The Back of the Packers Rattlesnake Encounter

The Green Girl managed to make it to the Sole Runners Tuesday night trail run after an usually hectic day at work yesterday.

Rad Runner Girl joined us once again and appears to have become a permanent fixture on the these runs.

As usual, I ran with the back of the packers, Michelle and Rozie.

Rozie and I were running slightly ahead of Michelle when we heard the characteristic hiss of a rattlesnake. Rozie actually spotted the snake in the brush. We sprinted ahead and when we felt we were at a safe distance, we started yelling for Michelle to watch out for the snake. We instructed her to run on the left side of the trail to avoid the rattlesnake's general vacinity but she panicked and froze.

We finally coaxed her into continuing the run but we were all uneasy after the encounter.

I'm going to research the proper protocol for responding to a snake bit and look into purchasing a snake bite kit so I will be prepared should one of us end up getting bitten in the future.

As the evening progressed, the sky cleared and we were able to catch a glimpse of the sun setting.

After our run, we laid out our yoga mats and stretched in the parking lot. I commented that I wished I had my foam roller with me and Rozie pulled a little one foot roller out of her trunk. It felt so good to roll right after the run. I'm going to look into getting a small one to keep in my car with my mat.

The Barn Owl Trail Run

Rad Runner Girl joined the Green Girl on another Sole Runners Tuesday night trail run last night.

I am very grateful to the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy for affording us such beautiful trails to run on. Thanks to this group, 1,200 acres of open space on the south side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula will be preserved in perpetuity.



The trails are shared by hikers, runners, trail cyclists, and even the occasional horse.

We explored some of the more challenging trails last night. I had suffered from severe allergies all weekend and the congestion was affecting my breathing. I struggled to keep up with the group.

As we climbed the first incline, my right calf cramped up and I had to walk off the pain. I can only assume my labored breathing could have attributed to the calf discomfort.

When we hit the grueling Barn Owl Trail, I was forced to shuffle slowly up the hill. My heart rate skyrocketed to 189.

A couple of miles in, my calf loosened up and the wheezing dissipated. My spirits lifted and I finally settled into my run.

As we headed back, the onshore marine layer clouded the Palos Verdes sky and cloaked the setting sun in its ominous fog.

Sole Runners Trail Run With Rad Runner Girl

Rad Runner Girl joined the Green Girl on her Sole Runners Tuesday night trail run in Palos Verdes.

Rad Runner Girl is going to be doing the City of Laguna Hills Memorial day Half Marathon on Monday. She was anxious to get one last hill run in and she's never trail run before so she decided to come check out the Ocean Trails with us.

The weather was warmer than usual last night and there wasn't much of a breeze.

Rad Runner Girl took off with the faster group and I settled comfortably into the back of the pack.

Even though my beloved camera is on the brink, I still insisted on snapping [mostly blurry] shots along the trail.

The wildflowers have dried up and many of the stalks had turned the color of hay.

I felt a sense of libration on my run yesterday knowing I have finally found the right pair of shoes for my little feet. I love my 1012's.

Since I started running in them, I haven't had any plantar fasciitis flare ups or posterior tibial tendon discomfort. I also noticed my arches are a lot less sore when I do my nightly massages with the Tendon Rescue.

As we headed back down the trails, the clouds cleared and we could see a full moon in the bright blue sky.

I forgot to charge Mr. Green Garmin so he died on our way back.

Tonight is Long Beach SparkTeam skate night at Skate Depot. They offer 'Cheap Sk8' on Wednesdays from 8:00 - 10:30 pm. Skating and rental is only $6.75.

I can't inline skate because it aggravates my plantar fasciitis but I can roller skate.

I'm looking forward to a fun night of skating with the Sparkers.

Rad Runner Girl's Peaceful Mountain Herbal Giveaway

The Green Girl's good running friend, Rad Runner Girl, is giving away a trio of Peaceful Mountain topical products from their Rescue Line.

To get the details of this exciting giveaway and enter to win, visit Rad Runner Girl's Peaceful Mountain giveaway post.

Peaceful Mountain products contain organic and wild crafted herbs and naturally derived preservatives to naturally assist the body.

I've been using the Tendon Rescue for over a year now for my posterior tibial tendonitis.

The Tendon Rescue gel contains comfrey, arnica, rosemary, aloe, potassium sorbate, originox, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. According to the website, the herbs in Tendon Rescue have traditionally been used to repair damaged tendons, ligaments and soft tissues.

The directions recommend using the product three times daily but I only apply it once a day. I massage the gel on both my feet every night before I go to bed. The gel has a brownish tint but doesn't stain my skin when I rub it in. It smells like a multivitamin tablet.

Rad Runner Girl's Bradford Tonic Giveaway

The Green Girl is excited to announce her good running friend, Rad Runner Girl, is giving away 4 Bradford Tonic drinks to one lucky winner.

To get the details of this awesome giveaway and enter to win, visit Rad Runner Girl's Bradford Tonic giveaway post.

Bradford Tonic is a Florida-based beverage company that specializes in Caribbean-inspired raw beverages that contain healthful ingredients without pasteurization.

Good luck, runners!