Running Down The Luge

Here is a video of me running down The Luge, which is a trail in the Saddleback Mountain trail system. It is a favorite of those on mountain bikes, and trail runners should enjoy it too.

A few weeks ago the Orange County Trail Runners scheduled a roughly 20mi run that would go through O'Neill Park, Whiting Ranch, across Santiago Highway and on Saddleback Truck Trail which runs along some of the smaller Santiago mountains, smaller at least compared to Santiago Peak, which is in the same range. I have no idea why it is called the Saddleback Truck Trail. It was never wider than 4-5 feet and often just a foot wide. The run would wind back up in O'Neill Park. It is an 18-20mi run depending on where you start.

That run got cancelled, but I decided to do it anyway. My house is just two miles from where the big loop would have taken us so I ran to that trail head and headed off. It was a good run, but I was especially happy with one particular section about 13mi into the run called The Luge. The altitude is about 2,100ft at the start and 1,450ft at the base, which is almost exactly one mile away. The grade is just enough that you can run some segments at full tilt. It is more like a controlled fall than running.

I decided to run it again this weekend, this time with my son's GoPro 2 camera. I purchased the chest mount harness to hold it. I was surprised that for the entire distance, the extra weight never bothered me. The camera is really light.

As you can see from the video, much of the Luge is on the edge of the mountain with just a few inches of weeds on the right marking the edge of the trail. You do not want to go over the edge.

If you want to jump to the Luge, hit the above video at about 50sec. I recorded some of the other trails I ran on to get to the Luge. Sorry for my hands being in the way, but the wide angle of the GoPro 2 I was using captured everything. I recorded in 4:3 aspect ratio to maximize the vertical height that was captured.

If you enjoy trail running and have the opportunity to run in Orange County, this is a trail you must hit.

Review: Vibram Five Fingers Spyridon LS

When Vibram announced their spring lineup a few months ago, the Seeya piqued my interest as a road running shoe, but the Spyridon did nothing for me. After getting more serious about trail running in January though, it was clear the Spyridon was something I needed to investigate.

Five Fingers Spyridon LS
Military Green w/grey & black accents

I've owned a pair of Five Fingers KSO Treks for about a year and a half and have occasionally used them for trail running. When running on dirt trails with relatively shallow grades or trails that have minimal rocks, they are pretty good. When the grade gets steep though, the kind that requires you to go up on your toes or down with very rapid shallow strides that are essentially a controlled fall, they could use improving.

After running just over 70 miles on trails this year so far, I was getting close to investigating other offerings, like the Merrell Barefoot trail shoes. My wife has a pair and loves them. Actually, I already have a pair of the Tough Gloves, but those are my dress shoes, so I'd need something for outdoor abuse.

That was when I recalled the announcement about the Spyridon LS from Vibram. The shoe is named in honor of Spyridon Louis who won the first modern Olympic Marathon in 1896. The "LS" in the name refers to the speed lacing system the shoes have rather than the Velcro strap most often seen on Five Fingers.

I received my pair via courier on Thursday and decided to test them out on a 10 mile run Monday through Whiting Ranch, an area that provides a wide array of surfaces and grades.

Outsole, including a view
of the "rock-block" mesh

The tread is an aggressive design, mimicking the tread on a BMX bike tire. The outsole is a mere 3.5mm thick, compared to the 4mm thread on the KSO Treks. Despite being a bit thinner though, the Spyridon's offer better protection from rocks. The midsole has a nylon mesh that spreads the impact from a rock over a wider area, thus lessening the impact. It is difficult to see in the pictures, but that white area just under the arch is a semi-transparent piece of plastic or rubber. Under that you can see the mesh that protects the midsole of the foot.

The tread also offers superior grip on loose surfaces, such as dirt or rocks. If you compare the sole of the KSO Trek and the Spyridon, you can quickly see the difference.

KSO Treks, top
Spyridon LS, bottom

The KSO Treks, the brown shoes on top in the image to the left, have 5 cross shaped lugs on the heel and just over a dozen under the ball of the foot. The rest of the sole has ridges of various thicknesses. After running on loose surfaces, I am convinced that sole is more for looks than actual traction. For trails with low grades, they are great, but steep grades causes more slipping than I would like. Part of the reason is those lugs wear out fairly quickly. I have 100 running miles and 24 hiking miles on those soles, plus a few hours of casual use. There is also about 10 miles on asphalt or concrete running to and from trails. With under 150 miles on them, those lugs have gotten too worn to be very useful. That tread may be more useful as a hiking tread than a running tread.

