmin.

The History

My best friends from high school used to put on a race in December. It was small in terms of the number of participants but huge in terms of fun and adventure. Initially, it was a half-marathon, but they found that very few of their friends were at all interested in or capable of running that far. Additionally, the course involved some running on a twisty, narrow road with minimal shoulder that did see its fair share of traffic...especially on weekends. So they abbreviated it to a 1/3-marathon (more or less...a bit over 8 miles) and were able to run it entirely on a paved, car-less road.

My husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) and I ran in their 3rd Annual Jingle Bell Hell in December of 1995 (see picture above...I am front and center with the socks on my hands, he is in the back in the light shirt). It was freezing by Bay Area standards...but not wet. Not everyone went all the way out to the turnaround...and that was just fine.

I won the trophy that year... the "Actually Trained for This Race" Award...

Each year, the winner gets to have their picture taken with this perpetual trophy and have their name added to the illustrious list on the bottom... ballpoint pen inscribed on masking tape, 'cuz we're classy like that. And there will be some prizes that can be taken home as well :)

****

I am really hoping to see some local runners in attendance! It's not far from San Francisco, San Jose or even Santa Cruz... looking west or south. Concord is super close to the east, and Sacramento is just 90 minutes away to the north. It's a great follow-up to the early December races, like CIM.

If you're coming in from out of town and need a super cheap place to crash...with an SF Bay view, in a solid structure, and don't mind driving about five miles...

source

The Albany Bulb Waterfront has some very artistic structures that may or may not be inhabited by squatters.

If you want to do virtual version of Jingle Bell Hell, here are the parameters...

• Must be at least 5K in total length...no maximum.
• Must be done on a challenging course (and if you hate treadmills, that means it could be on a treadmill) because the idea is "Hell" ... that is the important part.
• Must be done between December 13 and 21, 2014... any time of day or night. This gives you two entire weekends to choose from.
• You must laugh at least once... can be an evil laugh, a laugh of futility, any kind of laugh but laughter is a MUST.
• Email me a link to your Jingle Bell Hell recap so I can post it and we may all share in the fun... please include something about when, where, why regarding the laughing part and what made the run your special brand of Hell :)

Participants in the virtual race will be entered in a prize drawing. Things like fueling products, Nuun hydration products, winter running gear, running safety items, some random stuff. Receiving these prizes is always iffy, as previous participants will tell you, because I really really really hate going to the post office. But honestly, folks...ARE WE REALLY RUNNING FOR PRIZES?????

Leave a comment if you want to participate!

JINGLE BELL HELL 2013 is a-comin'!!!!

Many many thanks to Run with Jess for giving me a swift kick in the butt on this...

She is the MOST AWESOME Race Ambassador EVER!!!!

I've become such an absentee blogger of late (try the whole last YEAR) 

so I'm wondering how many people will see this! 

I hope you all will share it with EVERYone you know or don't know because...

The more the merrier!!!

You may or may not remember that I've been race director for an awesome holiday race for the last two years. (That takes you to the first running...click here to see the most recent recap). Remember how no one attended the 2011 event knowingly and the winner of the real life race was a random guy who had no idea he was a part of the resurrection of Jingle Bell Hell. 

Runner Chris...random guy who won last year's race!

And then last year, the indomitable RoseRunner was crushed by SFRoadWarrior in a surprise upset. Of course she did have a 2-mile handicap! I was able to lure flesh-and-blood, intentional participants with DONUTS!!! There will be donuts again this year.

And there were all of the virtual participants who never received their prizes and probably hate me now :( If y'all knew what my last year has been like, y'all'd forgive me in a heartbeat...I promise. Note: lack of blogging was due to IRL insane turmoil and putting-back-together-of-life-pieces.

Anyway...

We're giving it another go! It's time to sign up for this fabulous event!

Below is information on the race...past and present...a little history...some details...hope to see you there, either in the flesh or in spirit!

source

The 6th running of 

Jingle Bell Hell

1/3-marathon and fun run 

Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 8:00 a.m.

