I’ve decided to keep a running blog but we’ll see if this works to repost from my run tracking blog at facebook – RunThere.com to my main blog here. I guess not only am I experimenting with my body’s resilience but also with this technology.

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Treadmill Run: Sat 8/29

This hurt. I realized that I had only completed 4.5 miles of my required 6 miles for the day. I ran 4.5 in the morning at Bay Front Park. And couldn’t schedule the additional run until 3PM. Waiting 6 hours was not a good idea. I hurt hurt hurt later. It took a good 3 hours after this last run for the legs to stop barking… but I got it done.

2 miles  18:15 min.

9:07 min/mile / 6.58 mph avg
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See what I’ve logged so far: Damien Fuentes’s Fitness Blog — RunThere

Now, is the end of my first formal week of training.

I had started running this month with warm up runs around August 5th. After a weekend of relaxation in Seattle, I came back to a renewed focus for both work and exercise.  I then let two weeks pass by as I convinced myself I was training. In fact, what I had been doing was mentally preparing myself for the grueling punishment and pain that I will be inflicting on my body over the next 18 weeks.

I miss the running I once did when I was younger.  I was 12.  I was 14.  I was 18.  I was 28.  I could run swiftly.  I could run 5-6 miles without any thought or pre-conditioning; and without any hesitation.  I was a lean 135-140 lbs.  I was potent. I was cavalier with my expectations.

I have been slapped rudely by my 178 lbs.  My knees and calves are not responding as vibrantly as they once had.

But, I am pounding out a new me. I am looking forward to returning my reflection of my frame on the morning puddles to something that was once lithe and nimble.  It will probably be a smudged and obscured reflection but at least it will be moving towards a healthier me.

Looking forward to watching and cataloging the changes… Today was the end of the first week of training and it feels good to have one week under my feet. I am both invorgorated at the response of my body: core is feeling great, breathing is not labored, abs, quads, and hams are unfazed. The calves are the only part of my body complaining, right now.

This really starts the transition from stagnation to acceleration. Hal Higdon’s Marathon Training Guide aka the Chicago Marathon Training method, is my guide for this effort. He has a nicely laid out schedule with tips on how best to understand what this should yield.

I had started this effort in February.  I was moving along pretty well until mid-April when I pulled a muscle in my lower-right back during a run.  Follow that with a sore ankle (unknown why) just prior to my Yosemite Backpacking trip (see my earlier blog posts).  I decided to give my entire body the month of July off from exercise.

This is my renewed effort to train for a marathon. Originally, I had planned for a June 2009 marathon. Now, I’m targeting December 13, 2009, Honolulu Marathon.

29

(BTW – this isn’t an ad. It was just easier to cut-n-paste the HTML)

This is a result of my answers:

• My boday is average to athletic.
• I have fairly good reach.
• I have excellent balance.
• I can kick 2-3 feet high (just right for those head kicks).
• I’m average to tall in height.
• I have a few years of martial arts experience.
• I’ve been in a few fights in my life (not including brawls with my sister).
• I have a little bit of experience fighting swarms, such as being chased by a bunch of pissed-off bees or playing starcraft against the Zerg.
• I would resort to biting and/or eye-gouging (i.e., I’d fight dirty if desperate).
• I have no hesitation fighting a swarm of kids since I’d be too busy pile-driving, crane-kicking, and bare-knuckle bashing them all the way back to kintergarten.
• I’d feel comfortable picking up a kid and using him/her as a weapon to throw at other children.

Heh heh. Bring ‘em on!

[P.S. for those of you with milder constitutions, this is an irreverent joke so try not to get your panties in too much of a twist)

Things I Learned

=================

• Yosemite no longer lets you hoist your food in trees. You must carry a bear can. It added a lot of weight to my pack (3 lbs).