Tracks made by the Spyridon

The Spyridon, in contrast, has the same tread design over the entire sole. This tread continues around the edges on the sides, front and rear. I found this to be helpful when running on sections of the trail where the sides of your feet are likely to need traction in areas where water has washed out part of the trail, or on sections that are heavily banked. Of course, if you are going up or down a steep grade and the surface is completely loose, you are still going to slip. It is like thinking your fancy SUV with AWD is invincible in the winter. If you get on ice or aren't careful on snow, you will break traction. The same holds true on a trail. The Spyridon doesn't allow you to be an idiot oblivious to the surface, but it does give the focused runner more security than the KSO Treks. (In case you are wondering what an oblivious idiot looks like when running, check this video out.)

An example of a trail that, with
careful steps, you can easily tackle
with the Spyridon LS

When wearing minimalist shoes, you have to keep your eyes about 10-15 feet in front of you so you can anticipate where to step. Unlike shoes that have very thick soles and heavy cushioning, true minimalist shoes offer little more than a thin layer to protect the skin of your foot from the running surface. You can step on a dime and feel it. This is good because you are more focused on the run. This is both more enjoyable and can prevent the type of injury you get from stepping on a large object like a tree root or in a hole, both of which can cause a twisted ankle or a severe jolt to any number of joints not expecting the impact.

The Spyridon offers a good compromise between the these two extremes. You won't feel a dime, but very small rocks and twigs are noticed. Larger rocks, say the size of a small grape, though no longer cause as much pain due to the rock-block effect at mid-foot, the area you are most likely to get hurt. You will still feel small objects though, perhaps two dimes thick, so you aren't insulated from the run.

As far as comfort, the Spyridon's feel great. I quit trying to run sockless in Five Fingers a year and a half ago. I always run with Injinji socks. No matter how well Five Fingers fit, there is slight rubbing directly against the skin, and when running for several hours, that can cause blisters and eventually callouses. Injinji socks almost completely eliminate that possibility. There are people though that like to run sockless in Five Fingers and these should perform well. The fabric is made of a sock-like material, similar to other offerings from Vibram like the Bikilas and Komodo Sports.

Carrying the shoes on
my Camelbak

Tread life is an unknown at this point. In order to maximize tread life on my trail shoes and minimize the frequency I have to purchase a new pair, I've started driving to the trail heads instead of running to those that are closer to the house. The closest one though is still nearly two miles away, and putting that kind of asphalt mileage on trail shoes will take its toll. On my first run in the shoes today though, my wife needed the car so I decided to run to the trailhead barefoot. I figured I'd carry the shoes and put them on when I got there. The only flaw in that plan is my hands are the first things to sweat and carrying anything, especially a shoe in each hand, got annoying quick. While running on the trail, a place where I do a lot of thinking, I remembered by Camelbak has some straps on the back that I've never had any idea with to do with. Now I know. I ran barefoot home and this was a much better solution.

Styling is about what you would expect from Vibram. Toe-shoes always garner attention and Vibram throws a bit of flash in for good measure.

Top view of the Spyridon
before the run today. They will
never be this clean again.

The sides near the ankle have a rock pattern, suggesting their off road purpose. There are two colors of fabric accenting the shoe as well as reflective strips running from the toes swooshing to the outside edge. When it comes to running shoes, the more reflectivity the better. While it might not be very useful on a trail, the reflective properties could help if you run on a fire road or unpaved country road when the sun isn't up.

Cleaning is the same as all other Five Fingers. Wash in a gentle cycle then allow them to air dry in the shade or inside. I always recommend using a fan to speed the process to minimize any odor issues, a problem most likely to occur if you don't wear socks.

The shoes are $120. I ordered mine from CitySports, a store I've had good service with. You should be able to find them at your favorite online Vibram Five Finger supplier. Right now you cannot order them directly from Vibram. Immediately after launch, Vibram gives 100% of its production to retail partners until there is an adequate supply. If looking for them locally in a retail store, focus on stores that have a wide array of off road shoes, like REI. It has the shoes on its website, but when using the inventory tool, it shows all stores in my area "out of stock" which means they don't have them in yet.

If you have some Five Fingers already, the sizing should be the same as other models, both in men's and women's sizes. I have several pair and all of them are size 43, except for my KSO Treks (42) and Mocs (44). If you have Flows, KSOs, Sprints, Classics, Bikilas, or Komodo Sports, the size should be the same.

I highly recommend them for running trails, but only if you have experience with so-called barefoot shoes.

Related links:
Vibram Five Fingers Spyridon LS Page
Birthday Shoes Review - From the perspective of someone that runs with no socks

The Run Up To Santiago Peak

Last week I was set to go for my longest trail run to date, a 24mi round trip run to Santiago Peak. It is the highest point in Orange County with an elevation of 5,689 feet. I was meeting other runners from the Orange County Trail Runners Group at the Maple Springs Visitor Center, which is somewhere around 1,800-1,850ft in elevation, so this was going to be a 3,800ft climb. And descent! The run was put together by Lauren at the Orange County Trail Runner's site. Ultimately, 6 of us showed up.

