THE TRAIL // Mt. Diablo

Sunday morning I ran a 25k race to the top of Mt. Diablo and back with Pacific Coast Trail Runs.  It was my first time on Mt. Diablo and definitely the longest/steepest race I've ever attempted.  I grew up on Mt. Tam, hiking, running, and mountain biking as a kid, but Tam is a mere 2,572 ft compared to Diablo's 3,850. In the blazing sun, no less.

I completed the race in just under four hours, the hardest part being the downhill.  Typically I love to steadily run the uphill sections, but this race was literally over 7 miles straight up, so I adjusted my expectations.  Another runner and I joked that it had become a "hike-race".  

If you're interested in how to hike or run this trail, simply start at Mitchell Canyon Trailhead at Mount Diablo State Park in Clayton, and you can use this trail guide to help you to the top.  I cannot recommend enough PCTR, they are a group of especially kind, professional, and enthusiastic runners and volunteers.  

I know there are a lot of people out there who do not understand why someone would want to run like this, but I get so much nutrition from it.  I learn things by doing them, and when I run I think about all my problems that need solving and somehow the running helps me build the connection between where I am and where I want to be.  A good run is abundant in epiphanies and good ideas, healing and love.

Here are some of the things I learned on this run:

1// It's perfectly okay and awesome to have limitations.  I was running a 25k loop, but there were other runners who ran twice the distance, essentially to the top, down, to the top again, and back down again.  Their power and ability does not in the slightest diminish mine and I draw no reward, ever, from comparing myself to other people.  Best to concern myself with staying in my flow, my rhythm, my body.

2// Speaking of body, I read a chapter from Women Who Run with the Wolves in which the author discusses the body not being a 'sculpture' that we are in charge of shaping, but rather a vessel for information gathering.  I love this idea, and I really felt it on my run.  The core truth of who I am as a person on this planet resides in my spirit, not my body or even my feelings.  I realized that emotions actually belong to the realm of the body, not the spirit.  I think it can be easy to confuse the way you're feeling with who you are.  I am practicing listening to what my body and emotions are communicating to my spirit, what useful information they each are delivering that I can use to develop, grow, heal, and create.

3// This run happened to coincide with the 4th anniversary of when I quit smoking.  If there are any smokers out there reading this, may I please share with you this: When you are ready to give it up, the world will open to you in ways that you right now do not even have the ability to fathom.  You will have a fundamental shift in how you feel about yourself and the world around you.  You will experience real freedom, love, and joy.  It is absolutely, hands down, the BEST thing I have ever done for myself.  Best.  I cannot wait for you to feel the same way. 

4// When you just dig in and do the work, it is amazing how far you can go and high you can climb, without even realizing it.  I look back at the last few years of my personal and professional life, and this rings so true. Don't forget to take stock, take a moment to look at the view, let it sink in a bit.  Maybe there is still more mountain to climb, but don't forget to stop and look at the view from where you are now.

Okay, enough new-agey runner wisdom for one post, here are some shots from my day:

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The Trail // Armstrong Redwoods

 I love running.  Ever since I was a kid it was something that made me feel freer, stronger, happier.  A few years ago I found a super fun group to run with, Pacific Coast Trail Runs.  They host monthly races ranging from 9k to 100 mile ultra-marathons.  My sweet spot is in the 5-15 mile range, and I love having a group to go run with.  They are "serious fun", a friendly but competitive group of people who love running in the beautiful open spaces of coastal California.

This past weekend I ran a 17k in Armstrong Redwoods in Guerneville.  The park was only recently opened to the public and this was the first race in its history.  The trail was gorgeous, starting in the misty redwoods and climbing into the dry high grasslands.  

 

 I wasn't planning on taking any photos during the race, but the 2 mile second climb was brutal and unrelenting.  All the dudes I was running with started walking, and then passing me as I was sluggishly "running" uphill, at which point I decided that I too would walk up the rest of the hill.  Here I am trailing them as we all huff and puff at about 6 or 7 miles into the race.

The results of the race:  I came in 1st place female in my age group, 4th place female, and 14th place overall.  It was a tough run, and it has me totally inspired to run the next race on June 2nd at Mt. Diablo.

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Funny enough, my good friend Eva Kolenko has just taken a family get-away to Guerneville and posted all about her trip on her blog, so after the race I parked on a side street near downtown and meandered through town to The Big Bottom Cafe where I thoroughly enjoyed a big lunch on her recommedation.  I love Guerneville, it has the same sort of sidewalk-less streets, strange residents, and interesting artifacts as my hometown, Forest Knolls.  Here are some of my favorite sights in town....

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The Trail: East Ridge Trail

It may seem like hiking and jewelry have nothing in common, so why should I write about trail running on a jewelry blog? Well, simply put: they have everything to do with one another.  

Ever since I was a kid, I've loved being outside on a trail.  My dad used to take my siblings and I on long rambling hikes that took the better part of a day, or on mountain bike rides on Mt. Tam.  I've always found calm, serenity, energy, and a feeling of connectedness while in the outdoors.  In the same way that staring into the stars at night can bring you down to 'right size' and make your problems feel less weighty, exploring Redwoods, creeks, Oaks and wild grasses does the same for my spirit.  I think that refueling is essential for leading a happy creative life.  I find that trail running, with all those brutal uphills, create a kind of mental tenacity practice that is required to stick with projects, ideas, and dreams.

The East Ridge Trail is one of my favorite runs when I need a dose of sunshine.  The fire road is up on a ridge and gets a lot of sun.  There are many trails that connect to it so you can make smallish or very long loops, but this morning I really wanted sunny revelry, so I just ran out and back.  It's definitely springtime, there were lots of little bunnies out hopping across the trail early this morning.  This trail is also dog friendly, the majority of the trail is an off-leash zone, which I love.  Lots of cool dogs cruising around and being happy.

To get there, make your way up to Skyline Blvd and Pine Hills Rd to the Skyline Gate Entrance, park, and head to the left of the parking lot.

East Ridge Trail Entrance

I typically run between 3 and 9 miles, this one was 5.  I use Endomondo to track my mileage and time.  Right now I'm preparing for a trail race up in Guerneville by my favorite running group, Pacific Coast Trail Runs, so I'll be doing a few runs a week leading up.

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