Update: Running with Poles, Garmin Fenix 5X, and Sore Quads

I'm no spring chicken, so I've been careful about increasing my mileage and elevation too quickly as I train for a run on Washington Section J Southbound of the PCT. I want my body to adapt to a gradual increase in the pounding punishment of trail running.

I make this sound fun, don't I?

This weekend, I increased my distance by two miles and my elevation by 500 feet after having run the same distance for seven weeks with some easy weekends thrown in. I planned out a course in the Issaquah Alps (Tiger, Squak, and Cougar Mountains) that was supposed to be 22 miles according to Garmin Connect. According to my Garmin Fenix 5X, it was 24.52 partly due to me taking a wrong turn. But my planned 20 mile runs each turned out to be longer, too (22 miles and 21.5 miles), so I figured it was par for the course.

I approach the summit of West Tiger 1, a place I've never been despite growing up in Issaquah. I forgot to put my 22-mile alps course on my watch, so I had to navigate using the map on my watch and my notes as to what turns to take.

I successfully reached the top of West Tiger 1 and looked back where I'd come from to see a sign confirming my location. Had it not been for two other trail runners who came a minute later, I might not have found the unmarked Poo Top Trail, though it was the only trail up there.

In an attempt to avoid sore quads and calves, I have been employing several tactics: trekking poles, downhill technique, hydration, and fueling (before, during, and after). Last week, I ran 12 miles on Squak Mountain with running poles for the first time. It took me a bit to get the hang of it (see previous post), but this weekend went much better. I have come to a few conclusions about running with poles:

• They are extremely helpful for moderate to steep climbs and steep descents. 
• The most effective use uphill seems to be a motion that mimics the arm motion when you're on an elliptical. (I'm still working out good downhill technique.)
• It's best to put them in your pack if you're not going to be using them for a while. My shoulder fatigued yesterday because I had been carrying them both in my right hand for a long time.
• On easier climbs and easy to moderate descents, I prefer no poles.
• Not having your hands free is a bit of a pain. You can't look at your watch, drink, or eat while using poles. 
• Planting a pole on the inside of a downhill switchback is a great and fun technique for getting around the corner swiftly.

Do they help? On the one hand, I can feel a little soreness in my quads today, but on the lower quads rather than the upper quads. A new experience is that my arms are tired. Carrying anything for a sustained time was hard today when normally I wouldn't notice it. My legs were a bit heavy for today's eight-mile run, but not bad considering yesterday's effort. Also, I ascended Tiger Mountain about a minute faster yesterday than the previous time I ran up it. Next week, I will do another 22-mile trail run and I will take just one pole to see how I like that. Overall, I think the poles help distribute the effort to the upper body, thereby lessening leg muscle soreness.

Pole updates: third run near end of post

I also tried out my fastpack vest. It needs some adjustments in the fit--I need to tighten up the side straps and loosen the front straps so that the two sides of the vest sit wider across my chest. It's not a women's specific pack, that's for sure! All in all, I don't think I'll have any issues with it, and my bear spray fit securely in one of the easily accessible front pockets. My vest and poles.

As for fueling and hydrating, I took more water than I ever have--about 40 ounces--for a run of seven hours. I tried something new in my water, Tailwind. I previously thought that it had protein that was vegan, but it turns out that that is their recovery drink. Nonetheless, I preferred Tailwind to Clif. There's not much in Clif, maybe 40 calories a serving. I used Endurox for my recovery drink, which is not vegan, and it upset my stomach. It has whey protein, which is supposed to be the best for recovery, but not being used to dairy, my stomach didn't like it and I found the taste unpleasant. To me, it had an aftertaste a little like sour milk. I just bought a huge container of it, too. I plan to get some Tailwind recovery drink instead.

One last update is regarding my watch. When I ran on Squak Mountain last week, I was certain that I was following the magenta marked course, but it was no course I had ever created so I was baffled. This weekend, I figured it out! When you get off course, the Fenix 5X will route you a new course to get you back on track. I think I like that feature. I just wish it could be a different color so that you would know you were off course but on track to get back on course...but not actually on your planned route.

