The Velveteen Jogger Does the White Rock Rim Trail on Memorial Day 2009

Dorothy called around 8 am this morning to cancel the hike to Cañada Bonita to check out some big trees. She has too much work to do - a Friend's report to get out and preparing for tomorrow's meeting with the congressional aides. She'll be gone to Iowa for her granddaughter's high school graduation next Monday.

Spouse not interested in hiking because of discomfort around his appendectomy incisions that he experienced on yesterday's hike on the Upper Crossing Trail, going out to the rim of Frijoles Canyon.

Storm clouds were hanging over Pajarito Mountain around 10 am so I headed down to White Rock (sometimes known as Hot Rock) to the White Rock Rim Trail, accessed from the Blue Dot trailhead.

I was nearly speechless when up pops Dale, a local park service ranger, as I'm fiddling with adjusting the waist belt on my fanny pack. He said he was going for a short run and had to work today. I never saw him again. In his running shorts and T shirt, he looks like such a youth!

Saw some men flying their radio controlled aircraft. Everyone has their own fun way of spending Memorial Day. Saw various joggers enjoying the rim trail and hikers going for the downhill delights of the Blue Dot into White Rock Canyon.

Saw a lots of yellow prickly pear blossoms. Admired a line of flowers at the side of the trail composed of purple penstemons, yellow perky sues and red Indian paintbrush.

I call myself the Velveteen jogger because, just like the Velveteen bunny, I'm not a real jogger. Others could (and did) go out and back in the time it took me to make the roundtrip. Regardless, I enjoy so much that, by faithfully doing my leg exercises, I'm able to do jogging intervals.

I stopped and saluted as two fighter jets went overhead, a Memorial Day tradition. I blessed all the people that have served our country.

Dome Road FR289

Wanted something easy, flat and nearby. Parked at ice rink and started walking toward locked gate road in Los Alamos Canyon but lab employees told me I couldn't walk on it and there was a no trespassing sign so I gave up. I just now emailed the lab asking why the public can't walk on that road now because the public has been walking on it for a while now. I didn't notice the no trespassing sign before this and maybe it's new.

Drove up to Dome Road FR 289 and parked off NM4 across from Cerro Grande parking lot. I did jogging intervals out to Graduation Flats and back.

I carried my golf umbrella and had to use it twice but no hail, thunder or lightning - my kind of rain!

Mists hung over Rabbit Ridge, Scooter Peak and Cerro Grande - very pretty!

Admired iris clumps and golden banner (golden pea). Golden banner reminds me of Easter. With my near-sighted eyes, the round portion of the blossoms on the flower spike look like tiny, yellow Easter eggs or even like yellow, marshmallow chicks.

Drivers go very fast on Dome Road. Only saw two but they could slow down when they pass a pedestrian! Also, one of them didn't move over at all but took the middle of the road, going through some small puddles. I got way over as soon as I heard any vehicle coming. I invented a new word that will be parental-control friendly to describe such drivers: anal-orifices!

Lawyer joke: Why bury a lawyer six feet under? Because deep down, they're nice!

Nail Trail-FR2998 Jogging Intervals

Got out of the house this morning by 10am by virtue of not firing up computer. Went up Nail Trail and out on FR2998 to Camp May Road and turned around. Did jogging intervals. Not much shade on FR2998 but nice breezes and evaporative cooling from sweat made it pleasant. I've basically skipped timing the intervals and just jog to a landmark and then walk to another and repeat. I do it all by feel rather than time.

Reading some Runner's World magazines from MPL. January 2009 issue has article titled Twilight of the Mountain God about Rick Trujillo, a mountain runner who lives in Ouray. He's had a lifetime of running in the mountains. He says that's been his salvation. His eating habits are pretty lousy, though. He had to have a stent put in last year because one of his arteries had a 90% blockage. The article is very interesting. He's a true individualist.

My thought regarding the 12 miler in very hot, shadeless territory on Thursday is that some people are naturally more cold-blooded and can tolerate the heat more. It may rain on Thursday and cool things down which will be good.

Miso Cranberry Muffins

Read in Life Extension magazine that you shouldn't eat anything cooked above 250 degrees to avoid forming advanced glycation end products (AGEs). (The body forms them anyway so I'm not sure why it hurts to eat them but I'm not a food chemist.) This made we wonder if it's possible to make muffins cooked at 250 degrees. It is. They are, of course, my usual loco muffins. I had about 1/3 cup of red miso that I just wasn't finishing up because it's so much saltier than the sweet white miso. I can use the less salty miso more lavishly. I like to spread miso, mustard and peanut butter on a walnut half. It's pretty good! (Obviously, I have more to worry about than AGEs!) For that matter, just a dab of miso on a walnut half is also delicious. It's also good spread on a medjool date. The possibilities are endless!