• I need a lighter backpacking pack. I’ve used this pack for over 10 years and it’s done great in over 25 countries but at 6.5 lbs it definitely was the bane of a lot of my weight issues.
• When planning food for nine (9) people, plan forthem to eat more than you think and make sure to lighten the carrying weight of the food in every way possible.
• REI has excellent pre-planned backpacker meals for sale and for copying down.
• As much as I like my Pacific Outdoors CruiserLite Regular (Therma-Rest type pad) at 28 oz, my other Pacific Outdoor Equipment (InsulMat) Ether Compact 6 Sleeping Pad Regular at 17 oz provides more loft and better ground insulation (and is better for women’s hips). Overall better weight-to-comfort-ratio.
• It’s too easy to slip off of the Ether Compact 6 Sleeping Pad. Needs some very minor spray on texture.
• The best anti-blister treatment and post-blister treatment has been Spyroflex Skin Savers dressings combined with Body Glide stick. I wish I had brought more. (http://corganics.com/products/spyroflex.html)
• Moleskin is still tried-and-true. Even if it is 8 years old in the first aid kit.
• Band-aid brand blister bandages have some medicine in ‘em that seem to help.
• The Cool-Max sock liners only add to this anti-blister approach.
• The Cool-Max socks and sock liners helped keep moisture away from my feet in a major way.
• My favorite meal was the cheapest and lightest using Ramen noodles with all of its salt, beef jerky, dried vegetables and added soy sauce. The leftover Adelle’s sausage only made it substantial. But in the end it was the salt and the plentiful flavors that made it great.
• reflective emergency blanket made a great alternative to a ground cloth at 3 oz (versus 18 oz for the normal groundcloth).
• freeze-dried breakfasts were great! too much packaging though. need to figure out an alternative. Favorite was AlpineAire Foods: Granola with Strawberries, almonds and milk.
• The best photos still come from SLR cameras but the lightweight point-and-shoot digis provide an adequate alternative.
• There wasn’t as much poison oak as I had expected
• Pooping with a view of the canyons and river at sunset is as good as a warmed toilet seat with the newspaper in hand.
• That some people had to change their diet to high fiber, sugar, carbs causing lots of diarrhea (e.g., granola, dried fruit, nuts, bars) – thank goodness I eat this stuff normally.
• That most people take too much food but will eat it nonetheless — we had 1.5 bags of dried fruit leftover and several small bars between two of us.

Highlights: (I’m sure my friends on this trip could add lots here)

=================

• Seeing an adolescent black bear as we were about to leave from Day 1 trail camp.



• Seeing the marmot pose as we were leaving the last part of the Grand Canyon.
• That the people in the group were very comfortable with each other and were ready to help each other throughout the whole trip (no drama).
• The sore muscles and the hurting feet didn’t take away from enjoying the beautiful environment. It was just that incredible out there.
• Every day seemed like a different place: a wet, mossy, fern-covered Redwood forest; an arid meandering rock and water and trees mountain; a moonscape of rock slabs, swamps of bamboo and Redwood trees, open vistas of snow-capped mountains and ice-cold streams.
• That a watermelon kept in the bear locker in the shade stays cold and is one of the best treats at the end of a 4-day hike.
• That after 4-days of beating myself up and hauling a load on my back with my girlfriend there the entire time, I’d turn around and do it again with the same people (with her right next to me).
• That even though I joked and chided Brent about reading maps and distance estimations I was impressed with his leadership, his patience (everyone asking often “where are we?” “how far?” “what next?” “where… ?” “what… ?” etc.) and his overall collectiveness on a trip that turned out much harder than he had remembered it would be. It was a blessing to have him plan the trip.

(The Original Trip Plan)

Day 4:  (7700′ Elev)

============

Topographic Route Maps: CLICK “My Topo” in top right corner of map

E then SE away from the river in Glen Aulin Valley

Start Map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9120&mtlon=-119.4304&z=15

Turn S-by-SE at Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp.

Junction map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9033&mtlon=-119.4087&z=15

Trail turns into the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail as we neared Tuolumne Meadows. Watch signs more carefully as there are many side trails.

Junction map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.8934&mtlon=-119.3933&z=15

End at Soda Springs in Tuolomne Meadows. (8420′ Elev)

End map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.8764&mtlon=-119.3592&z=15

NOTES: Overall this day was our easiest (at least for me). Each person in our group had figured out his or her best pace. Our loads were at their lightest. Our bodies had recovered from the pounding of Day 1 and Day 2. The early arrival at Day 3 camp helped all of us rest and recover.

Our total 1-day mileage ~9.5 miles. Total trip miles ~35 miles. We also knew that overall elevation gain was only 700-800′ over 9 miles which seemed to buoy our energies.

The entire day was easier and gave us more opportunity to see the views. The other days, in contrast, felt more like heads-down and bore ahead. There were so many memorable views this day. Ones where we saw the grandeur of Tuolumne Falls or the rich green grasses in front of Redwoods framing the snow-capped mountains in the distance and many more.

The sun beat down on us much more than it had on the other days since we had trekked to a high enough elevation to be in the open more often and for longer periods. I would recommend anyone traveling this route to wear head cover and carry plenty of water and sunscreen.

I felt strong enough to do another day (even though my feet were yelling at me for the severe pounding). It was a day to relish in the beauties of Yosemite’s natural wonders.

(photos by Rae Douglass)

Highlights –>

Day 3:  (5430′ Elev)

============

Topographic Route Maps: CLICK “My Topo” in top right corner of map

E by NE and up along Tuolumne River.