Coming up, I'll sew the screen on my bivy and write my article for Backpacking Light about making my own bivy. I have abandoned my plans so far for training on other parts of the PCT because the elevation gain is too slight. But I hope to put the bivy to use before June is over.

Running with Trekking Poles

Today was my first time running with trekking poles. I have two reasons to run with them on my PCT Section J fastpack: one is because one pole is needed to prop up my bivy, and the other reason is that using poles can help mitigate the fatigue to your legs. I looked online to find some technique tips, and with a few things in my mind, I started out this morning on Squak Mountain.

The first half mile was pretty ridiculous. I had no idea how to use the poles and found myself tripping over them, especially on my left side. The only thing I really knew going in was to use them to help propel me up steep inclines, alternating single poles, and to do a double-pole plant to get up steep steps or over obstacles, and also to just let the poles tick lightly on the side going downhill. Before long, I found a rhythm that felt all-too familiar; it was just like being on an elliptical when I was using the poles going uphill. I just knew when it felt right. I don't know if my technique was, in fact, correct, but it sure felt good. I felt like I just charged up Margaret's Way.

As the use of the poles became more intuitive, I found that I knew without looking how to orient them in the right direction in my hands when I transitioned from carrying them both in my right hand while running flat or nearly flat sections of trail to a hill. I also found myself double-planting them when I first put them back into use after carrying them as if to orient myself to them, and then I began alternating them. It was very comfortable.

The poles I am using, Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles, have a couple of nice features, besides being 10 ounces a pair. When you pull up on the grip and down on the shaft, they lock into place (when they are otherwise collapsed into three sections like a tent pole). They also have an extended grip area that goes down the shaft a bit so that when you are going uphill, you can shift your grip down the pole a bit. I found this particularly useful because overall, I think the poles are too tall for me. They are 120 cm, and I am 5'7". My hands were on the lower part of the shaft grip for my entire run. Because of this, I decided to give my poles to my husband, who is 5'10" and I ordered a pair of 110 cm poles for myself. I found them on sale at Backcountry.com.

I removed the hand loops, as I read that they just get in the way and I agree. It also makes them lighter, which is a bonus. When you're hiking the hand loops can be used to support you going downhill, but not so much when you're running. You want to avoid "braking" downhill as much as possible,

Overall, the pros of running with the poles were that I felt like it helped propel my run up the hill without fatiguing my quads and my calves as much. I also found them useful when going downhill on rocky terrain, as they helped give me stability. They were also a great confidence boost for log crossings over mud and steam crossing on slippery rocks.

As for the cons, there are some serious considerations. They are not enough to deter me yet, as I did order some in a shorter size so I obviously want to keep trying with them, but they are worth mentioning. At the very least, I found them cumbersome going downhill when the trail was fairly narrow, as they caught in the brush on the side of the trail. More importantly, I didn't like not having the use of my hands. While using the poles. I couldn't look at my watch to see my time, the course, my distance, or anything else I wanted to know, so I had a hard time keeping up with my hydration and fueling. I also found it difficult to drink and eat a gel, as I need one or both hands for this. If I happened to be running on a section of trail that was not steep and I was holding the poles in my right hand, it wasn't as much of an issue, but when I needed them to go up or downhill, they were definitely an impediment. I am sure part of my issue was that I was focusing so much on using them that I couldn't keep track of anything else. As I become more comfortable using them, I should be able to keep better track of my hydration and fueling.

When I got home, I uploaded my run to Garmin Express and compared my ascent of Margaret's Way with poles to a previous run without poles. I was dismayed to find that I was slower with the poles than without, but then again, I struggled with them at the start. I plan to use them again next weekend on an Issaquah Alps Westbound trek, and I will compare my time to the previous run. I hope to see an overall improvement in time, endurance and lack of soreness.

On another note, I was perusing Backcountry's running items when I was placing the order for the shorter poles, and I happened across a new-to-me running fuel: Trailwind Endurance Fuel. It has protein, carbs, and electrolytes, and it's VEGAN! Yeah! They also have a caffeinated version. I ordered both. I can't wait to try them out. Their promotional information says that you don't need gels or anything else to fuel your runs. It is not sweet and is supposed to be easy on the GI tract, and it gets five out of five stars for five reviews. If I like it, I'll write them and offer to be their ambassador! (If only!)

