Last Friday included two work-related holiday parties, the first of which featured a lunch of pasta and chocolate cake. That much carbs and sugar in one sitting is a rarity for me. The second event, later that evening and of which I was in charge, involved 200 people, Santa and presents. That, I learned, is a recipe for chaos.

In the late afternoon, I kicked it into event-planner mode for the evening festivities. It was not until I was leaving the party at 9:00 p.m. that I realized that not one bit of food or liquid had passed my lips for several hours. I was mildly dehydrated and rather hungry...which led to a 9:30 p.m. dinner and an 11:00 p.m. bedtime. Did I mention I'm usually under the covers by 9:00 p.m.? By morning, I felt all out of whack and was wishing I had a reset button, so that my body could start fresh.

Deciding that my reset button would be a long trail run, Paul and I headed to Sabino Canyon to run the 17-mile Bear Canyon Loop. My body felt sluggish, but I knew this was just what it needed to clear out all of that sugar and get me back on track. I was also excited to finally run this trail after hearing about it for years. It is standard fare for our trail running group, but I've never felt up to the distance before.

Despite the "out of whack" feeling, it didn't take long to get into a groove and begin enjoying the gorgeous canyon. It was a beautiful day and we passed lots of hikers spending time at Seven Falls. (Look closely for all of the people - they're small!)



My spirits did wane on the switchbacks to the peak. My legs were starting to tire from all of the climbing and I was frustrated that I couldn't run on the flat portions of trail because it was so overgrown. Tall blades of grass brushed against my thighs and, occasionally, my chin. But, my spirits picked right back up as soon as we started the descent. I was thrilled when we reached familiar territory - Sabino Basin - where we stopped for a photo.



When we got to the road, Paul took off ahead and I enjoyed a solo run down. About one mile from the parking lot, he came trotting back toward me, making sure to stay on my right side to hide the blood soaking through the right sleeve of his shirt. However, the blood on his hand gave him away. He did just fine on the rocky, overgrown trail only to trip and fall on perfectly flat asphalt. He assures me that he rolled well and popped right back up again. I'm sure it was quite graceful.



I felt great at the end! Tired, yes...but also recharged. And Paul was pleased to see that I had managed to consume about 600 calories on the 5-hour run - 50 ounces of XOOD drink and 3.5 ounces of gel. I'm working on getting used to running with a slightly full feeling in my stomach. It's not easy.

I'm looking more and more forward to Pemberton. I have no illusions of burning up the course, but do feel that it will be a much more enjoyable experience than my recent, rather painful marathon.