Inspiration Point, Tilden Park, Berkeley, California

Rain or Shine

or wherever in the world you might be :)

The starting point of the real-life event is Inspiration Point in Berkeley, California and the course map is...

View Larger Map

and the elevation profile is...

as determined by my Garmin.

The History

My best friends from high school used to put on a race in December. It was small in terms of the number of participants but huge in terms of fun and adventure. Initially, it was a half-marathon, but they found that very few of their friends were at all interested in or capable of running that far. Additionally, the course involved some running on a twisty, narrow road with minimal shoulder that did see its fair share of traffic...especially on weekends. So they abbreviated it to a 1/3-marathon (more or less...a bit over 8 miles) and were able to run it entirely on a paved, car-less road.

My husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) and I ran in their 3rd Annual Jingle Bell Hell in December of 1995 (see picture above...I am front and center with the socks on my hands, he is in the back in the light shirt). It was freezing by Bay Area standards...but not wet. Not everyone went all the way out to the turnaround...and that was just fine.

I won the trophy that year... the "Actually Trained for This Race" Award...

Each year, the winner gets to have their picture taken with this perpetual trophy and have their name added to the illustrious list on the bottom... ballpoint pen inscribed on masking tape, 'cuz we're classy like that. And there will be some prizes that can be taken home as well :)

****

I am really hoping to see some local runners in attendance! It's not far from San Francisco, San Jose or even Santa Cruz... looking west or south. Concord is super close to the east, and Sacramento is just 90 minutes away to the north. It's a great follow-up to the early December races, like CIM and Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas. 

If you're coming in from out of town and need a super cheap place to crash...with an SF Bay view, in a solid structure, and don't mind driving about five miles...

source

The Albany Bulb Waterfront has some very artistic structures that may or may not be inhabited by squatters.

If you want to do virtual version of Jingle Bell Hell, here are the parameters...

• Must be at least 5K in total length...no maximum.
• Must be done on a challenging course (and if you hate treadmills, that means it could be on a treadmill) because the idea is "Hell" ... that is the important part.
• Must be done between Dec. 14-22, 2013... any time of day or night. This gives you two entire weekends to choose from.
• You must laugh at least once... can be an evil laugh, a laugh of futility, any kind of laugh but laughter is a MUST.
• Email me a link to your Jingle Bell Hell recap so I can post it and we may all share in the fun... please include something about when, where, why regarding the laughing part and what made the run your special brand of Hell :)

Participants in the virtual race will be entered in a prize drawing. Things like fueling products, Nuun hydration products, winter running gear, running safety items, some random stuff... I want to try to have something for everyone... depending on how many or how few participate. Going with that whole "Everyone's a Winner" thing :) Don't want anyone's self-esteem damaged by a silly sporting event.

And I WILL send out the prizes this year!!!! FOR REAL!

Leave a comment if you want to participate!

Weekend Fitness Frenzy

Since I didn't do squat all week...partially due to a 3-day migraine :( ... and partially due to lack of motivation and energy post-migraine, I decided to do what any normal athlete would do...

too much on the weekend.

I was going to run a little bit on Friday. But... I had an active 3-year old in tow all day and some painful internal struggling to power through. By bedtime Friday, I knew I had to do something on Saturday...and I had already half-committed to a possible run with a friend on Sunday... maybe... meaning I was facing a weekend fitness frenzy...at least by my standards.

By late Saturday afternoon, things finally calmed down on the homefront. I headed to the gym at around 5 o'clock and settled in on the StairMaster for a little warm-up. Twenty bored minutes later and totally up-to-date on the Blake Lively/Ryan Reynolds nuptials, I closed my People magazine and stepped off that machine and climbed aboard the elliptical. Fifty super sweaty and soulfully satisfying minutes later, I had firmed up my Sunday running plans thanks to my smartphone and was done working out for the evening for which my shell-shocked quads thanked me. All in all, it was a very productive session.

When I awoke on Sunday, I was a little concerned about the state of my quads given the run I had in mind. I was planning to meet up with my running buddy who is always up for awesome challenges. I love running with her because we have good conversations and both relish training on demanding terrain.

