Sharing the beauty of running Lake Tahoe & Truckee, California
“Close the computer at 6am,” I told myself, “get that mobility workout done before the kids need to wake up.” Instead, it was 6:33am before I finally sent the last email and quickly changed into workout shorts.
The mobility workout is part of a 90-day distance trail runner’s injury prevention workshop at our community gym (Performance Training Center). The workout calls for running through the sequence twice.
If you are a runner living in or regularly visiting the Tahoe region, then you know that the winter of 2017 has been, well, arduous, to say the least. While the record levels of snow make for a beautiful winter wonderland, the incessant storms have also made it challenging to keep any kind of training schedule.
My keys to keeping up in these conditions are flexibility and gear. Flexibility applies to location, activity and timing. Investing in some simple gear will help support this flexibility.
Five minutes in and my lungs are tapped. I have to stop to catch my breath. I’m so focused on the snow a few feet ahead on the trail that I can scarcely enjoy the amazing views. That was me learning to skate ski almost ten years ago, before I was even a runner.
Skate skiing is a form of cross-country skiing that utilizes a skating motion rather than a parallel striding motion (think: ice skating on 6-foot long skinny skis). It generally requires groomed trails, and is therefore best practiced within a cross-country ski center. The skating motion allows you to climb up hills and fly on flats all while giving your balance, core and glute muscles a major workout. And, yeah, you get to ski down those hills, too.
We have winter in Tahoe after a long, long dry spell. The options for snow sports activities are dizzying. I spent the last bluebird morning in decision paralysis because my body needed a rest day but I felt obligated to “enjoy” some downhill powder skiing. I went for a massage, instead – lucky me!
This brings me to a few habits (mine and others) that have been nagging at me this winter. And I pledge to change on my part.
This is just a quick post to let you all know that conditions in North Lake Tahoe are currently fabulous for snowshoe running! I always forget how much I love running on snow until I have a day like today. I got my ski bugs out in the morning, then took the snowshoes back over to Tahoe Donner Cross Country in the afternoon.
Very cold temperatures have kept the snow from before Christmas hanging in the trees. Meanwhile, snowmobile grooming and steady hiker traffic over the holidays has packed down a great running surface at the cross country center.
Today I kept the run fairly flat in the “Home Range” area, but added a short jaunt up the “Walkabout” trail through the stunning Aspen grove. When the trail got steep, I turned around and crossed over to “Lion’s Leap” and back.
I wrote about running on snow last January, so click here for a primer on snowshoe running. I will add a few notes relevant to these unusually cold temps… I read recently (can not remember where!) that for proper cold-weather exercise clothing, you should expect to be chilly the first 10 minutes of the session. I have found this to be good advice, and the one day I started “comfortable” in my clothing this week, I was too hot by the end of the session.
One exception is that I really want my neck warmer every time it’s cold like this. I use this soft and light merino wool one from Ibex. I skipped it this afternoon and regretted the decision. I think it helps keep the air going into my lungs a little warmer, and was truly missing it today.
Finally, hydrate before you go and skip the water or carry a system with insulation. I rarely have freezing problems here in Tahoe, but like I said, it has been quite cold!
Yesterday I ran 18 miles on the road in Truckee along a decidedly un-inspiring route. I had hoped to run Wednesday, but a very wet snow storm blew all morning. Happily, the storm passed, the roads were plowed, and the sun peeked through. It left me thinking about the different ways that I choose to enjoy the hours that I spend running on the road before the trails in Tahoe become widely available.
Gratitude is one of my best tools for finding running inspiration. Yesterday I was thankful that the weather cooperated and that I was able to find some flexibility in my schedule this week. What good fortune I have to live in a place where I can skate ski on Tuesday, run barefoot indoors on Wednesday, then go for a long run outdoors on Thursday – all within a five-mile radius of home! I was also grateful for the plowed roads and sun-exposed bike paths.