Start Map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9298&mtlon=-119.5097&z=15

Turn E then E-by-NE (this is the start of the “Grand Canyon of the Tuolomne River)

Junction map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9336&mtlon=-119.5002&z=15

Turn E-by-SE (Waterwheel Falls & LeConte Falls)

Junction map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9276&mtlon=-119.4693&z=14

Stop below California Falls. (7700′ Elev)

End map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9191&mtlon=-119.4461&z=15

(photo by Rae Douglass)

NOTES: This was the day to hike past huge waterfalls, a footbridge and one or two very small stream crossings. We passed the gigantic Waterwheel Falls and equally enormous LeConte Falls and were 10 minutes north of California Falls when we stopped.

At this point in the trip many of us were comfortable to spread out along the trail so that we traveled in smaller groups at different paces (or maybe that was all just in my head). Anja and I found that our bodies worked best if we kept moving at a steady pace with four or five 5-minute breaks for water and food. Our muscles didn’t cool down so much. Others needed two to three 20 minute breaks to stay moving on trail. And others were somewhere in between. We moved ahead of the group and scouted for campsites.

Our total 1-day mileage 6.5-7.5 miles (not sure on this). Total trip miles ~26 miles.

There was also a big relief to the group because the elevation gain was spread out along the entire planned day’s trek. We gained over 2000′ of elevation over 7 miles (instead of 1000′ in 1.5 miles). Whew!

(photo by Rae Douglass)

Our campsite was practically right on the trail (one tent was 10′ away) but we had the most beautiful view of this minor waterfall (heh heh, only 40′ high and 20′ across) descending into the emerald green and blue pools below.  We were surrounded by sheer walls on two sides and our little site, peppered with Redwoods and Pines, was able to accommodate our 6 tents and kitchen setup. The trees in our site gave us lots of shade in the morning and the evening. We looked downstream and down canyon from the campsite right onto the most picturesque monolith [descended from Wildcat Point - 9455' Elev]. The evening light fell on the canyon, the canyon walls, the river, the trees in our little grotto, and on to the monolith in such a perfect, bucolic, and serene way that we each marveled to another about it.  Arriving at 3:30PM gave us many more hours to rest.

(photo by Rae Douglass)

Although the roar of the falls made sleeping a little difficult for some in the group, many of us relished sleeping so close to the view of this magnificence. The added benefit was that there were very few mosquitoes. Our first visit from mosquitoes came on the next morning as we prepared to leave. We think there was a mosquito hotline to announce “‘packers in the tree grotto by the waterfall!” and the small swarm didn’t arrive til we were on our way the next morning.

Tempuratures were cooler because we at a higher elevation and because this part of the valley was in the shade.  During the evenings we all donned our fleeces or long-sleeved shirts.  I really expected the night to be as warm as the previous two nights and wanted to keep the rain-fly off of the tent as we had the night before. Anja said that around 4AM the temp dropped significantly and she had been particarly cold after.  Two of our group had decided to sleep out of tent and up on the slab rocks above the campsite. They ended up feeling the same cold at 4AM. If there is anything to be aware of, I guess, it would be to have your extra layers (or a warm person) close by.  :-)

DAY 4 –>

(photo by Rae Douglass)

[DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE REPORT]

Day 2:  (4000′ Start Elev.)

============

Topographic Route Maps: CLICK “My Topo” in top right corner of map

E by NE and up along Tuolumne River.

Start Map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9325&mtlon=-119.5923&z=15

Turn E (4900′ Elev – start of harder climb) then SE into Muir Gorge (hardest climb of trip)

Junction map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9374&mtlon=-119.5345&z=15

Stop at end of Muir Gorge. (5430′ Elev) — near where the trail meets the river again (just east of River Mile Marker 135 on map)

End map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9331&mtlon=-119.5219&z=15

NOTES: A foot bridge, several shallow stream crossings and our most difficult ascension day wiped out most of our energy.

We passed what appeared to be a work camp in Pate Valley and all along the way we were seeing more impressive rapids the further we went upstream. The river meandered with both wide, flat, calm water and narrow chutes of intense impassable and very dangerous constrictions and boulders. Beautiful, nonetheless it was fun to see it as the foreground to many of the Redwood-covered mountainsides surrounding us.

(photo by Tim Bessie)

We had to make-up the 1-mile shortage from yesterday and another 0.5 miles to the map trail marker. Our total 1-day mileage 9.0 miles. Total trip miles 18.5 miles.

Just before Muir Gorge at 4900′ elevation and almost 1.5 miles through our final 2.5 mile trek at Muir Gorge we ascended over 1100′. We dropped about 400′ into our campsite for the evening.

The camp was probably one of the few areas in the this part of the gorge where were able to stop that had soil. Most of the trail at the end of Muir Gorge were slabs of smooth granite or broken rocks and boulders. We arrived at 6:30PM and most ready to collapse for the evening.