We planned to meet at high noon...because we like to make things harder. We set off to run the same loop as last Sunday, but this time we did three loops plus a little extra in the middle of each loop...which brought my total for the run to 9.6 miles. She did more. I was a waste product after the 9.6.

Below are photos of my two very favorite parts of this route...the photos were taken in the spring when everything was green so imagine instead of the green (except the eucalyptus) it is the golden brown typical of California at the end of summer.

This little 'gateway' is at the crest of the BIG hill. 

I love turning the corner that precedes it and seeing this opening...

 and when you pass through it, the valley opens up at your feet :)

After climbing the BIG hill, you run a bit around the rim of the valley, crossing to the other side.

You then descend on this road.

This view always makes me think of The Road to Endless Possibilities.

With each loop it was getting hotter, but it never got unbearable. Then I dropped an awesomebomb right as we approached our final 1.4 mile descent... kombucha on ice in my car at the finish. Roserunner got very excited and announced the arrival of her second wind and started picking up the pace. I grumbled and flailed and couldn't match anything faster than a determined plod until the downhill began.

We got to the bottom. I was a salty mess. I usually drink a big bottle of Nuun before runs like this one...but I had forgotten to set it up before I left the house :(  Instead, I followed my car-ride kombucha with Nuun at home. And while I tend to take ice baths following long runs (yes, 9.6 is long in my book), I've been opting for warm epsom salts baths lately. I don't really know why. And I don't really know what difference I would feel versus an ice bath. But the epsom salts deal seems to be very comforting and my muscles do feel pretty happy right now.

I'm thinking next week I might shoot for a double-digit run...not sure how that will fit into the Don't Run, Run Faster training plan...perhaps if I, once again, don't do squat all week and just save it all for the weekend... 

*****************************

And we have a victor...

the random number generator at random.org says...

28

which translates to...

Lisa from Mom to Marathon!

Congrats to Lisa on winning the Endorphin Warrior Training Bracelet...and many, many thanks to all who participated in the giveaway :)

The Shadow Knows...but what are those?

I ran my favorite trail loop today.

I did it twice plus added a little spur halfway through the first loop to bring the total mileage to sevenpointsomething miles (7.1 or maybe 7.2...I don't know). It was beautiful out, but there were lots of dogs. Lunging, snapping, yapping dogs. Lots of apologies were extended to me.

As long as they don't bite me or trip me, it's all good, I said with a smile.

But here's what I don't get...

We're out in the pristine wilderness...well, fairly pristine anyway...and I'm seeing all these little, brightly-colored packets on the side of the trail. There are probably 8 or so in the 3 miles that is the loop. Red, yellow, blue, green... What are these things? I asked to no one in particular because at that moment I was totally alone. I slowed to get a better look.

Sh*tbags.

That's what they were. I guess the dog people figured that just bagging it was enough. At least that way no one would step in it, right? And then who wants to carry that sh*t with them while they are walking in nature? No one. So just leave the little giftie scootched up on the side of the trail but in plain sight...sort of decorative-like. News flash: That is NOT cleaning up after your dog. Carry the sh*t out, people.

Though I might seem peeved by this, it didn't disturb the awesomeness that was my run.

I felt strong and fluid the whole time. I held off some guy who tried to sneak up on me as I headed up the monster hill on my second time around... without even trying. And I practiced running in my sports bra...because it might be really hot again at Hood to Coast, and I don't want that to be the first time I expose my soft white underbelly to the universe. Here's what I noticed:  Running away from the sun is the best. Your shadow looks long and lean like a gazelle. I am going to confidently state that my shadow looked HOT. As I mentioned on DailyMile, shadows are awesome...no unsightly details.

It looked better when I was running. I swear.

The view oncoming hikers and runners had was decidedly less hot. To them, the unsightly details were visible...

Showing my wrinkly, hippogut and my shiny forehead. 

Grimacing because the sun in blasting my eyeballs.

Do you like my "Don't-Shoot-Me Orange" sports bra? 

You can get one at Target :)

A must-have if you plan to go hunting in your underwear.