My run started near downtown Truckee at the Community Recreation Center, where you can park for free, use the restroom, and fill your water bottle before heading out. The neighborhoods around the Rec Center have proved excellent for Winter and Spring road running in Truckee. Gray’s Crossing has very few homes and even fewer full-time residents. Further down the hill, Old Greenwood is a bit more built-out, but just as sparsely populated. I sometimes like to add some mileage by passing through Pioneer Center. The paved path doesn’t have 100% sun exposure, but you can easily hop on the road where necessary. (I also enjoy a run in Pioneer Center when I go to Stone’s Tires for that time-honored Tahoe ritual of changing out the snow tires.)
Another source of running inspiration comes from tiny elements of surprise and adventure. Gray’s Crossing is good for only about 6 miles of running on the road or paved paths with minimal elevation gain (by Tahoe standards) and light traffic. I was not looking forward to 2 to 3 laps around the same neighborhood, so it was with delight that I found the bike path down to Old Greenwood to be free of snow. I wonder if maybe it is regularly plowed, as it was completely clear, even in the tunnel under the freeway. You can find this path off Hennessy Rd, behind the apartment homes just east of the Rec Center. (Click here to see the actual route from my GPS watch.)
The path continues a short distance east-northeast along I-80 until it dips down under the freeway and into the Old Greenwood neighborhood. I don’t know the neighborhood well, so I enjoy the sense of adventure of running around on the roads with only a general heading in mind. I continue down the hill until I eventually get to the Overland Trail exit from I-80. Then a hiccup… the bike path to return to Gray’s Crossing is 6″ deep with mushy snow. I poked around for a little bit until I decide that turning around would be more pleasant and so I returned up the gentle hill the way I came. Slightly annoyed about having to turn around, I turned my attitude around by thinking about the purpose of this training run.
Next month we are going to Oregon for my Grandfather’s 100th birthday. He raised his family in the rural town of Vernonia, Oregon, about an hour outside of Portland. I have many fond (if rainy) memories of tromping through the forest which was my father’s childhood home in Vernonia. So when I found out that the Vernonia Marathon will be run the day after the big party, I was immediately compelled to add it to my event schedule. Understanding that this run is getting me in shape to enjoy 26.2 miles through the beautiful Oregon rain forest was plenty of inspiration to keep going.
Finally, I look at every step is an opportunity to practice my ChiRunning and to increase awareness of my specific body mechanics. Over the course of 3+ hours, that adds up to over 34,000 steps! I have been working on some alignment issues with the fabulous Jen Fluharty of Full Circle Movement, and the long run really gave me a chance to make some mind-muscle connections.
The next time you are out on a less-than-exciting training run, I hope that you’ll be able to draw inspiration from somewhere that can help turn the mundane into meaningful.
Yes, you can run barefoot in Tahoe. In March. I made this wonderful discovery quite by accident the other day at the Truckee Community Recreation Center. Let me tell you what happened…
On Monday I made the call to go skate skiing, even though I was really in the mood for a run. After all, the ski season is short enough even when there is ample snow. Therefore, Tuesday morning’s agenda called for a medium-length run (maybe 10 miles), and I was planning a road run in light snow. For winter road runs, I frequently park at the rec center and take advantage of the restrooms before I head out. This works especially well on days when my little guy is at preschool there.
Tuesday morning was snowing, as expected, but at least it wasn’t dumping hard. I grabbed the YakTrax in case traction was going to be necessary, though using traction is not really my preference if it’s avoidable. I sat in the parking lot of the rec center at 9:20am, looking at the thermometer on the console: 22 degrees F. And it was windy. And the snow was packing into ice on the road immediately.
I wondered if my run would really happen as I weighed the options: run outside in the windy cold; run inside on the elevated track; run on a treadmill; forget the run and do something else? I was dressed for outdoor running, and I have a strong preference for being outdoors in any case. The first (and only) time I ran on the indoor track I went too hard and hurt myself, and I try to avoid treadmills as a rule. On the other hand, the first 50 yards of an outdoor run would be through the un-plowed bike path, leaving my feet cold from the very start.
