Life happens, and I was side-tracked for a month. I
moved from my home of two years. The good thing about being adventurous is we
welcome these changes and are ready to move on taking the lessons and life
experiences as we go. The dust has settled or rather kind of because I have
come up with a rhythm. Being back on the trail last Sunday was one of them. Life
is not normal but having a rhythm and doing the things we have control of is
helpful.
American River Canyon Overlook or to many hikers and
runners ADO or Auburn Dam Overlook offer a beautiful view of the canyon. It has
a big parking area and a popular starting point for hikers and runners to meet
up and follow the trails down to the canyon.
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| After crossing No Hands Bridge |
No hands Bridge or officially Mountain Quarries Bridge
it was declared a historical place in 2004. It’s No hands bridge was earned due
to an equestrian who rode her horse without holding the reigns across the
bridge and at that time there were no guard rails. The bridge stands 150 above
the river and is 482 feet long.
K2 or Training Hill; for me as a long-time backpacker
/ mountaineer K2 is the 2nd highest mountain in the world although
it is said to be deadlier. This K2 in Auburn you might find your toes will get
killed. On the way down that is, if you are not careful. This K2 you will climb
1,000 feet in 0.9 miles and starts at 607 feet of elevation.
Here we go waking up early on the weekends like at 5
Am to be at the meeting area (ADO) at 7 am. I like to be able to eat a good
breakfast (And have coffee!) before going out on a run but have enough time to
let it set before running. Our trail run host Hassan reminded to bring enough
fuel (food) and water. I had prepared water, Gatorade, pretzel w/ peanut butter
and peanut butter sandwiches the night before.
I like mornings, when there is no traffic, watching
the sun as she rises, the wind is cool with a gentle breeze. At this time
though a long sleeve tight hugging (lightweight) shirt is all that is needed. There
were 14 of us that showed up and after a brief introduction proceeded to follow
the trail down to the American River to No Hands Bridge. This is 500 feet of
elevation loss. The trail was very pretty with wildflowers abound. I was
feeling pretty good today, but I still reminded Hassan to wait for me. Hassan
and Steve waited for me at the important junctions. I attribute my slow pace to
being careful with my left knee, watching where I step, short legs, need for
more training and taking time to admire the flowers. My running friends inspire
me because they are ultra-runners that have finished 50 – 100-mile races.
Training takes time, as Stephen Covey writes about the
Law of the Farm; natural laws determine processes and outcomes in the natural
world. For example, farm workers understand that “ripping up the soil, throwing
in the seeds, watering and cultivating overnight” will not provide them with “a
bountiful harvest overnight.”.
Hence, I cannot expect to finish a marathon in good
form if I do not put in the required training; building strength, building
miles, preparing my body with food, and preparing my mind. Preparation is
everything. I like to run with a group and I count it a blessing to have found Trail
Running Adventures led by Carina and Hassan. The training and camaraderie is awesome,
and it makes me come back for more.
A lady with her fur baby coming from the opposite
direction had a message for me, saying that my friends were just a few minutes
ahead. I reached No Hands Bridge and saw everyone was waiting at the end of the
bridge. As I ran across the bridge, I was shouting, Hassan please take my
picture and I am happy he obliged. Next a group photo by the sign “Mt. Quarries
Railroad Bridge” and we were on our way to the K2 trailhead.
At K2 trailhead we let the others go ahead while we
posed for more photos. Steve wanted to let us go ahead so he could run his way
up. If only for this short distance of 0.9 miles and an elevation gain of 400
feet I could do this over and over and be prepared for any trail hardship. Hassan
kept reminding me to fuel up (eat) and hydrate. I was eating my pretzels with peanut butter filling. It has salt and protein.
As I hiked up, I was sweating profusely, my heart rate
is up, and I could feel my leg, thigh and behind muscles getting a good
work-out. At the top of the hill, a German couple offered to take our photo and
we had our photo taken with the backdrop of the ridge across which is the ADO.
Hassan went ahead and was waiting as I navigated the last
few feet of the trail. He asked if I wanted to do the 4-mile loop or go back
down via the K2. I voted for the shorter route by going back down the K2 trail.
Interesting that when we got there, a few from the main group were already
waiting. I voted to run ahead since I am slow. After less than a mile they all
caught up and passed me. Except for Hassan who was doing the sweep.
Again, I was enjoying the view and greeting everyone
along the trail. I was also making a mental note of the location of the wildflowers
so that I can re-visit and take photos. I was tempted to stop at the waterfall for
photos but decided against it. Christina and Hiromi would wait for me at the
junctions and I did not want to make them wait too long, less they think I have
once again gotten lost.
Three quarters of a mile to ADO parking lot, Hassan
caught up. As we passed the yellow flowers I asked Hassan if he had seen this
on the way out. A trail hidden by bushes going up with the bushes so full of
these beautiful yellow flowers. It did not take much to convince Hassan to take
a few photos and a couple of videos.
We raced on to ADO parking lot where our friends were gathered
as we waited for Steve to arrive. Our motto is “No person left behind”. We did
not have to wait long, Steve arrived in 5 minutes. I felt good this whole
training run, I was glad that Hassan reminded me to eat and drink repeatedly.
It makes a lot of difference. Not eating or drinking is very bad and once you
crash it is hard to recover. Looking forward to the next training run!
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