Pole updates: second run, third run near end of post

Making My Own Bivy Part 2

Yesterday, I got started on the actual bivy. The first step was to rip the seams on my sheet-made mock up. Since I used big stitches, it was easy to do. Once I had the seams apart, I laid out each piece and traced them onto tracing paper to make my final pattern. I used a yardstick to ensure straight edges.

Once I had the patterns cut out, I pinned them to the Dyneema fabric. I was dismayed to find that my bottom/side piece of fabric, the heavier of the two Dyneema fabrics, was not quite big enough! However, I had more than enough of the lighter weight fabric that I could sew on that made up the difference. The bonus is that it makes the bivy that much lighter! And really, the sides do not need to be made of the heavier fabric, just the bottom. I pinned the extra strips on and sewed them. 

The pattern sits on top of the Dyneema fabric. You can see how I had to add some of the lighter weight (see-through white) fabric to the sides and bottom of the heavier (dark gray) fabric.

I was super excited to have enough extra lighter weight fabric to add a bit to the bottom to make the bivy longer.

Next, I pinned and sewed the sides together at the bottom, 22 inches up.

Then I pinned the top wedge and foot piece to the lighter Dyneema fabric and cut them out. I pinned one side of the wedge into place and then sewed, being careful to meet the previously sewn seam at the bottom (narrow part) of the wedge. I repeated this process on the other side.

The pattern is placed on the fold of the light weight fabric folded in half. I pinned it, and then cut it out. Next, I unfolded it and pinned it to the main body of the bivy. In this photo, I have the pattern pinned to the lighter fabric and lying on top of the body of the bivy so you can see it. 

Here is the wedge of lighter fabric sewn onto the body of the bivy.

A close up of the spot where the point of the wedge meets the seam in the body of the bivy. I was careful to have all three seams meet.

Then I sewed the foot piece on. That was tricky! I had to ease the fabric into place as I sewed. A slightly oval shape would probably have worked better than a rectangle.

First, I pinned the foot piece into place.

Then, I sewed it into place.

Finally, I sewed two small pockets at the center of the top and bottom of the opening. This will hold the hiking pole and stake the tent.

I hope the pockets will be big enough and strong enough told hold the pole with some tension. If I decide to use a super thin rod to make a half circle, I will remove the pockets and sew a small channel for the rod to slip into instead.

I will still need to sew cords on the sides and top, but they are on order. That gives me some time to decide between using my running pole or a thin, strong strip of plastic we have from curtains of mosquito netting. It would make a nice hoop opening, and I wouldn't have to use a pole at all. But how would I transport it? I also need to add the screen to the front, but I am going to wait until I've decided whether I'll be using my pole or the flexible rod. That would mean a triangle opening or a half circle opening and would change the shape of the screen. Whatever I decide, I will sew the screen to the bottom and then use small pieces of Velcro to secure it on the sides and perhaps some sort of loop to fasten it at the top.

I haven't weighed it yet--I'll wait until I get everything attached--but wow, it's like a potato chip bag! I got inside it and I have plenty of coverage over my head. Had I not added the strip at the bottom, I think it would have been a little short.

Update: I just weighed it and it's 3.75 ounces! It still needs the mesh on the front and I've decided it only needs one cord at the top. My body will hold the rest of it down. If it weighs in above 4 ounces when these things are added, I'll trim the seam selvage edges.

Making My Own Bivy Part 1

In an effort to keep my running vestpack as light as possible, I decided to make my own bivy. I ordered two kinds of waterproof, breathable fabric from Z-packs: 1.0 oz/sq yard Dyneema Composite Fabric, which I am using for the bottom and sides, and .34 oz/sq yard Dyneema Composite Fabric, which I am using for the top. While I am anxious that I will be cold after running all day, being sweaty, and perhaps not having enough food to keep me warm, I think the more of the heavier fabric I use, the warmer I will be. I am always cold after my long runs, so I can only imagine I will be cold the night of my fastpack.