I decided to go for the track. I dug around in my purse for some cash and my headphones. My headphones were not there – I don’t run with music outside, so I hadn’t packed them. “Oh, well, we’ll see how long I last on the hamster wheel with no music,” I thought. I grabbed some cash from my purse, strapped on my water pack, and headed inside.
The charge to use the track and the few pieces of fitness equipment that they have available is $4 for district residents and $5 for non-residents. Monthly passes are $25 for residents and $25 for others. Discounts are available for seniors and youth (ages 10-13). It’s fair pricing, but I already have paid-for access to our excellent neighborhood facility in Tahoe Donner, so it’s not terribly economical for me. Check the Community Recreation Center website for directions and contact info.
The track is elevated above the double-court gymnasium and is less than .1 (yes, one-tenth) of a mile around the elevated track. That means that at an easy jog, you are completing a lap, including four turns, every minute. They do alternate the flow of traffic by days of the week, so that you are not always running the same direction if you are a regular user. I was worried about overheating, since even my base layers were pretty heavy. Luckily, they keep the temperature pretty cool up there, and I was only a tad warm.
I started the run in my shoes – I was wearing my trail runners on the account of the snow – but they are minimal shoes by most measures. After a couple of minutes it occurred to me to ask about going barefoot. I was so delighted to hear that it was perfectly acceptable. The gentleman didn’t balk or hesitate for a second! I’m not conditioned to run barefoot for terribly long, so I formulated this plan: I would run for 75 minutes with shoes, then treat myself to 30 minutes with bare feet.
The first half hour went quickly – there was an aerobic dance class going on below with loud music that helped pass the time. After the class ended, there was quiet, non-obtrusive background music. I got through the next 30 minutes by focusing on my ChiRunning form and getting excited about running barefoot. I will admit that time was dragging for those final 15 minutes, and then, finally, I got to sit down and remove my shoes!
My feet made a little pitter-patter sound to begin with. I adjusted my posture to quiet them down. The track surface is exceedingly smooth and clean. It doesn’t feel any harder than asphalt, and is certainly more giving than concrete. I settled in and paid careful attention to my foot strike and form. The time passed quickly, and it felt WONDERFUL. I stopped a few minutes shorter than planned, as I started to worry about going too long too fast in completely bare feet.
As I slipped my shoes back on to go out to the car, I simply thought, “What a great morning! I can’t believe I made that happen!”
If you do give not a try, remember that barefoot running takes considerable conditioning, so start slowly. Five minutes is probably plenty long for the beginner. If you’d like to learn more about barefoot running, do a google search – you’ll find more literally millions of references. Not sure about barefoot running? Pick up a copy of Born to Run
to get in the mood.
Last week marked my first, and potentially only, nordic ski race of the season. On Sunday, February 12, 2012, Tahoe Donner Cross Country (TDXC) hosted Paco’s Valentine 15k race atop a thin but fast base. It was my third time racing the course, which last year was moved and renamed from President’s Day.
The course this year was modified to accommodate a number of trail closures due to lack of snow coverage. The result was a slightly shorter and faster, less technical course, which generally works in my favor.
I skied most of the course the day before the race, and was worried about the atrocious amount of dirt and rocks showing. The snow was in its worst condition since the season’s late start last month. This motivated me to reclaim an old pair of skate skis that I had loaned to a friend last season. It was a little weird to be waxing and race prepping a pair of “rock skis.” I was not the only one – it looked like retro ski day out there.
Turnout for the race was low, but better than I expected, with 4 dozen men and fewer than 20 women. I recruited two gals who were striding with Team in Training; they correctly assessed it to be a good deal. For about the price of a trail pass, they could race, get a bowl of chili, and a guaranteed raffle prize at the end. They introduced themselves, and I easily remembered one name, as it was also Helen.
The mood was light and cheery, with spirit awards going to racer Joe and employee Guy, who never leave their smiles and enthusiasm for life at home. Joe wore bib number 1 – no surprise that he was the first to show faith and register for the race. Guy and all the TDXC employees had been putting in some serious time harvesting snow from the forest to dump on the trails. The grooming was exceptional, and I think (hope!) all the racers were appreciative of the heroic efforts that went into preparing the course.
