The Unexpected

I'm not the best navigator.  I take the wrong turn more times than I care to admit.  So often in fact that when I'm going somewhere for the first time and I find it without making a wrong turn it is a pleasant surprise.  I must also confess I have even been known to take the wrong turn when I'm going someplace I'm familiar with, like home.

When the kids were young we had a couple of exciting adventures because of this flaw trait.  Like the time we got lost in the hills of Fullerton and found glow sticks glowing on every corner, after we picked some up we realized they were markers guiding party goers to the party house.  Worked great, led us to the party...unfortunately we hadn't been invited.  We would have put them back too if, you know, I was a better navigator....cause darned if I could remember which way we came.  Hope everyone found the party, sorry about that.

Or take last night.  After working all day, and a meeting in the evening, I stopped by Tamara's on the way home.  When I left her place for home it was about 8pm.  I'm traveling north on East street (no wonder I get confused).  Usually I'll hop on the 91, but I missed it, I don't know why, maybe a little tired, maybe cause I was talking on the cell phone and slightly distracted?  Oh well, I figured I'd hang up and just stay on East, it's heading in the general direction and I'll figure it out eventually, right?

Then East changes to Raymond, no problem, I'm still heading in the right way.  And then the unexpected happens.  Just after crossing Chapman I find myself in a residential tract.  Uh Oh, this is how I usually end up lost, I'm so glad I have Survivor set to automatically record on the DVR.

Just as I was getting ready to click "go home" on my GPS, I see something to the left, just off Nutwood.  And then something up ahead.  What is that?  I've never seen anything like this before.  This is pretty darn amazing.  I need to drive around a bit and get the full effect.  THIS IS SO COOL.  I call Tamara and tell her she must get in her car and come see this.  "What is it?" she wants to know.  "I'm not going to tell you, you have to see it for yourself, I don't want to spoil it.  I'm going home, but if you come and see it, tell me what you think". 

About 15 minutes after I got home she calls and says "Yeah, that's pretty amazing".

I'm not going to say what it is, but if you are in Fullerton in the evening traveling north on Raymond, just after you cross Chapman, start to look for it....on the left at Nutwood.

Victory, Sweet Victory

Still riding the high from the victorious race a little more wine tasting was in store.  I had purchased a Groupon for Chocolate and Wine tasting at Rutherford Ranch Winery. 

I realize I come off as very chic and sophisticated (wink wink), but this was a new experience for me.  I would never dream of pairing chocolate with wine, the extent of my wine knowledge is "red meat, red wine, chicken and fish, white wine".

First came a Chardonnay paired with a Lemon White Chocolate, amazing.  Next was a Pinot Noir with a Light Toffee.  Then came a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with a Dark Cherry Chocolate.  Last but certainly not least was a Zinfindal Port paired with a Chili and Sea Salt Cocoa.  My taste buds were awakened in an amazing way!

Beautiful setting, beautiful wine, decadent chocolate, this is the life!

To top off a fabulous day, a fabulous meal was next.  The sommelier recommended we stop in Yountville for dinner at Redd, so glad we took her advice! 

More flavor explosions!  This is from the bar menu, pork buns with hoisin and asian slaw, tastes even better than it looks......dang forget Fuzio!  Now I'll have to go back to Yountville for Pork Buns!

What a way to end a race day!  Fabulous wine, fabulous chocolate, and fabulous food!

Thing #13, Chocolate and Wine tasting.

Think #14, ate at Redd in Napa Valley.

WINNING!!!

Exploring Napa

So rare to have a day when you can just relax and take the day as it comes.  All we really had to do today was pick up our race packets and eat a "carbo load" dinner.  Packet pick up was in Sonoma at Corner Stone.

I'm wearing those lame shoes because all the cute sandals I brought with me hurt the baby toe, so I'm stuck in ugly shoes and lame jeans.

We did a little window shopping, ate fire grilled pizza for lunch and of course......a little wine tasting.  Met "Coach Jimmy" and his girlfriend (a totally fit firefighter who thinks we are brave because we are running a half marathon, and she would never attempt such a huge feat).  Jimmy is a teacher at a Las Vegas middle school (now that's brave) he's one of the coaches for "Team Challenge" benefiting the fight against Crohn's and Colitis disease.  We had a very nice chat with them while drinking our wine and eating pizza, sitting in the shade. Good Times.

