Navigating Squak Mountain with the Garmin Fenix 5

Today, I set out to do my easy weekend long run on Squak Mountain. I was looking for a run of 12 miles and I wanted a good deal of elevation gain, but I also wanted to try out navigating with my Garmin Fenix 5X.

After reading the Garmin forum, I decided to use Garmin Connect to create a course, which I sent to my watch. I used the "freehand" feature in Garmin Connect to draw my own route. It gave me elevation gain and mileage--nice! The map showed the trails on Squak Mountain and I planned out a lollipop loop route. The mileage was 12.23 and the elevation 4100 feet. I have to activate "Navigation" as a choice when I activate my watch (like when I choose trail run, run, mountain bike, etc.) and then I can choose "Map" to see the course or "Do Course." It seemed like a good plan. (Note: Since I first published this post, I have learned it is better to leave it on "follow roads." Even though I am not running on roads, it will still trace the trail(s) between point A and point B for me. Nice!)

I started off at 6:00 am in drizzle. As I crawled my way up Margaret's Way Trail, my watch beeped at me. I rushed to put my reading glasses on (my sunglasses are being redone and besides, did I mention it was raining?) but by the time I got them on my face, the notification was gone. I held them in my hand waiting for the next one. Soon after, my watch vibrated. I noticed it gave a green loop arrow and an "On Course" message. I guessed correctly that beeping meant I was off-course and vibrating meant I was on. These messages continued as I ran up Margaret's Way. I continued on the Chybinski Trail with positive reinforcement from my watch, but when things got confusing, Garmin was silent. I wasn't sure which way to go, and my watch gave me no feedback.

I tried pausing the run, choosing "Resume Later," but that didn't allow me to see the map of the course. I exited the run so I could see the map. It showed the course and where I was, and I tried to zoom in but couldn't find the trail or my location once I did. Useless. I continued on, starting the watch again.

By the time I was climbing the Central Peak of Squak Mountain, I knew I was off course. This would not have been too big of a deal, except that I needed to be back at my car by 9:10 to get to a hair appointment in North Bend. I had all kinds of trouble, from going up to the peak when my watch told me I was off course many times and even when it showed me a map with an arrow I couldn't decipher what I was supposed to do, to running STEEPLY down Squak Mountain Road in hopes of finding a trail to the west, to getting forced into mud by a branch only to have my shoe stay behind as I ran. No kidding! It took me three tries to yank it out.

In the end, I wound up desperately following signs back to SR 900 which is where my car was (but there are two trailheads on SR 900 about a mile apart). Eventually, I ended up on Chybinski Loop (not that any signs told me so) from the opposite side and I headed back down Margaret's Way as fast as I could go. I got to my car by 9:13. I was about five minutes late to my hair appointment.

Back to the drawing board...or should I say Garmin Connect? I refined my route by adding course points just before trail junctions. I named the points with things like "LEFT W PEAK" for a left turn on the West Peak Trail. My watch is supposed to give me warnings of the points as I approach. This, of course, is dependent on the watch having good reception.

The Garmin Connect application is TERRIBLE. I had done about half of the course points, clicking "save point" as I went. I got booted out--zoomed out completely and having to click edit again--when I had done half the course points. Only then did I realize that none of my work, including fine-tuning the trail, had been saved. I had spent about an hour doing this so I was kinda upset. I started over and clicked "save changes" often, which resulted in a full zoom out and having to click edit again. If I didn't, it booted me out, but only after I made some more changes to the course. Otherwise, nothing happened at all. I had to make changes to get booted out and lose those changes. Super annoying! I learned to save changes after each course point, which took a long time because it would always boot me out shortly after and then take forever to reload the edit screen. Garmin, please improve! (Note: I was using a PC laptop when I made my courses. Today I tried it on a PC desktop computer and didn't have any problems. Hmm.)

Kinda small, but you can see my course points, the purple flags on the route.