The men started 5 minutes before the women and juniors. I took a caffeinated gel, then we all visited and discussed our age groups while we waited for our start. I didn’t have the normal pre-race nerves, and I guess that I never fully got into race mode. My last race of any sort was the California International Marathon (CIM) in December.
Running a road marathon with 7000 (mostly) strangers is decidedly different than a local ski race with a few dozen friends and familiar faces. Other than the obvious differences, there are two distinctions that really matter to me: duration and pacing. Running a marathon is an endurance endeavor, so finishing strong is paramount. I forget that 14k is a short distance to ski, so I forget that I should be pushing hard the whole way. Somewhere in the middle I slowed down to save myself for “later” that never came.
The other difficulty that I have with nordic ski racing is that your pace is so dependent on snow conditions, that it is not a useful indicator of performance. While running pace can be affected by factors such as temperature and wind, a runner can generally predict a race pace for a given course and plan accordingly. Ski races require you to be in better tune with the effort level required for success.
Back to the race… I never got into race attack mode. I comfortably climbed from the start out to the Moon Dance hut. A small crowd of employees was gathered alongside the trail at the top of the road to Euer Valley. There was an exposed rock dead-center in the trail, surrounded by dirt on either side. They were warning us and shoveling snow over the dirt as each skier passed. Love those guys!
As we headed down into the valley, a women a couple of decades my senior (yes, DECADES) dusted me, and I never caught her again. I need to put in some serious work if I’m ever going to be good at going down the hills. Later, I would see the other “Team in Training” Helen and her friend going down this very section while I was already climbing out. It would be a long race for them!
Down in the valley, I enjoyed the fast course until we got to the only trail that I hadn’t skied earlier in the week – Broken Spoke. I was surprised at the bottom by a frozen lake, and promptly went down. Then there was a section where I had to hesitate to find the trail – the snow was all chopped up in two directions, and I finally picked the path that had the most skate tracks.
As we headed back out of the valley, a younger woman passed me. If I would had been in better race mindset, I could have stayed with her or at least caught her near the top. I was still saving energy for that “later” time. I just wasn’t realizing that the race would be over in less than 10 minutes. Before I knew it, we were skating to the finish, and she finished a few seconds ahead of me. I finished in about 45 minutes, with energy to spare… oops. It was still good enough for first in my age group (30 – 39) and a fine raffle prize. See official results here.
I love to hang out after the race to have a chance at scoring a fun raffle prize. The prizes are laid out on a table, and you get to pick one to your liking when your name is called. Normally, the age group finishers are called first, then the remaining racers have a chance to win. In small races like this, everybody goes home with a prize.
TDXC Manager JoJo called out the names. The first name in my age group was “Team in Training” Helen (who was still on the trails) – it turns out that a time of 0:00 is faster than all the other times. That’s OK, she called my name with the next group and I picked a bar of red LF glide wax. I hung on to the wax until the prize table was pretty well picked over, then noticed it had been replenished with a nice metal water bottle. I traded my wax for the water bottled and went home a happy camper.
At home, I rallied the family to head back over for a ski. We returned to the ski center about 90 minutes later, in time to say hello and goodbye to “Team in Training” Helen and her friend. I hope that JoJo saved a fun raffle prize for them!
Yesterday I ran on snowshoes at Tahoe Donner Cross Country Center. As an avid (fanatic?) cross-country skier, I recall my first time on snowshoes at the cross-country center. It was seven years ago with a baby on my back, slowly hiking along with a non-skier Mom. After covering a very short distance over a very long time, I remember thinking, “Why on Earth would anyone snowshoe here when they could be skiing?”
Last year I learned the surprising answer to that question: “Because running is fun and skiing every single day may not be ideal for your body.” Here are some ideas for getting you started with snowshoe running in Tahoe and beyond.