This is a quick sketch of my basic idea and shape. The upper right shows a mini version in profile, whereas the main image is looking straight down at it.

I decided to make the bivy out of an old sheet at first, rather than cutting into the costly fabric. You could also use cheap muslin. I spread the sheet out on the floor and then put my sleeping bag on top. I then folded the sheet over it with a little extra on the sides, knowing that my body inside the bag would mean the bivy would need to be a bit bigger than an empty sleeping bag. I wanted the shape of the bivy to taper with the sleeping bag, so at the bottom, the fabric meets, but toward the top, there is a gap of about ten inches. I made marks on the sheet with a Sharpie and fashioned a pattern out of butcher paper using those marks once I unfolded the sheet.

I first folded the bivy fabric over my sleeping bag and then traced the shape onto my butcher paper. I cut the sheet to the size of my piece of 1.0 oz/sqyd Dyneema Composite Fabric, which is 2 yards, and then used my butcher paper pattern (on top of the sheet in this photo) to cut the sheet to the right shape. I made the pattern half the total shape so I could fold the sheet and only have to cut once. The sheet is unfolded here so you can see the overall size. The pattern is folded to show where the fold will be when I sew the edges together.

Here, I've sewn the edges together. The seam only goes 22 inches up. The remainder is open in a triangle. The top of the triangle is 20 inches wide. That's where the lighter weight fabric will be sewn.

I made it about six inches longer than my sleeping bag, and when I get in it, I have just enough room--with my feet against the bottom end, my head is just under cover. The 1.0 oz/sq yd DCF is only just long enough for this, so if I want to make it longer, I can only do so if I happen to have enough scrap from the width--or use of the lighter .34 0z/sq yd DCF. At any rate, if I can't add any length, the bivy will at least be lighter.

I opted for a width that is just a bit wider than my sleeping bag. Essentially, it is a shell for my bag that will hopefully keep me warm and dry. The bivy is 22 inches wide at the bottom and 40 inches wide at the shoulders. The length is 72 inches. I am five foot seven inches tall and 130 lbs with a slender build.

I then sewed the sheet together using large stitches (5.0 for stitch length) along the bottom where the sheet meets, cutting much of the excess fabric off (but not too much in case I needed to make it wider). I used large stitches so that they would be easy to take out if I needed to make the bivy larger. I then cut a piece to represent the lighter fabric in a triangle shape (twice as wide as needed to allow for staking the top above my head) that I sewed into the gap. I also cut a small rectangle to sew onto the bottom to close it up that is five and a quarter inches by 19 and a quarter inches.

The third number on my machine is the stitch width. I used the widest stitch so they would be easy to take out if I made a mistake. Also, in the end, I'll take the whole thing apart to make a final pattern.

I then got inside and used my running pole two-thirds put together to stake the middle while my husband pulled the sides taught. I had him mark where he pulled it tight so that I can attach cords there. I also had him mark where my pole was so I can sew a little pocket on top and bottom to tuck the pole into place. I will also need to attach a cord on the top to keep the pole upright but staking it outward as well.

I held my hands to pull the fabric tight at the bottom and my husband mark those spots. When I make the real bivy, I'll attach cords here. The pole will need a pocket to hold it in place on top and bottom.

This is the top view from the back. Pretty small bivy. With no zippers and minimal fabric, it should be light!

When I make it out of the Dyneema fabrics, I'll make a mesh screen triangle for the front of the bivy. I will sew it to the bivy on one side, and then Velcro it to the bottom and the other side. I think that will be the only way to do it and still be able to get inside.

The next step will be to take the sheet bivy apart so that I can use the fabric to make a new pattern before I cut into the real fabric. My original pattern is a little bit big. I didn't have to resew anything, but I noticed that there was too much fabric before I even began sewing.

Please note that all dimensions are finished dimensions. When cutting out fabric pieces, you'll want to add a 5/8 inch minimum seam allowance to any side of the fabric that will have a seam. That means the triangle will be an inch and a quarter wider, for example, to accommodate the seams.

PLEASE SEE PART 2, when I make the real thing!