The run was my third workout in 24 hours. No double-days of running for this chiquita...if I'm going to screw up my hip, I'm going to do it in the race and not before! I'm very curious to see how my alternative (or lack of) training plan will pan out next weekend. But not only am I curious, I am excited to see how it works! Less than a week!

Samurai Trail Running...with minor injuries

What is Samurai Trail Running?

It's pretty much just like regular trail running, but you put your hair up like a samurai...

...comme ça...

pink, sparkly BIC Bands head band optional.

Today I decided to break in my trail running shoes. They were new...

...and oh-so-clean!

I'd had a hankering for a pair of trail running shoes. You know, with all the running I've been doing lately, the Newtons and the Mizunos just aren't enough. *cough, cough*liar*cough, cough* ...a-hem... But money has been super tight – as evidenced by my running out of gas a lot lately – so new shoes seemed a ridiculous notion.

Until...

Our REI dividend arrived along with a 20% discount coupon on one item, and the dividend was way huger than I had ever imagined! 20% off + dividend = new Brooks Cascadia 7's  :)  And I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to run my Jelly Bean 10K...trail-style. I suck and forgot my bib :(

You know that thing about nothing new on race day? Yeah... I went home with this...

But I attribute it to the soaking wet wool socks bunching up...

not the awesome and lovely new shoes.

Everything started off dry. But I knew that wouldn't last long because we've had a good deal of rain lately. Everything was fresh and green and just beautiful. My plan was to run 2 of the three-plus-mile loops that I ran a few weeks ago.

Small water crossing at the beginning of each loop.

Pretty trail.

More pretty trail a little further along.

Little waterfall next to trail right before big-ass hill.

At about Mile 1 and Mile 4.

Beginning of major big-ass, never-ending hill from hell.

I really motored up this hill on the first lap.

Not so much on the second lap :P

That, through the little lit space, is the crest of the major big-ass

mo'fo' hill that is preparing me well for the Hayes Street Hill,

which I will encounter on May 20.

Ahhhhhh...finally!

Downhill and dry!

I picked up the pace considerably...especially on the first lap.

Unfortunately, I came upon more and more of this...

Super sticky, clay-ey mud.

Deep...and super sticky with lots of puddles.

And did I mention that it was super sticky?

Like so sticky that it literally sucked my shoe right off my foot...for real.

*Photo not staged*

It took me a while to navigate to a place with semi-solid footing where I could put my shoe back on. By this time my socks were soaked. This is where they bunched up and created the blister-friendly environment. All of this happened in the first lap.

Despite the mud and soaked shoes and socks, I felt great when I got to the bottom of the hill and faced off at the beginning of the whole ordeal again. I decided that YES, I was going to proceed with the run. Go, me.

So stupid.

First, I forgot to mention that in that first loop I must've twisted or rolled over on my left ankle no less than 6 times...probably more...and my right ankle enough times to make it yell at me now even after icing. I did the whole, "Oh, rolled ankle...keep going...loosen it up...stopping will make it seize... motion...loose...keep running..."

Second, I had run the first loop hard. I worked the big-ass hill like nobody's biz. I was happy and smiling as I reminded myself over and over all the way up how strong it was making me...how preparing it was. What this means is that I was rather fatigued for the second loop. The challenging terrain and the tiredness pretty much meant an end to decent and safe running form. The second time up it, I wanted to stop badly several times. I kept asking myself, "Are you feeling injured?" "No. Just tired." "Then keep going because the work over time will take care of that." So I kept going. While the UP was very challenging, it didn't hurt me.

Third, the down hurt me. By the time I got to that previously pictured mud field, my ankles were screaming as they had been perpetually rolled. The slipping and sliding and bad landings had taken their toll on my glutes and stabilizers. Everything was fatigued, and my form went to crap. I slowed way down so as to not aggravate anything that had been 'disturbed.' By the time I finished, I was so happy to hobble to my car. Sitting down never felt so good.

Now officially broken in :)

And I am ignorant...could trail runners tell me...

do I just hose them off or what?

After peeling my socks off, I drove home barefoot.

Which is legal.