I plan to make new routes for my eight-mile run on Wednesday and my 20 miler next weekend and use course points. The only way to view the map is to avoid starting my watch ("Do Course") at the beginning of the run. I can't see the map if I start my watch to follow the course. But if the navigation isn't working due to poor reception, then the course point warnings do me no good. It would be nice to somehow be able to see the map when needed when I am following a course. According to help on the Garmin Forum, I should be able to see it. I believe I tried what it says to do (use the up or down arrow and hold menu for three seconds). I will try again Wednesday on a shorter run. Since the weather is supposed to be nice both Wednesday and Saturday, I am hoping to "Do Course" to try the course point warnings to make my way correctly. We shall see.

If anyone knows how to use the Garmin Fenix 5X to navigate while running in the woods, please comment! I could really use some help.

Training in the Issaquah Alps: Cougar, Squak, and Tiger Mountains

What a great way to make the most of the foothills of the Cascade Mountains! My husband was worried I would get burned out from running Grand Ridge too much, so he proposed that I run up and over all three of the mountains of Issaquah.

I had a feeling the run would be epic, as so many of my ideas of what to challenge myself with next have actually come from him (running ultras, the Kendall Katwalk, Cascade Pass to Stehekin, and Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass, to name a few). It taught me that I need to challenge myself far more than I have been when it comes to elevation gain.

My route began at the Red Hill trailhead off Lakemont Blvd. in Bellevue. From there, I took the Wildside Trail, the Indian Trail, the Quarry Trail, Shy Bear Trail, and Whitaker Wilderness Trail, all up and over to the bottom of the east side of Cougar Mountain. This portion of the run was fairly technical, about a 4. There were some rocks and some really rooty areas, as well as some steep step downs. Since it was so wet, these step downs on rocks, roots, or logs were slippery, as were the foot bridges and log crossings. It was BY FAR the easiest climb of the three mountains.

John drops me off on Lakemont Boulevard for the start of my long run in the Issaquah Alps.

Then, I took a right onto SR 900 and in under one tenth of a mile, I was at the trailhead for Squak Mountain. I took Margaret's Way up to Chybynski Loop, where I took a left and dropped down. After that, it gets a little confusing. I think I took the Eastside Trail and eventually got onto the East Ridge Trail down to the Sycamore trailhead. Squak Mountain was also technical at times, around a 4. It was pretty steep, though 100% runnable. Just when I thought Margaret's Way had leveled off, I climbed switchbacks for another mile! I give it a 6 for elevation gain.

The photo doesn't do the view justice, but it's from Margaret's Way looking toward Renton. The sun was spotlighting the town in the distance.

I saved the toughest mountain for last: Tiger. From the Sycamore neighborhood, I ran down the pavement to Hobart Road, and in just over a mile, I was at the Chirico trailhead for Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain. It has been a long time since I have been on this trail, and I don't know it very well. I was hoping for a gradual climb, but that's not what I got. It pretty much goes straight up! Ok, there are switchbacks, but they are steep. It's also really rocky and has a long section of rock steps. By this time, my quads were pretty tired and I was stumbling on the sharp rocks. I power hiked at least half of this climb. I think I could run it (and I will) with fresh legs. Anyway, It seemed like it was only about two miles up to Poo Poo. 

The view from Poo Poo Point. Lots of people, most of whom came up the Chirico Trail.

I took the High School Trail route back down, veering off at the bottom toward the Lake Tradition parking lot. Next time, I will go up to the top of Tiger from a junction on the Poo Poo Trail (the High School Trail route) and then take a different way down. I went pretty slowly down Poo Poo, as the trail was almost as steep going down as it was going up even though it was a little longer. My quads were shaking--I was that tired. Due to rocks and steepness, I give it a 7 for technicality and a 7 for elevation gain. I can see I have several runs in store for me on Squak and Tiger before the snow melts from the PCT.

Overall distance was 20 miles, elevation gain was 5,423 ft, elevation loss was 5,534 ft, and my highest elevation was 1,895 ft. It took me 5:36--very slow. Average mile time was 16:48. I had ten minutes of stoppage time. Once nice thing was that I had cell phone coverage the whole way, so I could text my husband for directions and my friend for inspiration.

After my run, I treated myself to a 10-minute ice bath. It helped quite a bit! To distract myself, I munched on a nice vegan deli sandwich. Tomorrow's six-mile recovery run will be interesting. The Snoqualmie Valley Trail (a flat rail trail) may be in order. We'll see how I feel.