The Importance of Having a Strong Core

Having a strong core is essential to running, especially trail running. A strong core maintains balance, good posture, and good running form. On a long run, once your core is fatigued, the leg muscles are left to pick up the slack, which wears them out quickly, leading to form problems and, ultimately, injuries.

For building my core, I use some exercises from physical therapy, some from Jillian Michaels DVDs, and some classics. Here's what I do in 30 minutes on Mondays and Fridays:

• 24 reverse crunches
• 24 bicycles
• 24 crunch single leg lower/lift, 12 on each leg
• 24 three-tiered leg lower and lifts, crunch position
• 12 squats with a 25-lb kettle bell (these are to build quad strength)
• 24 Russian twists with a 25-lb kettle bell
• 24 crunches with a 25-lb kettle bell
• 12 squats with a 25-lb kettle bell
• 24 hollow-man with scissors
• 24 side plank dips (24/each side)
• 24 cross-front side leg lifts (24/each side)
• 24 inner thigh lifts (24/each side)
• 24 pushups
• 24 supermans
• 24 seconds thigh crunch on yoga block
• 24 seconds push me-pull mes on each leg
• 2 minutes squeezing exercise ball between knees, laying on my back with rear elevated
• 24 hamstring and side leg ball crunches, each leg (these are to strengthen the fast-twitch muscles in the hamstrings)
• 5 minutes of balancing on knees on exercise ball with arm swings to simulate running motion
• 24 modified dead lifts with 10-lb dumbbells in each hand (these are for developing hamstring and glute strength)

Reverse crunch: lift your rear into the air

Bicycles: alternate bending and straightening legs while twisting elbow to opposite knee

Single leg lift/lower: lower almost to the floor; keep legs straight

Three-tiered leg lower/lifts: legs together, straight; lower 1/3 of the way down and hold for a second; 2/3 of the way down and hold for a second; just above the floor and hold for a second; powerfully lift legs back to start.

Outer thigh side leg lift; keep torso in a straight line with your body where you're in contact with the floor 

Inner thigh leg lift: cross bent leg over leg on floor; lift leg on floor as high as you can, lower, repeat; keep torso facing straight out instead of turned toward bent knee

Supermans: lie on floor with arms stretched out in front of you; lift thighs and chest off the ground, keeping arms and legs straight 

Balancing on an exercise ball for five minutes while swinging my arms hip to armpit

Modified dead lift: with a soft bend in the knees and feet shoulder width apart, lower dumbbells to your ankles; keep your eyes on the wall in front of you; raise straight up using your hamstrings to do the work

 Tuesday through Thursday I do some basic core exercises:

• 40 crunches
• 40 reverse crunches
• 20 clam shells on each side
• 40 Russians twists
• 30 second plank
• 160 bicycles 
• 24 modified dead lifts with 10-lb dumbbells in each hand
• 2 sets of 12 squats with a 25 lb kettle bell

Sometimes I miss a day or two or an exercise (like yesterday I didn't do the bicycles), but more often than not, I get it done because of the rewards of a strong core.

Avoiding Trashing My Quads on Tiger Mountain

After two runs on all three of Issaquah Alp peaks, I had DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), the worst of which was in my upper quads, which comes from the punishing downhill. I have since been reading about prevention and treatment, and what I have learned is pretty inconclusive. That being said, I have reached a couple of conclusions for things that I think will help me.

The most common refrain was that you just have to get used to long, steep descents--and lots of them. Based on past experience with building up to a 50K trail race and experiencing occasional soreness, this makes the most sense to me. Going down a steep mountain grade for five miles is something my legs just aren't accustomed to. I thought I would be less sore after the second Issaquah Alps traverse, but that was not the case. Today was the second Saturday in a row where I ran over 20 miles and had 6,800 feet and 6,464 feet of elevation loss on subsequent runs. I feel pretty good right now, but the DOMS don't show up until at least a day later.

Another tactic is to take small steps and lift your feet as soon as possible, hardly letting them touch the ground. This was the second most common thread. When you hear your feet slap and your pack sloshing, you know you're NOT doing it right. Relax, and let gravity take you. Right. Easier said than done, but I did my best to employ this technique today. "Lift your feet! Lift your feet! Relax!" kept going through my head.