Funny moment: We were visited by a young ranger (maybe in his early 20′s) just around dinner-time who asked for a cell phone — no doubt to check on the Giant’s score. A bonus as a result of his visit was that we had the approval to make poop/pee areas less than 100′ feet from trail and less than 200′ from river since most of the area was slab rock with very little ground cover (otherwise we would have been walking 1/2 mile down-trail or up-trail to get to some area that would pass these guidelines.

This was the night we had been selected for cooking and unloading almost 7 pounds of food from the bear can and 2 pounds of desert

Why we bring bear cans

from freeze-dried packages was such a relief. To everyone’s surprise we had brought real meat and fresh pasta. We thought maybe too much food for nine (9) people. It was wolfed down with no left-overs. Two key winners: 1. snow peas as appetizers – light-weight and very sweet with no waste/trash afterwards; 2. Adelle’s sausages – pre-cooked, lasted longer on trail, and lots of flavors. The bad: 1. Adelle’s sausages – too heavy. It should be used on night-one. 2. Fresh pasta – too heavy – while it was excellent for the prepared meal it was far too heavy to carry.

Mosquitoes were just as bad here as in the Pate Valley campsite. Natrapel was soon becoming our best friend on this trip. This night wasn’t as hot as the night before but in our sleeping bags we just seemed to sweat profusely.  I found that wearing a long-sleeved wicking layer up top and no socks helped to keep me dry and somewhat comfortable in the middle of the night.

(photo by Rae Douglass)

DAY 3 –>

Map: Yosemite National Park Overview Map

A friend asked for feedback and information about the trail our group took on our 4th of July (2009) backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, Yosemite National Park.

There were stories to tell and anecdotes that, I’m sure, have more impact in certain conversations but in the interest of trying to describe the trail and the environment and avoid trying to describe our group, each person, or the dynamics I tried to keep this as close to a factual trail description as possible

Alas, as I’ve re-read the following (below) day reports, I’ve failed to keep it only about the trail.  I’ve managed to omit many important details, I’m sure.  I can, therefore, suggest that this only gives you insight into one particularly forgetful, if not altogether skewed perspective, of our 4-day trip into Yosemite National Park.

Trip Report

Plan:

A group of nine (9) people arrive on Wednesday evening July 1, 2009

Camp the night before the trip at Tuolumne Meadows. Leave several cars at Soda Springs fire road at Tuolumne Meadows. Drive rest of cars to White Wolf with everyone and all trail-ready packs.

Backpack for 4 days, 3 nights past Hetch Hetchy Reservoir through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River to Tuolumne Meadows for a total trip length around thirty-five miles and a loss and gain of elevation of almost 4000′ down and 4500′ up.

Depart on Sunday, July 5, 2009.

============

Distance: Approx 35 miles.

Time: 4 days

Start: White Wolf trail head (7875′ Elev)

End: Tuolumne Meadows by Soda Springs (8420′ Elev)

Difficulty level: medium-hard to hard

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[DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE REPORT]

Day 1: (7875′ Start Elev.)

============

Topographic Route Maps: CLICK “My Topo” in top right corner of map

E then N-by-NW (down towards Harden Lake).

Start Map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.8741&mtlon=-119.6423&z=15

E-by-NE at junction.

Junction map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.8976&mtlon=-119.6617&z=15

Stop at Pate Valley entrance. (4000′ Elev)

End map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9264&mtlon=-119.6045&z=15

We stopped 1-mile short of the planned camp site making total 1-day mileage 9.5 miles. Total trip miles 9.5 miles. Total elevation change was 3875′ and most of that within a 3-mile stretch.

Having Gor-Tex boots helped with the couple of stream crossings but the rocky terrain may have been easier to manage in mid-weight trail shoes (not boots). The temps gradually got hotter as we descended into the canyon so by midday we were in 75-80° weather with a mix of full sun and partially occluded sun with tree cover.

This was our heaviest pack day and our first day of physical exertion. Our initial impression was that this was a particularly difficult way to start. In retrospect, it was better than the opposite route which would have ended with a 4000′ ascent in one (1) day.

We arrived at 6:30PM, a couple of injuries, some very sore muscles and very tired folks. The excitement of the trip was there (somewhere) and the reality of backpacking with 35-40 pounds on the back had set in. Everyone was excited to be in a camp, any camp.

Sleeping at night was like being in a sweat box particularly with the rain-fly over the tent, our 15° bags, and our propensity for each of the two of us to generate tons of heat [note: on the TMI-side of things, it's often difficult to sleep next to each other because of this fact].

Mosquitoes were intensely bad in the camp and the Natrapel helped us survive. Camp was flat and easy to plunk down in, very close to the river with easy access to water, and a fire ring, in the middle of a mid-to-somewhat dense forested area.

DAY 2 –>