Just Wondering

I wonder sometimes, where we are all going. What our purposes are. Why we’re moving so fast to destinations we have no grasp of. Although I continue to move forward, I so often have the feeling that I want to stop. I don’t want to “end” per se, I just want to stop. Stop and be. Some things in life are too precious to let slip past you in hurry or waste. Some moonrises I want to gaze upon forever. Some star-canopied patios I never want to step off of. Sometimes I wish the world didn't seem in such a hurry. That people would just sit and be and take the time to spend with a stranger and make them a friend.

There’s really not much in this world better than the simple things. The simple tune of a morning sparrow. A single ray of warm sunlight cast over a dew-drenched spring petal. A lazy breeze off an ebbing ocean. The touch of a warm hand on the small of your back. Sunset and sunrise and all the hours between. White bellies of seagulls washed in warm sunset glowing vibrantly against a gray evening sky. A simple sound, a soft voice, a heart beat. I wonder how many people have actually ever just sat and listened to the world around them – the world beyond the manmade. I wonder if anyone would appreciate the majesty of what they were listening to. Utopia.

Just wondering.

8 November 2003

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Trail Running Kiwi-Style

Wow! I had one fantastic trail run with my Kiwi training buddy Lisa this morning! Holy quad killers, Batman! I was laughing the whole way on this trail, it was so much fun.

The Nutshell Version: Start by taking off your shoes to cross the river, then up and down up and down, scrambling over boulders, dodging prickly bushes, trying to stay upright on loose shingle rock on 45+ degree angles - basically landslides, navigating trail that was *maybe* one foot wide with solid rock on one side and 20-foot drops on the other, washed out trail, bushwhacking, super steep sections you could barely walk let alone run, trees strategically placed to grab onto so you didn't fall... IT ROCKED!!!

The Full Monty Version: The trailhead was about an hour’s drive out of Christchurch to the Pinchgut Hut trail. The last few miles of road leading to the trailhead was gravel road and the closer we got to the trailhead the narrower and more overgrown the road became. We lucked out with the weather and got the best part of the day.

To kick off the running, we had to take off our shoes and socks to cross Fox’s Creek. I had a giggle at starting the run with wet feet, and dang if that water wasn’t bloody cold. It would be good for the legs at the end of the run though. Of course, at the time I didn’t realize just how good that good would be.

The first 10 minutes of the run wasn’t too bad at all. It started a little undulating on overgrown double-track. That opened up into a nice stretch of trail on soft nettled ground with lush spring grass dancing mid-shin. Then... oh yes then, the fun started.

Up and down, up and down the trail went. It became more and more narrow. The footing became more and more unstable. Gone was the plush grass only to be replaced with this evil Gorse Bush – full of prickles – that in some places covered the whole path head high. I was grateful I had my leggings on – even then my legs were getting scratched through every step.

The trail (using that term lightly now) had become so narrow that I’d be surprised if it was more than a foot wide. Lisa said, “If you get one foot on it, it’s plenty big enough.” ;-) The reason I note this narrow trail is because there was either solid rock or a wall of Gorse Bush on one side and a sharp 20-foot drop on the other. In some sections the trail was so overgrown you couldn’t even see where it was – or if it was even there. Sometimes it wasn’t.

Up and down, up and down, getting steeper, bush getting denser, footing getting even more unstable. You couldn’t take your eyes off the ground for even a second or you’d be sure to take a tumble.

Part of the trail had been washed out so a new trail had been forged above some trees. Lisa told me that there used to be such a steep up and down right there that there was a 10-foot rope to pull yourself up with!

We’re not even at the hard part yet!

After about 40 minutes of running the trail drops back down to the river where you have to scramble boulders and hop stones at the edge of the river back to the trail. I’d be lost here for sure without my guide. Lisa pointed to a pile of small rocks that had been neatly stacked. Those were trail markers that trampers had left.

Now the fun really began! The trail here started with an incline so steep you could barely walk it let alone run it. You had to grab onto trees to pull yourself up. Then the ups and downs became very steep. More walking was involved on the climbs and my heart rate was still at aerobic threshold. The trail had become so crazy that every step had to be just in the right spot or you’d go down. I slipped off an edge a couple of times, the second time both hands hit the deck to make an immaculate recovery. Phew.

Then we came to a part of trail that was actually an edge worn into a rockslide. Try running on loose shingle on a 45-degree angle with your feet slipping out from under you and the only thing to grab onto is those prickly Gorse Bushes. That there is solid practice in the fine art of staying upright.

On the way back, the steep sections to climb were near impossible to run down. Thank goodness for the trees! They were strategically placed on corners and I grabbed onto more than one to stop a falling inertia. At one point I ran right into a tree knowing if I didn’t I’d be going down hard. And laughing. I was laughing the whole way on this trail. I couldn’t help myself, it was just too much fun.

Some of the beech trees were blackened from fire although the vegetation surrounding them was lush and vibrant. On the trunks was a clear sap. Lisa stopped to point it out saying it tasted like honey. It was either the sap from the tree or cicada pooh. ;-) After grabbing onto those trees my hands were sticky, so I took to teasing her that I had cicada pooh on my hands.

Down to the last 40 minutes of the run the slightest downgrade was killing my quads. They were screaming and so was I - almost. I have never felt so much pain in my quads as I did today on those downhills. “Eccentric overload”, Gordo calls it. Yikes, I’ll say! That hurt more than an Ironman! We were joking that every IM marathon after this would be a breeze.

As we neared the end of our run, the first half that seemed hard was now easy. The soft nettled earth was heavenly on our feet and legs. It was like running on a cushy sponge. Back at the river, we wandered into a deep section and stood there for about five minutes. We couldn't handle anymore than that because the water was so bloody cold. Had to do it for recovery though – speeds recovery to take the heat out of your muscles after a long run, and our quads had just suffered some serious long run thrashing.

When it was all said and done, we ran/scrambled just over two hours and had a blast, laughing and giggling the whole way. My quads are completely shredded to pieces, totally trashed, stairs are NOT my friend and I’m currently having a slight issue getting up from my chair, but dang it, I'm going to be so much stronger after this! :-D

This was a serious strength session today alright. No wonder the Southern Traverse team is so tough. That was an easy run for them. Lisa told me that this trail was actually a nice one for New Zealand – it was easy and well-marked! Ha! This run makes every single trail I’ve ever run before seem like a stroll through the park.

Lisa has plans for me – some “true” kiwi trail running. Oh boy, that’s going to hurt!

I have to say though, if running "trails" like this doesn't make me stronger, nothing will. I can't wait to do it again! :-D

15 November 2003

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