Just to share some of the awesomeness of the day:

Soon to be wine.......

Met the rest of team "Running Winos" for dinner, Italian of course, plenty of pasta, plenty of bread, yum yum!  Unfortunately half of the Winos did not make it up to Napa due to work and health issues, but Monica, Monique, Alicia and I will do us proud!

Thing #11, saw the sights of wine country.

What is that noise?

This morning our group met up with another running group.  A third group consisting of boot campers joined us also.  There were more than 40 runners total.

The plan was to run an 8 mile trail run.  Many of us had never ran these trails (myself included, thing #7 completed).  Someone familiar with the trail was to run ahead and mark it.  I was a little concerned because I am a slower running.  Was concerned that I would be the last person back, and would be running alone.  Luckily Missy came just as we were starting out so I knew I'd have a buddy to run with. 

Missy was literally putting on her watch and situating her bandanna as we started out running.  During the first quarter mile she mentioned she didn't think she was going to like this run.  A little too remote for her....too much nature....said she doesn't like creepy, crawly things....said she doesn't even like to see a lizard.  I thought this was hilarious....maybe we'll see a snake ;)

The trail is tough, much of the beginning was up hill, so steep that we had to walk.  On several occasions I heard Missy mutter "f*ck".  I hate to admit it, but I think the fact that she was hating this run so much made it easier for me.  After about 2-3 miles we started feeling a little less tortured like maybe we'd be able to complete this run.  At one point a man was running in the opposite direction.  After he passed Missy asks "Did you see that?"  I said "I think I did....what did you see?"  She said "He had a prosthetic leg", "Yeah, that's what I thought I saw too".   A couple seconds later she says "God Dammit"  (I am lovin this run!)  She says "That's a sign from God".  Personally, I saw a man with a prosthetic leg (just sayin), although we were inspired to put forth a little more effort after that....well for a little while at least.

We kept following the orange arrows painted on the trail by the fearless leader.  Eventually those arrows lead us down some very steep terrain.  At least we were going down right?  And we kept going down, and down, so steep, had to carefully walk down, afraid of falling on my ass.  And still we kept going down, and down.  Eventually it flattened out a little, faithful orange arrow pointed to go around a fallen tree on the path, and then under another fallen tree, Missy muttered...I think that was poison oak.  I looked around but didn't see anything there. 

We heard voices up ahead....I think we are around mile 4, finally we see the people we were hearing...they are part of our group.  They are saying we've come the wrong way.  There is talk of poison oak, seems Missy was right, when we went around and under those trees there was poison oak there.  Did I touch it?  Did it touch me?  Dang, I don't know.  Julie says do not touch your skin, pour water on it to rinse it.  I am torn between wasting what little water I have left on the slim chance that I did come in contact with the dreaded plant, or saving it to stave off dehydration (now who's the drama queen).

We wait and soon pack leaders come up from the right, yep, they hit a dead end.  Fearless Leader took a wrong turn a ways back and we've been going the wrong way for awhile.  Quite awhile.  We have to turn back the way we've come.  Back under the tree and around the other tree, this time being super cautious not to let any vegetation touch me.  And then it hits me....oh no....all that ridiculously steep downhill that we just traversed....are we going to have to go back up it?  Yep.  I tried to keep myself from thinking about how long we went downhill.  The thought was so overwhelming I'd be tempted to just sit down on the trail and give up.

Several times I had to stop and catch my breath and allow my heart beat to slow down.  Last thing I wanna do is have a stroke out here and have to be airlifted outta there.  One of the boot camp ladies was having a tough time of it.  Nina, Missy, and myself stuck with her, keeping her motivated to keep moving, don't give up, we can do this.  (I'm actually very surprised that the boot camp leader wasn't there making sure all her ladies made it out ok, but that's just my opinion). 