It's a good thing my fastpack adventure is over four months away. I've a long way to go before I am ready!

The elevation profile over distance. You can pretty much see Cougar, Squak, and Tiger!

Elevation profile zoomed in view

The GPS track of my route. It doesn't play. It's just a screenshot from Garmin Express.

Garmin Fenix 5X Update

In Colorado while out on a mountain bike ride, I found myself saying, "As much as I hate my watch, I really like it." In a previous post, I ranted about the distance measurement inaccuracy, the trouble with getting maps for it, and the difficulty getting a computer to recognize it, but in fairness, the Garmin Fenix 5X is growing on me.

For starters, I like that I can have different settings for what is showing on the watch face for different activities. For example, when I am trail running, I have it show the overall time in the center, the largest number. On the top and bottom in smaller print, I have it show my lap pace and my distance, respectively. When I am mountain biking, I have it on the default settings, so it show my time, distance, elevation, elevation gain, And I have a ton of other options, like run, cross country skiing, rowing (which for me is kayaking), hiking, swimming, and more. When I look at the other data after a run or ride, it tells me whether the workout was maintaining, improving, or overreaching my aerobic and anaerobic fitness. I found this particularly useful when running at elevation in Colorado Springs. My second run there on my second full day, I did six miles and 1000 feet of elevation gain, and it told me I was overreaching. That told me I made the right decision in deciding to wait until Tuesday to do my long run, and also to do it on a rail trail.

I also like that I can see my heart rate at anytime, and also my heart rate profile over the last four hours. It will also tell me my recovery heart rate if I forget to get out of the run or bike screen. Of course I can also see my max heart rate and average heart rate for any given workout, which, again, I found useful in Colorado Springs. It helped me gauge my effort versus my perceived effort.

Some of the data the watch gives in Garmin Express; my watch itself when I review an activity will tell me that 4.1 is "significantly improving" my anaerobic fitness, and that 5.0 is "overreaching" my aerobic fitness. That information told me that I was struggling with getting enough oxygen, that the difficulty I thought I was experiencing with running at elevation wasn't just in my head. 

I haven't tried following a track yet, but I have put maps on it and transferred waypoints to it. I did that for the New Santa Fe Trail, but I kind of forgot to use it. Mostly, I wasn't sure how to get to the maps on it during a workout, so that is something I will still have to figure out. I wish I could find an expert to show me how to use it the way I want to. If I can figure out how to use it properly, I think I will actually really like it!

The End of The Great Colorado Running and Mountain Biking Trip

Friday morning, we got up early to make our way homeward. John had looked at the weather report and determined that a nasty snow storm was coming our way. We had planned to take a southern route that would take us through Fruita for a mountain biking stop, but because the snow storm would be hitting all along that route, we decided to go back the way John came. The weather that way, though Wyoming, looked only slightly better. It was a good choice! Though there was a high wind warning the entire way with lots of wind to show for it, the winter storm warning only amounted to blowing snow but nothing on the roads. Since it was so terribly cold, we just kept driving--all the way to Ogden, Utah. We spent eleven hours driving! Fridays are usually rest days for me, so I didn't mind not being able to ride.

In Ogden, we took a walk to old town and back, about five miles, just to shake out our legs. Our Airbnb was at the foothills of the Wasatch Range, so Saturday morning, I started my run right from the door! I ran a half mile up the road to a trailhead and ran for a total of ten miles on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Sounds flat, right? Nope! I gained over a thousand feet in four miles. Ouch! The trail was quite technical, too. I'd give it a seven for technicality. The terrain was a lot like what I will encounter on the PCT. I really enjoyed the views of the pink-tinged mountains that surround Ogden as the sun came up. Our Airbnb was at about 4,100 feet, and I got up to the snowline on the running trail, about 5,100 feet. I saw 19 other trail runners! I felt like I was in my element. After running for a week at elevation, 4,000 to 5,000 felt quite normal. I had a great pace of 12-plus minutes per mile average, which is good for me considering the elevation gain.