Anyway, ingredient list: red miso, apple juice sweetened dried cranberries, orange juice, cup of apple juice, garbanzo bean flour, 1/2 cup canola oil, Udi's museli and cinnamon. Mix it all up, throw it in the oven, and, presto, miso cranberry muffins! I thought it tasted delicious but I have very peculiar taste buds.

Spouse and I hiked this morning in lower Water Canyon with the WRSC group. Only six of us. Spouse did very well for his first hike since the appendectomy. Saw evening primrose, the low kind, tons of perky Sue, wallflower, light blue penstemon.

Tonight, go to Sarah Plain and Tall with grandson and daughter.

Grandson's permanent molar was growing into the root of his baby molar and caused an abscess. He had to have the baby molar pulled and will need a spacer. Daughter says he was very brave!

Would like to try a 12 mile hike on Sunday.

Great Day!

Hiked 8 miles on FR181/American Springs Road today in preparation for next week's 12 mile hike with Annette. Started at twin water tanks on West Jemez Road because I wanted to do my jogging intervals on the steep uphill rather than the reverse. Added plus was that there are pools of shade on the downhill coming back. My car lucked out and was in shade provided by a tall Ponderosa! Couldn't have planned it better.

I didn't carry water or a backpack so I cheated somewhat. I won't be able to get away with that on next week's hike but it felt great not to lug them. I tanked up at the beginning and end of the trek and had plenty of liquids at breakfast.

Only homo sapiens that I saw was a woman in an SUV. We both waved.

Saw tiny bird nibbling on Gambel Oak. It looked like its head had a black crest.

Red columbine was rampant above road as it drops down to Water Canyon crossing.

The breezes were welcome and it wasn't hot at all.

Did 4 miles of jogging intervals and then turned around and walked back 4 miles.

On way back, found plastic bag and used it to pick up myrtle spurge (an invasive in CO). Bag handle broke, I dropped bag once, bag developed holes - not sure, but maybe I planted some in new places. I pulled them up last week and shouldn't have let them dry out before I hauled them out. I'll keep watching for new growth next year and pick it before it gets huge.

Big invasive thistles (maybe bull) have hopped road just past the forest service gate and are heading downhill into a tributary of Water Canyon. Thistles with their spines are beyond my scope of expertise. Hope Craig Martin goes out there and pulls them since I notified him.

On drive home, looked like prescribed La Sotella fire near Abiquiu is exploding. Wonder why forest service would hold it in these winds?

Perimeter Trail

Last night, walked Mesa Trail wearing my 10 pound weight vest. Met Irma walking her dog Baby. She joined me for some back and forths on the Mesa Trail at dusk, carrying Baby. It turns out that she has a leg affliction, unknown why, which causes her foot to drag after about two miles. She wears an over-the-counter knee brace and ankle brace which helps but I could see that it was beginning to drag. Wish I could help her.

Today, did intervals on Perimeter Trail starting at Mitchell Trail and going past Quemazon Community and back. Was fun. I'm happy to do intervals even if I never jog faster than I walk and even if I never can jog continuously again. It does oomph up my exercise.

Saw golden banner, Oregon grape, Wooten's Senecio, perky Sue, clematis, mountain parsley. Hills above trail are greening up with gambel oak and NM locust.

Took spouse to Film Festival where he rented DVD, Tell No One, recommended by his brother.

Need New Knees

Got a late start after too much time on computer and various downtown-chores. Did Kwage (North) Mesa Trail out to end which overlooks the confluence of Bayo and Pueblo Canyons, approximately 4 miles RT. Tried intervals - warmed up for 10 minutes and than did a clumsy jog for 30 seconds every 5 minutes. We'll see if my knees try to lock on my next hike. I wish I could still jog. I always loved it, how it made me feel afterwards - energized.

Gambel oaks are finally leafing out. Their yellow-green leaves contrast with the dark greens of the piñons and junipers. Saw fringed puccoon - tubular flower with five, fused yellow petals and skinny, soft green leaves. Don't know the right plant lingo to describe the leaves.

Saw a horseback rider on the way out. The horse snorted when it went by which always startles me.

On way back, nice wind except it was blowing away all the clouds and bringing in high pressure. Good weather, though, if you have a roofing job going on!

When almost back to the dressage area at Brewer's Arena, saw a man, didn't get his name, who was also doing intervals. He looked about as bad as me but at least he has the excuse that he had both knees replaced eight years ago. We talked briefly as we walked back and I told him about a hiker I know who will one day get minimally invasive knee surgery. He said it's major surgery no matter what. I mentioned spouse's appendectomy that's coming up. He said his daughter had her appendix removed this January. It had first attacked her three and a half years ago and then attacked really bad this January. Spouse is doing the right thing to get it removed because, although it may go through quiescent phases, it's really never going away until it's removed.

Did knee strengthening exercises when I got home. Doing laundry now.