Also important is fuel before, during, and after the run. Eating a breakfast with low-glycemic index carbs and some protein is recommended two to three hours prior to running. Since my usual breakfast of a banana, whole wheat toast and almond butter fit the bill, I had that at 4:00 am. Ten minutes prior to my 6:00 am start, I had a Vega pre-workout drink to top off my glycogen levels. You know when your legs shake because they're so tired from going down, down, down? That's your glycogen levels being depleted. Obviously, pre-feuling is an important factor in glycogen levels. I had pasta with vegan meatballs high in protein the night before for dinner.

Equally important is what you consume while you run. You need more than electrolytes in your water; carbs and protein are the best, but I haven't found a vegan drink mix for during exercise with protein, so I just get electrolytes and carbs for now, but I get my protein through Hammer Perpetuem. I took an extra scoop along today. Caffeine also helps diminish your perception of pain while running, but it additionally seems to help with muscle soreness. I used two gels with 100 mg of caffeine today instead of just one.

Finally, the recovery fuel within the first 45 minutes after the run is crucial. Carbs and protein. Sorry to say I went non-vegan here. I used Pacific Health Labs Endurox. One serving is 270 calories! That's a lot of calories from a drink, but I figured my muscles deserved it. There is a vegan recovery drink by Vega which I will use next time. I usually use it in my breakfast smoothies. I don't think it has the right carb to protein ratio, though. That will have to be the subject of a future post! I also ate a baked empanada filled with lentils, olives, raisins, walnuts and spices. I made them for dinner last week and froze the extra--a perfect post-run snack!

My husband always asks me to send him a selfie before I start so he knows what I am wearing--just in case he has to report me missing.

As for my running route, it was wonderful! My first turn I took too early. I was supposed to go all the way to the top of Tiger 3, but I didn't. I explored several trails on the northwest and southwest side of Tiger (some of which I did last weekend) and then took the Middle Tiger Trail down, a trail I'd never been on. I accidentally took the loop on Middle Tiger backwards, which was a good thing because the descent was fairly gradual but the ascent back to the Tiger Mountain Trail was straight up; it would have been a brutal descent. I'll have to start paying closer attention to map contour lines when I plan my routes. No harm done, as I lucked out and did it backwards. I knew I would probably reach the peak of one of the Tiger summits--turned out to be Tiger 2 with the tower. By that time, I had about five miles to go, all down hill. Good time to try out some of the techniques!

It's 7:42 am and I am running in dappled sunlight on the TMT (Tiger Mountain Trail) 5.5 miles in. Birds singing, no one else on the trail, total bliss.

There are these amazing bridges in the middle of nowhere that were helicoptered in. This one was slippery early in the morning, but OK on the way back around 11:00. Part of my route had me repeating a couple miles of trail.

Another beautiful bridge over a substantial creek.

There was this HUGE rock on the TMT. The picture just doesn't do it justice. I tried to put myself in it to give it scale.

The tower on Tiger 2 Summit. As a kid in the 80s, I climbed the fence and the tower. Back then, there was no barbed wire.

About a third of the way down, things got messy. There's a trail closed because the bridge is out, and I couldn't decipher the maps for the reroute posted at the junctions. My written turns, my watch, and the maps at the junctions just didn't seem to agree! I ended up doubling back on the TMT and took the West Tiger Railroad Grade back to West Tiger 3. My watch measured the run longer than Garmin Connect once again, so just to be sure, I ran an extra loop around Lake Tradition when I got down since the railroad grade was shorter. In all, my watch said I did 21.6 miles. (Basecamp says 23.1 miles, and when I uploaded the GPX file to View Ranger, it says 19.1). It was supposed to be 20.

GPX file of my route

Now I'm relaxing in the backyard, stoking the fire in our pizza oven and having a gin and tonic. Relaxing. I feel pretty good! Later, I will spend some time with foam roller, which was another top recommendation for preventing soreness. I'll let ya know how I do in the next few days!