About five hours later, we were in Boise for the best ride of the trip. We rode the Central Ridge Trail and Shane's Loop. I didn't know I had it in me to climb as steeply as I did there. My cross training days up the High School Trail (where I ride briefly and hard every Monday after work) paid off! John said he had a hard time keeping up with me going down from the top. I got up to 19.2 miles per hour and I even caught some air (on purpose) on a jump--first time! So fun!John said my downhill riding (and my riding in general) has improved. I owe that to my good friend, Nicole. We decided to treat ourselves to a nice hotel in downtown Boise where we walked to dinner at Bodovino.

Elevation profile over distance for the ride in Boise

We rode trails right next to downtown! Central Ridge and Shane's Loop.

Dinner at Bodovino in Boise

The final effort to get home took us through Walla Walla to say hello to my brother, who was taking some friends and colleagues on a wine-tasting tour, and then onward to Nicole's to get my car. I didn't have a chance to run Sunday, so I ran and mountain biked today (Monday). Normally, Monday is just for rides.

What a trip! I feel like it really added to my training and fitness to do so much every single day. Sleeping in my own bed last night was total satisfaction.

I'd go back to Colorado Springs in a second! What a great place to run, ride, hike, and tour.

Colorado Running...and Mountain Biking...and Hiking

I think we finally wore ourselves out. It's Thursday, our sixth full day in Colorado Springs, and we are spending the afternoon doing...not much.

My week here began with a run from our Airbnb into Garden of the Gods and back. It was just four miles, but it gave me a taste of not being able to catch my breath. My starting point was 6,500 feet. The weather was quite cold that day--29 degrees until around 1:00 when the sun finally started to peak out. I ran at that time, and was completely overdressed! I did not expect the sun to be so intense and warm. I ended up peeling off my layers and even my ear band. I should mention that I had some GI distress. I am not sure if it had to do with adjusting to the elevation or just eating too many nuts and dried fruits. Overall, my pace was fairly close to what it would be at home; it just felt a lot harder. Anyway, we spent the afternoon with a walk in Garden of the Gods, and then we tried out our first brewery, Trinity, which has fairly extensive vegan options!

A chilly afternoon at Trinity

The next day, we drove a few miles southwest to ride and run in Red Rock Canyon Open Space. John chose his route on the mountain bike, and I ran six miles and gained nearly 1,000 feet in elevation. I made the decision Saturday to give myself some time to acclimate to running at elevation before attempting my 20-mile run. Once again, I was overdressed. It was only in the 50s, but I ended up running with my shirt tied around my waste. Again, I felt the elevation and my pace was definitely slower with the climbs. Afterwards, we had lunch at Moxie, a vegan restaurant. It was pretty disappointing. I was still a little queasy, so I ordered a sweet potato chili soup, which was good, and some tempura Brussel Sprouts. These were really good, but I was wary of them being deep fried and my stomach being sensitive. John got a house-made beet burger and it just wasn't very good. We then paid our tourist dues in Old Colorado City, where we bought an agave sculpture for the yard. After dropping it off at the Airbnb, we went ten minutes away to Manitou Springs to continue our tourist time there. We stopped at Manitou Brewery and enjoyed the sunshine as we walked the main street. We rounded the day out with vegan wings at Trinity.

Monday is normally a mountain bike riding day for me, so John and I headed out to Ute Valley for a ride. It was awesome! John took it easy on me, knowing what was in store for me tomorrow, so we rode for just over an hour. I struggled a little with jelly legs and being nervous on unfamiliar terrain, but once I calmed down, I had a great time. After the ride, we ate bagels and grapes for lunch before touring the Air Force Academy, being especially impressed by the light through stain-glassed windows in the chapel there. We also noticed a trail.

Ute Valley is a great trail with some pretty technical challenges.

The chapel at the Air Force Academy

The stained glass makes the inside glow.

I chose Tuesday for my 20-miler and enjoyed the run on the New Santa Fe Trail, a rail-trail that started at 7,200 feet near the town of Monument and ended at 6,400 in Colorado Springs. There was nothing technical, and while it was mostly downhill, there were some ups and downs the last seven miles. At first, I was able to breathe like I normally do, one breath in for three steps and one breath out for three steps. After about a mile, I resorted to two steps per breath. Even though the trail was easy and gently downhill, I felt the elevation in my lungs. My mile pace was about 9:36, which is OK for a flattish trail.