First and foremost, you need snowshoes designed for running. The massive boats that we use for trudging deep Tahoe snow around the house are difficult to walk in, let alone run. This snowshoe review article in Runner’s World, though a bit dated, will give you an idea of what’s available. I use Dion Snowshoes (racing frames), which are fast and light. The flip side is that they offer so little flotation that they are only usable on fairly hard-packed snow.
Once you’re geared up with snowshoes, take stock of your winter clothing. It’s easy for me – I simply wear my cross-country ski garb. With typical Tahoe weather, you’re more likely to overdress than underdress, so think in light layers. I wear my regular trail running shoes (currently New Balance 101s) and my feet are certainly wet by the end of the run. It is not a problem during the run – just be sure to pack dry socks and shoes if you have a commute home. In fact, most everything will get wet, if not by snow-melt, then by sweat. Put your cell phone (and anything else that needs to stay dry) in a plastic baggie.
Tahoe’s numerous, world-class cross-country ski resorts offer excellent snowshoe running venues. The down-side is that you will need a trail pass. The up-side is that you will have access to well-packed snow, off-street parking, base lodges and trail maps. All of Tahoe’s resorts allow snowshoes, and most also have snowshoe-only “single track” groomed by snow mobiles.
North Tahoe resorts include: Tahoe Donner Cross Country in Truckee, CA; Tahoe XC in Tahoe City, CA, Royal Gorge at Donner Summit; and Northstar-At-Tahoe near Truckee. Spooner Lake Cross Country, on the Nevada side, is also very snowshoe friendly and offers overnight adventures in its well-appointed backcountry cabins. Of these, Northstar-At-Tahoe is the only one that offers a limited supply of rental snowshoes specifically for running. Four-legged friends are welcome only on certain trails and during certain hours at Tahoe XC and Royal Gorge. Check in advance for details.
When you do find yourself running on the groomed ski trail, follow these simple courtesies: Take care to never clobber the classic ski tracks (the ones that look like train tracks); Don’t run right down the middle of the skate lane (the wide groomed area); Instead, stick to just inside of the classic tracks, or to the far edge of the groomed trail.
If you are feeling more adventurous, you can try some local spots that are typically well-packed by snow mobiles and other users. Carpenter Valley Rd. at Alder Creek Rd. in Truckee is a favorite spot for dog owners. The Fiberboard Freeway (a.k.a. Forest Rd 06) between Tahoe City and Truckee is another well-travelled route. Stay tuned – I hope to do a full post on snowshoe running locations later this Winter. And, if you are not a skier, consider running The Great Ski Race, as described in this Sierra Sun article.
Finally, I recommend that you don’t look at your pace on your GPS device when you go for a run with snowshoes. I get the sensation of running in slow motion and I don’t really need to see the frightfully slow pace on the watch to re-affirm this feeling. Focus on your best running form, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery!
If you’ve spent more than a year or two in Tahoe, then I’m sure you know what I mean by “winter scramble.” Like chipmunks scurrying around before the first snow storms, we also must get our winter stores and houses in order.
Most of us in Tahoe already scrambled before the first teaser storms in October. So at least the patio furniture is put away, snow tires on the vehicles, firewood stacked in the garage, etc. Now we’ve had this long, warm, dry spell with no snow on the ground to even remind us that the winter solstice passed already a month ago. I find myself again in a state of “winter scramble.” This time, however, it is purely psychological.
Everything around the house is physically ready for the long-overdue arrival of winter snow. Though I will miss seeing dirt on my favorite running trails and roads that are free of shoulder-reducing snow banks, I am more than ready for the cross country ski season to finally start. That being said, I must admit that I have been enjoying the ease, the freedom, in which we have been able to move around town these last two months, with the clear roads and greatly reduced volume of visitors.
Last year’s epic snowfall never caused me to pause and think, “Gee, I wish it was just a little easier to get the kids to school in the snow.” Ironically, it is exactly this year’s lack of snowfall thus far that has me bracing, and thinking just that. The winter holidays without snow fostered a sort of calm that I have not known since having kids. And, now, I feel the “winter scramble” upon me – again – even if it is all in my head.
For more pictures from last winter and this, see my earlier post, A Tale of Two Winters.
