Sick Kiddos and Bootleg Canyon on a Friday Afternoon

I'm mostly training for stress relief right now.  But, I'd like to think that I have a somewhat structured workout schedule.  Ideally my schedule would look like this.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Run & and or Lift	Run and or Lift	Run	Rest	Longish Run or Run/Lift	Rest	Longish Run

I will move my rest day around if I'm feeling sore, tired, lazy, or if I have a errands to run at lunchtime etc.  I try not to take more than two days off in a row.  I tend to get really crabby if I don't work out on a regular basis.

Last week my daughter had croup. It started as a mild cold, and then it got pretty ugly for a few days. My world was turned on its head,  nothing matters when your children are sick.  My training was all over the place.
Anyhow my daughter is doing much better this week, and I hope that the next few months are pretty uneventful.

Last Weeks and This Weeks Training Updates

Monday 5/18 - Rest- My daughter was sick,  I had to work a shortened workday, and then take my kiddo to the pediatrician in the afternoon.  No time for running.

A middle of the night selfie with me and Rachel.  I would be a terrible
mommy blogger with these kind of pictures.  I think it was midnight and
she couldn't sleep.  We watched Octonauts on Nick Jr.

Tuesday- 5/19 A little over three miles.  I went to work, while my husband stayed home with our daughter.  On my lunch break I drove over to the Whitney Mesa Recreation Area to explore some of the trails.  Here's an overhead view of the trails.

The red squiggly line is where I ran.

Nice amount of hill climbing for a short run.

That night my daughter took a turn for the worse.  It seemed like the medicine for her croup wasn't working very well, and she was having trouble breathing.  I slept with one eye open, and with her propped up on pillows sitting up.  We both slept like garbage.

Wednesday 5/20- Rest- My daughter went back to Dr.'s office, she was given a stronger dose of steroids, and that helped open up her airways, she also received some antibiotics to be on the safe side.

Thursday 5/21- Short run in AM- I ran somewhere between 3 and 4 miles before work, and at lunchtime I did some body weight resistance exercises: Sit ups, Single Leg Lunges, Step ups on to a bench with a high knee, push ups, and a few chin ups.  Then I also worked on my stretching.

Friday 5/22 -7 miles @ Bootleg Canyon-I got off of work at noon on Friday and I decided to ditch my planned  10 mile run along the Pittman Wash Trail, to drive out to Bootleg Canyon to get some trail running in.  The weather in Las Vegas has been cooler than usual, my days of running at lunchtime and after work on Friday's are numbered. However this past Friday It was a pleasant 70 degrees at noon.  I figured "why not?"

Bootleg Canyon is considered a mountain bike park.  There are many dirt trails that intertwine.  There is also a trail head to the paved River Mountains Trail Loop.  The trail loop itself is about 34 miles long and it connects between Henderson, Lake Mead, and Boulder City.

I have run a few different races along the River Mountain Trail, but I have been out to Bootleg Canyon only twice before.  This is where the start of the Saints and Sinners Half Marathon is.   When I arrived I noticed that there was an event being held in one of the large canyon areas.  I didnt' want to run through a campsite or disturb anyone, so I headed out in the other direction.  I was also wary about getting lost, so I stayed close to the paved River Mountain Trail loop.  The dirt trails were great, because they kept intersecting the paved trail, so it was pretty easy to not get lost.

I ran about two miles trail, and the rest paved trail.
This run was a doozy with just over 800 feet of decent
followed by 800 feet of climbing.
I also neglected the majority of the soft dirt trail available
at Bootleg Canyon.

 I ended up running about 3 and a half miles down towards lake mead, then I flipped a U-turn and ran 3.5 miles back up.

I tried to  hold back and relax while running downhill.  I kept smiling at everyone I came across, and I was having a blast.  The weather was mild for May in Vegas, there was plenty of  cloud coverage.  I did bring my handheld bottle with me to be on the safe side.

I took this picture before the climb back up.  You can kind of
see Lake Mead in the background

I had fun running up this sucker for the last mile back up to the top.

The paved River Mountains Trail Loop

Squinty eyed running selfie.
This is why I don't do Instagram
Who needs to see pictures like this?
#NotaSelfieGirl

The ride back was tougher, but it didn't wipe me out nearly as bad as I thought it would.  I just plugged away like a mountain goat, and I promised myself to try not to walk.  Here's the Garmin Data

Holy Elevation Batman!

Saturday 5/23- 6 mile shuffle.  My mother in law came to town,  I was sore, but grateful to get out of the house for some fresh air.  My legs were pretty sore from the day before.  I ran six miles along the Sunrise Picnic Area Bike Trail. It was flat, but it didn't provide much shade.

Sunday - 5/26 Rest

Monday- 5/27 A little over 8 miles,  The temps are getting hotter, and my perceived effort vs. pace is starting to mess with me.   This run felt sluggish at the beginning and then towards the end. I got stopped by the same dogs from a few weeks ago.   This time they didn't stay in their yard, and they were roaming the street.  I had to stop running and then back track some, until I felt that I was a safe enough distance from them.


 I'm bummed because  I absolutely love to run on Los Feliz Dr.

Not the best picture, but the view from up here rocks!!

But, I'm not going to risk being bit by a dog.  I need to figure out how to let the homeowner know that their dogs are being a nuisance.  I also have to ask myself if the confrontation with local neighbors over their dogs is worth the trouble...

Tuesday 5/28 I ran a little over 3. miles before work.  On my lunch break  I went to the gym to lift.   I worked out my upper body with the following exercises.  Flat bench press with bar, Bent over rows with bar, dumbbell bench presses, incline push ups, decline push ups.  I also did some crunches on the stability ball.

Wednesday 5/29-  I ran 2.5 miles on the road before work.    Then on my lunch break I ran 3.25 miles in the dirt at the Mesa Whitney Ranch Recreation Area.  I'm loving my new scene.

That's all of got for now.  If you made this far, Thank you for reading :)