It was a piece of cake until around mile 18, when I had reached the end of the trail but still needed a couple more miles. Most of my first ten miles were under ten minutes, but later when the trail started undulating (and I started to fatigue), my paced slowed. I averaged 10:36. The local running shop advised me to run for the time it usually takes me to do 20 miles. On Chuckanut Mountain near my home in Washington state, that would be four hours. I was pleased to run at elevation and finish in 3:30. I had about an hour to stretch and rest with my feet above my head while John finished his mountain bike ride on the Falcon Trail, a 13.1-mile mountain bike trail inside the grounds of the Air Force Academy. It was the trail we noticed the day before. Once John picked me up, we drove a couple miles to Trinity for lunch. After lunch we toured the Olympic Training Center. We were quite impressed by the access the athletes have to nutrition experts, sports medicine, and specialized equipment. One thing we learned there was their mantra of "live high, train low." Not sure how you could do that unless you were an Olympic athlete and had access to their climate and elevation controlled training room. We ended the day at Swirl in Manitou Springs where I tried a Colorado wine that I really liked.

I get ready to start my 20-mile run on the New Santa Fe Trail. It was super chilly in the morning, but once I got into the sun, I warmed right up!

As I head out, John snaps a picture before heading to his ride at the Academy.

We wrap up our tour with a surround screen, go-USA video at the Olympic Training Center.

For my recovery day, Wednesday, I began with what was supposed to be a six-mile run in Garden of the Gods. A little misjudgment of my whereabouts and a rush to meet John at Starbucks at the end of my run meant I ran a little longer (7.3 miles) and a little hard than I meant to (an 8:48 mile at the end). By this time, the elevation was less noticeable. After breakfast, my "recovery" day continued with a bike ride at Palmer Park, which was wildly fun! Next came a hike up to 7,400 feet at Seven Falls. We finished the day at IvyWild Elementary, a 1916 building converted into Bristol Brewery. Even the Principal's Office is a place of "libation for trouble makers." By the end of the day, I was utterly exhausted.

Pike's Peak is always in view, especially here at the top of Palmer Park. Great trail network!

I descend one of 289 stairs at Seven Falls.

Thursday, I only ran three miles in Garden of the Gods, exploring some of the trails from parking lot #2. After a hot shower, I got ready for our zipline tour, which, alas, was cancelled due to high winds. Instead, we rode up the road in the Air Force Academy to 7,200 feet and then caught the Falcon Trail so I could experience the wonderful downhill ride John did a few days ago. While my legs were truly spent at this point, the elevation no longer seemed to bother me. After the ride was lunch at Bambino's Urban Pizzeria, where we had the Vegan Veg pizza. Really good! Now we are relaxing outside in the sunshine and breeze in the pines at our Airbnb. We leave tomorrow morning for Fruita, CO, for another bike ride!

 Highlights of the bike ride on the Falcon Trail

Vegan pizza! It was our favorite meal of the trip!

It's been an excellent spring break!

Somehow, I lost this post on Google+. It's from Saturday, April 7:

We arrived in Colorado Springs, elevation 6,085 feet, last night. John drove starting on Wednesday and I flew yesterday afternoon. It was 19 degrees here last night, and now, at 1:00 pm, it’s still not above freezing. The weather is supposed to warm up tomorrow to 69, so I didn’t really bring winter running clothes. I can layer enough to make it work, though.

As I’ve been waiting for it to warm up a little, I’ve been reading about running at 6,000+ feet. About 25 percent of people will experience moderate altitude sickness at this elevation. Being physically fit decreases those chances but exercise increases them. Hydration is key, with experts recommending drinking more than you normally would.

I have decided to alter my original plan of running six miles today and 20 tomorrow. Instead, I am going to run four today and six tomorrow. I’ll wait until Tuesday to run 20. I should be somewhat adjusted by then, but it will still be harder than sea level to 1,600 feet.

The sun has finally peaked out, which means warmer temperatures so I’d better get changed and run!