Monday, May 14, 2018 update: No soreness at all! I had a great run Sunday, too. It was my first recovery run on a trail. I don't know which of the things I tried made the difference. I guess I don't really care. I am just glad not to be sore.

Issaquah Alps Westbound Trail Run

I was finally successful with my Garmin Fenix 5X! I used it to navigate some unfamiliar trails southwest of Tiger Mountain's peak and also make my way on Squak and Cougar in the opposite direction I am used to. I noticed that it also gives me an ETA, and it was pretty accurate. In the beginning, it said 1:45, and then later 2:30 and 2:10 as my steep climbs, flat, and downhill running evened out; I ended up finishing at 2:00. Obviously, the longer I was out, the more accurate it got. Overall, I find the watch easy to use...now that I know how to use it. Getting there was challenging, though!

Speaking of challenges, my run was probably the hardest effort I have ever put forth. It was 22.3 miles with 6,900+ feet of elevation gain. Starting with Tiger and finishing with Cougar meant slightly more elevation gain than loss. I loved the Tiger Mountain part of the run. I went on a trail I had never been on before after the peak of West Tiger 3, and it was quiet, rolling, and soft. I did see nine other trail runners along this portion of the route, so it must be popular with trail runners. They were all running in the opposite direction, which made me wonder briefly about their routes. The trail dropped me down to Poo Poo Point for a quad-punishing descent to Hobart Road.

I fasten my vest and get ready to start at the base of Tiger Mountain. My husband likes to take a picture of me at the start just in case something happens to me. This way, he knows what I am wearing in case he has to described it to authorities.

I am happy with my accomplishment of descending to Poo Poo Point. It was a beautiful day for a trail run!

Climbing Squak from the east side is definitely steeper than climbing from the west. The East Ridge Trail was full off sharply slanted switchbacks I thought would never end. Fortunately, my watch tells me how far I am from my next turn, so I knew it would eventually come to an end, and in just how far. I had to power hike (fast hiking pushing on my knees to go faster) more than half of it. Once I got to the East Side Trail, it was completely runnable--rolling ups and downs and quite pleasant. I knew I had some solid descent and climbing ahead of me before I got to make my main descent down to SR 900. I dropped down quite a bit on the Bullit Fireplace Trail only to climb back up on the Chybinski Loop. I was relieved to finally get to Margaret's Way, which is fairly gentle until the last pitch downward.

One more mountain to go, and the shortest stretch. I knew the climb from the east was steep, but I was surprised at how much I was still able to run. Lots of power hiking up steep switchbacks and step-ups were a sign that my legs were simply dead; my quads hurt, but I just kept pushing onward. My mantra for the day was Jillian Michael's "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable!" and I thought that many times on Cougar. I knew once I got to Shy Bear I was home free. The descent on the Quarry Trail was at times painful, but I plodded on and took it easy so I didn't trip. I was so happy to see my car!

Afterward, I forced myself to eat half a banana and a Clif Bar, and to drink my recovery drink from Pacific Health Labs. It's weird, but food just isn't appetizing after that much running. The last time I had eaten was at 4:00 am. My run, which I started a little late at 7:50, took six hours, 10 minutes. I used gels and an Endurox slurry, along with a Clif carb/electrolyte powder added to my water along the way. I finally ate solid food at 2:00.

I didn't take an ice bath when I got home this time. I am always cold when I finish a run like this, despite the 70 degree afternoon, and I just couldn't bare the thought of getting into cold water. I took a hot shower instead and it relaxed my tired muscles. I ended the evening with a soak in the hottub.

I slept HARD. Sunday morning, I had a six mile run to do, and I thought it would be awful, but I surprised myself. I had a great run. My legs were tired and burned with lactic acid, but they weren't that heavy. After a slow first mile, I managed a 9:43 mile with hills on the Tolt Pipeline. I finished with a trip down and back up 'the big hill' with a mile time of 12:01. That's better than I usually do. Huh.