What did I learn today?

• Trail running is tough stuff. You use lots of additional muscles that are not used in road running. The anti-tripping muscles, for example.
• Wet, bunchy socks = big blister possibilities.
• I am not in shape. My fitness is so questionable now...so sad :( 
• My hip likes running better when I am in shape.
• Big, sharp sticks lurk in the mud...waiting for unsuspecting trail runners to land on them, at which point they try to stab said runners in the crotch...

It's okay, though. He just got my knee.

It's not that bad...it was just really scary when it happened :P

Course elevation profile:

I believe those completely bizarre spikes and drops from 0.8 to 1.4 miles happened

when my Garmin spazzed out. Or maybe I stepped in a really big hole 

and that's when I twisted my ankle.

Distance: 6.25 miles ...clearly, the course was long  ;-)

Time:  One hour and 14 minutes. No guns. No chips. Just a finger on a button.

Maybe tomorrow I'll do a blister-treatment video...

The Big Boy Hike

For years I have wanted to go hiking with my kids. I wandered the Berkeley hills in Tilden Regional Park when I was young, and I loved it. I wanted to share this place with my own children.

Spending eight years hobbling around in my slippers, using shopping carts like walkers pretty much meant hiking was not an option. Now that I am healthy enough to take on the great outdoors, I have a few pretty resistant customers, most likely because it is completely foreign to them. Hiking can be hard work...and you might get dirty. My big boy is especially known for shying away from activities that involve those two things...working hard and getting dirty. 

Imagine my surprise when he excitedly agreed to join me in climbing a mountain this past weekend. I'm pretty sure it was a combo of getting time away from his humungous history project on which he has been majorly procrastinating and spending a little one-on-one time with me :)

I packed some lunch and some water, put on some real hiking boots, and off we set. I'd done this hike several times decades ago; I knew it was something he could handle. I have no idea how many miles it is, and I'm too lazy to do the math using the park's trail map. Start to finish, it took us 2 hours...and we were really leisurely. 

Me and my big boy getting ready to head out.

We opted for the road less traveled...

the one to the right, in case you couldn't tell.

Some images lend themselves to hugeness...

...and here's a close-up of the branch obstructing the trail...

...because the blistery, black fungus we had to climb over reminded me

vividly of that poor prairie dog we saw on our trip to the SF Zoo.

We were careful to not touch it in the event it is interphylum contagious.

This one also needs to be seen really, really big...

Yes, my son is a tree-hugger. 

But he does have discriminating taste...

this is quite possibly the biggest California Bay Laurel

in the world!

Well...it's the biggest one I've ever seen, anyway.

We skipped through dried-up meadows...

...climbed down steep ravines...

...crossed cute little creeks with fluffy ferns growing next to them...

...spotted hot babes...

...texted dad to let him know we'd had no Sasquatch sightings and were safe...

Dude...

This was hard work.

We were climbing a freaking mountain!

See? 

That's the trail sign...

That hump thing is the mountain...and we went to the top.

This is about 3/4 of the way up.

Ever upward...up, up, UP!

The final stretch toward the summit...

at a whopping 1250 feet above sea level.

I started to get worried because we had neglected to pack our oxygen tanks.

The glorious day from atop Wildcat Peak.

Once we finished our lunch, we started down...

Through trees...

...short and droopy...

...tall and straight...

And we skipped through more meadows...

...not sure why this meadow is so much greener than that first meadow...

...and we followed the road more traveled back to the car.

As we followed this road around the corner past where you can see, 

we saw something very special. Right before we reached the car, 

a hawk swooped and snatched up some prey about 10 feet from us.

Both of us were awe-struck as we watched its strong, powerful flight between the trees, 

rodent dangling from its talons...

triumphant.

Not once had he complained. Not once had he whined. Big G spent the remainder of the afternoon and on into the evening thanking me for taking him on this hike. He'd walk up to me and stand there, and when I'd turn to him, he'd throw himself into my arms and bury his head into my shoulder and say how cool it was and how much fun he had and how he wanted to do it again sometime...and thank you. It really did move me to tears.