Camelbak 18x 100oz
Hydration Pack

Not knowing how long it would take for the run, I decided to take plenty of water and nutrition with me. I have a Camelbak XCT hydration pack (discussed here) that holds 70oz of water and a little bit of food in the side pockets, but not much else. I knew there would be no water available on this run, so I decided to get a Camelbak 18x hydration pack. I'd been looking for an excuse and this run was it! It holds 100oz of water and has the same side pouches, but it has extra storage in the back. Closed, as shown at right, it has 13.5 liters of capacity. If you unzip the center zipper, it the storage area expands to a cavernous 18 liters. I kept it closed and still put an insulated bag with two 11oz Zico coconut waters, a small ice pack and several energy bars. Given the temperature on the day I ran, I took about 30oz too much water with me, but when it comes to water, better safe than sorry! This pack is definitely my go-to pack for longer runs, especially in the summer.

I also had this idea that as long as I was going 24 miles, could I throw in another 6 in there and do an even 30? To do this I was planning to run three extra miles on the back of the mountain, then turn around and run 15 back to the car.

We started off at about 6:15am, which is still dark. It wasn't until 6:30 that there was enough light to see around you. Fortunately, the first three miles is on asphalt because I didn't bring my light with me. Had it been trail, I'd have just stood around for a while until the sun came up.

Ed and Kurt at about the 4mi mark.

 The road eventually turned into trail and we began the real ascent. This is a fire road used by local authorities and utility companies maintaining the array of radio towers at the peak. Most vehicles could make the drive, but only at about 10-15 miles per hour. The dirt parts are the best in my opinion. I wore my Vibram Five Finger KSO Treks for this journey. They have a decent tread pattern, but absolutely no rock protection. To keep the road from washing they periodically dump gravel or larger fist-sized rocks to hold everything in place. Good for tires, not so much for my feet. I ran on all but the largest rocks. While I can run on the larger rocks, it just isn't as much fun and I wind up paying for it later.

Matt and Kurt as the sun comes up
and hits the peak in the background.

At roughly the 4 mile mark, I stopped to take a few pics. Kurt and I had led the pack early on, though it wasn't a speed contest at all. In fact, I had no illusions I'd be dead last as we descended. Downhill isn't where I get speed. It never has been. Matt wasn't far behind and we got some pictures of him too.

The other three runners, Lauren and two other ladies were further back, so we pressed on ahead to the peak.

Matt and Kurt started to pull away in the next mile or so. I considered keeping up, but my 30 mile goal lingered in the back of my mind and I decided energy conservation was better, so I let them go on ahead.

Fun part of the trail

The image to the left is the kind of trail I prefer for long distances. It isn't pure dirt, but not too rocky either. There is plenty of area for me to find good footing without stepping on too many rocks. This too is why I have started to like trail running. I've easily done over 4,000 miles in the last 2.5 years of running on roads and on all 4,000 miles, my legs to the exact same thing over and over and over. With trails, you have to adjust, take the occasional shorter stride. I cannot remember what book I read this in, but it holds true. When navigating a trail, if you can make the same distance over an obstacle in two or three steps, always go for three. Much less chance of injury that way.

Somewhere in the 6-7 mile range

As I made my way up, I was feeling pretty good about going for 30 miles. The grade wasn't that bad and there was no speed here, I didn't ever resort to walking due to being tired, just in a few cases where the rocks were more than I wanted to deal with. My food and water were in good shape too.

Ice!

The more I climbed though, the cooler it got, even with the sun coming up. Normally, I can run in temps as low as 30 degrees and my hands will warm up within 15-20 minutes and start sweating at 20-25 minutes. That is on the road though where I am running faster and also know exactly what is ahead. I was in unknown territory on this trail though and was keeping my pace down to save energy. Then my hands started to get cold. At about the 8 mile mark, I ran into this large puddle on the left. That's right - ice! It was melting but I also knew the temps up here were lower than they were just 30 minutes ago. It wasn't my imagination. I picked up my pace to get my blood circulating and after about 10 minutes I was warm. Well, warmer.

More rock than I wanted to deal with
and it would get worse in places.

The higher up I got, the more likely there was to be rocks. You don't ever want to come crashing down on these with your feet no matter what kind of shoe you wear. If you have classic trail shoes, you are likely to sprain an ankle or worse as your foot hits at an odd angle. With the Five Fingers though, your foot just wraps around it. No permanent damage, but it still doesn't feel great, and if you do that a few hundred times, you'll really start to feel it a few hours into one of these runs.