Today, it was tough to get up before 6:00 for work, and I sleepily struggled through my core routine. Somehow, I managed to do the usual exercises as well as weighted squats and dumbbell deadlifts. I shook out my legs with a nice mountain bike ride in the afternoon with my good friend Nicole. My legs burned a bit on the climb up the High School Trail, but afterward, I felt great. My soreness is ebbing (DOMS). A few minutes with the foam roller tonight should take care of any residual soreness.

Next weekend will be another 20 mile long run. It will be the first time I have ever trained with back to back hard weeks instead of alternating easy and hard weeks. I am hoping to create a route all on Tiger Mountain. We shall see!

Using Map Navigation with the Garmin Fenix 5X

8/11/2018 update:
Since this post, I have used my Fenix 5X to navigate for three months. I now LOVE the watch and have no trouble using it. If you have recently purchased one, be patient. I takes time to learn to use the watch. If you are having trouble with it, please send me an email or post a comment with your question, and I am happy to help! The one thing I haven't used (because everything I've read says you can't) is waypoints. But I've followed courses I've created in Garmin Connect, GPX tracks that I've downloaded, and just used the map when out on the trail. I love the maps, and also being able to track my effort via my heart rate, which can be very useful when running for eight hours, the last several in in the heat.

Original post:
I had mixed success on today's run with my Garmin Fenix 5X. I made a route for Tiger Mountain, starting at Issaquah High School, doing a big outer loop partly on the mountain and a smaller loop inside the big one on the Lake Tradition Plateau to round out an eight-mile course. Oddly, I didn't get any course signals today at all, neither on or off course alerts. As I started up the West Tiger 3 trail, I decided to try to get the map to show while navigating.

My double loop route on Tiger Mountain

I read on the Garmin Forum that holding the menu button for three seconds AFTER hitting the up or down button would bring up the map. I thought I tried that last weekend on Squak Mountain, but the key was hitting the up or down button first. When I did that and then held menu for three seconds, I was able to choose "Show Map."

I had another surprising choice as well: turn-by-tun navigation. I tried that first, and it simply gave me a written direction for the upcoming turn on a specific trail. It seems you have to hit the down button to get the next direction, but I may not have given it enough time. Anyway, the next direction said to turn left on a service road, and then it said service road end. I thought it meant the end of the course, so I abandoned the turn-by-turn navigation. Looking back, I realize now that the watch may have actually been referring to the end of the service road (which does end at the parking lot nearby).

Anyway, I switched to map view instead. I was so excited because I could finally see my route and my progress on it while running. I was also wearing my new sunglasses with the new location of the reading bifocal half circles, so I could easily see the map. My only problem was I couldn't understand how to read it! I got to a junction and should have turned right but I didn't think that was what the course showed, so I didn't take it. Big mistake. By the time I confirmed my suspicion that I was off course, I was .9 of a mile (according to the helpful sign) from the summit of Tiger! Oops. A little more elevation than I wanted because I have a big elevation day this coming Saturday.

I started to continue the route to the top, figuring I may as well finish now that I was so close, but then I looked at the time. It was 7:52, and I wanted to be done by 8:20. I sped back down and took the turn I was supposed to take. It took me by the Talus Rocks and then down the Nook trail. I ended up doing nine and a half miles. One exciting thing happened as I got back on course. Even though I was no longer in map mode, it started giving me turn warnings and showing the map. It beeped at me and showed a big arrow for my upcoming turn, and gave me a countdown in feet as well. It gave me a second countdown and warning when I got closer, and went to zero feet at the exact moment that I should make the turn.

Originally, I thought that the watch was not set to track orientation, but when I checked it was. (The options are north orientation and track orientation.) Now that I think about it, I think it was doing exactly what I wanted and expected it to do but I just didn't realize it. I am pretty inexperienced with GPS tracking.

One thing that didn't work is the course points I put in to warn me of upcoming turns. The watch just beeped at me, but it didn't show the names of the course points so I had no idea which way to turn. It was a good idea, but I don't think it is needed.

Before Saturday's run, I am going to map out a simple course in my neighborhood to see if I can read it correctly. I also need to figure out how to get the course turns showing on the map, because they weren't doing that before. I am not sure what I did to get that to happen! It's a good thing I have the rest of May to figure out the watch before I hit the PCT!