Finally we climbed up outta there and came to a fork in the trail, found a new orange arrow, boot camper Angela looked at me and said "I'm just gonna head to the car now".  Huh?  How do you know where the car is?  She thought the trail not marked with the orange arrow was the path back to the parking lot.  I had no idea, she could very well be right....heck if it were, I'd go back to the car too.  But I am at the mercy of the orange arrows.  Nothing looks familiar to me.  I have no idea how to get back to the car.  I'm not willing to veer from the orange arrows.  I convinced her to keep going.  Unlike with Missy, I was not enjoying the discomfort Angela was experiencing.

As we rounded a corner, I kept hearing a sound....what kind of animal is that?  Sounded like it was coming from the ravine to the left.  Dang, it is loud.  Is is a bull frog? Some kind of bird?  Dang it is sooo loud.  Pterodactyl?  Round another corner, and we see it....Ooooohhhhh......a house on the hill....with half a roof.  Imagine the sound of pulling nails out of wood.  Very, very large nails, from very very large wood, the kind a giant would have.  That's what the sound reminded me of (after seeing the half a roof).  But maybe it was the sound of a pump or something....at least it wasn't a warthog. 

Finally we found the last of the group waiting for us at a bridge.  They gave us the option of taking the short 2.5 mile trail back to the cars or we could do the 5 mile trail.  Missy said she wanted to do the 5 miler, but since we all wanted to do 2 she would sacrifice and just run the 2 miles back. 

Missy and I were so excited to be so close to the cars we practically ran the whole way back...well except for the uphill parts.

We all celebrated being back from our little adventure.  Pictures were taken, stories were told.  Missy asked if I had heard that wildebeast in the ravine (dang, I'm so sorry I missed seeing her face when she heard that!).  Travis did impressions of John (we all so miss John, hurry back from vacation man!).  Margaret made it back safely, with her sense of direction (or lack of) she must have gotten in the middle of the pack and stayed there for dear life.

Driving home I kept thinking, dang I think I'm itching....I should have doused myself with the water.

Thing #7, ran through Powder Canyon, not knowing which way to go, following orange arrows along the way.

Sunsets, Golf Carts, and Summits Oh my!

Completed Mile #44 tonight with a 5 mile "Summit House" run.  Summit being the operative word here.  First summit crests at State College and Bastanchury....killer hill #1.  Then it's downhill on the trail ....couldn't really enjoy the downhill cause I'm so busy dodging the groves on the trail and so paranoid I'm gonna skid on the gravel and end up a bloody skinless mess.  Even with the hazards it's still a nice run....(if you like hills).

Once we got back on the road (heading towards "The Summit"), the hill is so steep we are running in slow motion.....some guy flys past us....not even breathing hard....while I'm counting the seconds to my next walk break.

Back on the trail (still heading toward "The Summit")....finally, just around the bend, there it is.  Just in time to see a huge orange sun setting to the west....the east is bathed in purples and pinks.  Ahhh, good things do not come easy, had to work for this one.

On the trail heading down from "The Summit", we met a golf cart.  The driver of the cart says, "Oh", and starts backing up.....all the way down the hill.  What the heck?  The trail is big enough for us and the cart...why is he backing all the way down the hill.  The answer is at the bottom.  Turns out this trail closes at sunset.  And golf cart guy had locked the fence.  If we'd have been 30 seconds later we'd have missed that cart and the Helens and I would have either had to slither on our bellys under the fence (there was about a foot and a half clearance) or we would have had to try to climb that 7 foot chain link fence.....or go back the 4 miles we had just come! 

Personally, sliding under that fence would have been my first pick.

Mile #44 summited.

Maybe it is Cheating.

This morning's mile was run with running buddies.

We have spent so many Saturday mornings together running that it has become a habit. I wonder how many miles we've covered in the years. It's how we start our weekend. And what better way to start the weekend then running with good friends .

I don't know what I like the most, the exercise that we get, the conversations we have, or the adventures we sometimes find. Like today....it had rained so hard yesterday we didn't know what the morning would bring, yet it turned out to be perfect.

We saw a rooster crowing in a tree at Tri-City Park. Along the trail were Donkeys, geese, pigs, two big scary dogs (behind a short fence), and a sign on a miniature barn that claimed there were miniature horses inside.

How can you not enjoy a run like that?

It almost does feel like I'm cheating to count a run like this as my 50 in 50.

Mile #6 Done!