In the picture on the right, there was still enough room for me to maneuver between the larger rocks, but in some places there wasn't, so I'd walk that until it cleared up a bit. I probably walked a 1-1.5 miles in total due to the rocks, which in a run this long isn't too bad. Very few people run 100% of a trail run unless it is really short or a level dirt path. The walking parts gave me an opportunity to eat as well.

Santaigo Peak!

This picture is probably about three miles from the peak, though likely less than a mile as the crow files.

This was right at the peak. The Maple Springs Visitor Center isn't listed for some reason though. Bedford Road must be the asphalt part of the trail and being 3-3.5mi, that puts me 12 miles from where I started, which matches what my GPS watch says. Matt and Kurt were here and waiting on the ladies to make it up. I told them I was feeling pretty good and was going to start my descent on the other side and try and get in that extra 6 miles. What a dumb idea.

The problem was this was headed down to Holy Jim trail. This grade was steeper and a heck of a lot rockier. I only made it down 2 miles when I decided that was enough and I turned around. By the time I got back to the top, everyone had met up and left. It easily took me an hour to go those 4 miles, and it is hard to believe any of that distance qualified as "running" but that is my story and I am sticking to it. The run down was much slower. My feet were getting sore and after 6 hours, I was just wanting to get this done.

Ultimately, I went just over 28 miles in just over 8 hours. If you do the math, the time sucks. I felt good about the outing though and know I can do better on a second try now that I know what lays ahead. I am also getting a new pair of Five Fingers called Spyridons that have a nylon mesh that provides a rock-block effect. While the tread should be better than my KSO Treks, the key is that mesh. I'll have to test it out on some rocky trails around the house. I most likely won't do Santiago Peak this year again, but I am definitely going to do it in the near future.

You can see more pics that Lauren took as she and the rest of the group took the more sensible 24 mile route. I've also uploaded more of my pics to my Smugmug account.

I am glad I've added trails to my running routine. These are much more enjoyable to me than having to deal with traffic lights, women pushing strollers 3 wide covering the entire sidewalk, dog owners that think it is "cute" when Fluffy tries to get close and sniff my legs as I try to maintain distance, and the monotony of the concrete and asphalt.

Ran With My Wife Towards Santiago Peak

Susan and Ed taking a break to snap this picture.

The local trail group is doing a 24 mile run this coming Saturday. The distance doesn't bother me, but the fact it is going up to Santiago Peak does. The peak is around 5,700 feet and the trail head is at 2,000 feet, so this is a 3,700 ft climb in 12 miles. That is not an easy run., at least for me. I think I can handle the 3,700 ft descent for the last half.

I decided I wanted to pre-run some of it today to make sure I was up to speed for it. Having run 14 miles yesterday didn't exactly leave me in a rested condition for this, but it was a last minute decision last night. Susan decided she wanted to go with me. She doesn't run the distances I do so we were going to run together for a few miles, then I'd go on ahead. My original plan was to go 6 miles, or half the distance up. I'd hook up with Susan again on the way down. If I could do 12 miles with little trouble, 24 miles this coming weekend should be doable.

Susan at the trail head
with her Merrell Trail Gloves

Ed at the trail head with the KSO Treks

Given a bit of soreness after yesterday's run, I stopped at the 5 mile mark on the way up. I could have gone further, but my speed was really bad and I didn't really want to be out for much more than 2 hrs today. My altitude was 3,720 feet when I turned back, so I climbed about 1,700 feet. That told me with 7 miles to go, there was another 2,000 feet left. It wasn't going to get steeper, but neither was the grade going to easier.

Less than half a mile into the trail part of the run.

It does give me confidence though that I can do this run as long as I rest the day before the run. I've really overdone it this week. Today was my ninth consecutive run. There was a holiday thrown in there which allowed more time to run. I don't normally run more than 2-3 days in a row. The body needs to rest and repair.

It isn't a terribly technical trail, just fire road, but it isn't smooth trail dirt either. Actually, the first three miles are rough asphalt, which means the last three will be too since this is an out-and-back run. I really wish I had a pair of the new Vibram Spydiron trail shoes. My KSO Trek's tread is getting low and the Spydiron has more rock protection, especially in the arch. Unfortunately, they aren't for sale yet, so the KSO Treks will have to do for a few more weeks.

You can see the rocky trail behind me.

Total distance today was 10.1 miles Susan did somewhere between 7 and 8 miles I think. Her running software on her iPhone was accidentally paused during her run so we aren't sure exactly how far she went.

There are more pictures below of the beautiful scenery. It rained here like crazy Saturday and it was overcast the entire run. It makes some of the pictures look a bit dark.

At 3,700ft where I turned around

Another view of the terrain

The average grade

A look over the ledge into Silverado Canyon