Monthly Archives: November 2012

photography, photography|trail running, running, running|gear

Hoka Madness

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Hoka One One Mafate 2

Me: Time for a run!

Legs: Yea –let’s go!

Me: What shoe today?

Legs: Hokas!

Me: Maybe the XT Wings 3? We’re not doing a long run and the trail is fairly technical.

Legs: Hokas, Hokas!

Me: What about the Adidas Response Trail 18? Dependable, consistent shoe… You’ve liked those; we’ve run in the Trail Response a lot.

Legs: Hokas, Hokas, Hokas!

Me: Then let’s go for the XT Wings 2! That’s been your favorite the last couple of years — and the only shoes we’ve used for ultras.

Legs: Hokas, Hokas, Hokas, Hokas!

That’s the typical conversation I’ve been having at my closet door since purchasing a pair of Hoka One One Mafate 2s a few weeks ago. I have run in other shoes, but not much.

The Hokas — really any shoe — can’t be judged based on what they look like. You have to run in them. And I don’t mean a few strides in a store.

To say I was skeptical of the Hoka design would be an understatement. I thought they would dissipate and waste energy. I thought there wouldn’t be sufficient “feel” on a technical trail. I thought they might make an ankle roll more severe. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

The first time I ran in them, they did feel a bit strange. It took running in them a few times to learn how they like to run. I can’t say what adjustments were made — it must have been subtle — but I feel much more efficient on the flat today than when I first got the shoes.

When you run a lot of miles I think there are several components to leg fatigue. The main element is fatigue related to the physiology of endurance, but it seems there is a secondary, underlying fatigue associated with the dissipation of impact shock each time your foot strikes the ground.

Think of an ultra slow motion video of a runner’s leg “reverberating” with the shock of a footfall, then think of each foot striking the ground 5000 times (or more) each hour you run. There has to be a physiological cost.

That’s what I notice the most about running in the Hokas — that this underlying “shock” fatigue is lessened. When I use these shoes on a long run it seems that in the last third of the run my legs can better deal with endurance related fatigue, since they haven’t been pounded as much mile after mile. This also seems to translate into less cumulative fatigue and faster recovery from the run.

I’ve just ordered a second pair!

Update April 14, 2014. I’ve now run in five pairs of Mafate 2s and two pairs of Mafate 3s and have logged about 3000 miles on Hokas. See the related post: Hoka Mafate 2 Wrapup and Mafate 3 First Impressions.

Update April 15, 2013. Since purchasing my first pair of Hokas last October I’ve run three 50Ks (Kernville, Ray Miller, Bandit) and the 68 mile Backbone Trail Ultra and put over 1000 miles on the shoes (multiple pairs). The Mafate 2 has been a superb shoe for running trails, and I’ve hardly used anything else. They would not be my first choice for trail-less cross-country travel in rough terrain or mixed routes requiring (technical) rock climbing, but for trail running they have been great!

photography, photography|landscape, running, running|adventures, trails, trails|pt mugu state park

Wendy Drive – Mugu Peak Challenge

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Top of Mugu Peak

Running should be fun! If you’re comfortable running twenty miles (round trip) and are familiar with the trails of Pt. Mugu State Park this training “challenge” is way to get in a mix of running on pavement, dirt roads, single track trail, fast downhill, runnable uphill, and a brutal hill climb, and wrap it all up in a fun-to-solve route-finding puzzle.



The “challenge” is to run from the trailhead at Wendy Drive & Potrero Road in Newbury Park to the flagpole on the summit of Mugu Peak. That’s it — the route you use is entirely up to you, as are all other details of the run. At the top of Mugu Peak (if it’s not foggy) you’ll be rewarded with great views of the coast near Pt. Mugu, the Channel Islands, La Jolla Valley and Boney Mountain.

I ran it last Sunday. A middle-of the pack runner, my training goal was to do it in under two hours. My time was 1:55:30. Turns out my route was about a half-mile longer than what I believe to be the shortest possible route. I pushed the pace some, but have a race coming up, so didn’t go all out.

Based on my times in some similar XTERRA races I’m thinking my race pace goal should be around 1:40. A very fast runner might be able to do it in around 1:10. You’ll have to decide what’s a good goal for you. Just remember that once you get to Mugu Peak, you have to get back! (And keep an eye out for those pesky rattlesnakes and other wildlife!)

Update April 12, 2014. In near perfect weather did the peak from Wendy in 1:42:02.

Update January 5, 2014. In less than ideal conditions did the peak in 1:47:49, so it looks like 1:40 should be possible for me.

nature, nature|trees, photography, photography|landscape, running, trails, trails|san gabriels

Throop Peak Limber Pines

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A nearly pure stand of limber pines on the north slopes of Throop Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles.

Limber pines can be very long-lived. The Rocky Mountain Tree Ring Research OLDLIST lists several crossdated limber pines older than 1600 years. The Wally Waldron Tree near the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell is estimated to be 1500 years old.

From an out and back run last week from Dawson Saddle to Mt. Baden-Powell.

nature, photography, photography|landscape, running, running|adventures, trails, trails|san gabriels

Highs and Lows on the PCT

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Looking across Vincent Gap to the slopes of Mt. Baden-Powell

Slopes of Mt. Baden-Powell from the PCT Above Vincent Gap

The run from Inspiration Point to Eagle’s Roost on the Pacific Crest Trail is one of the best 20 mile trail runs in Southern California. Along the way are great views, old growth forests, ancient trees, an ice-cold spring, and a 2800′ climb to the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell.

One of the most popular peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, Mt. Baden-Powell (9399′) is well-known for its association with scouting. It is a favored peak of hikers, ultrarunners and backcountry skiers alike. The question isn’t if you’ve climbed Baden-Powell, but how often you’ve done the peak — and for many of us it’s too many times to count.



Ann, Craig and I were at about mile 4.5 of the run. We had just descended from Blue Ridge to Vincent Gap and were starting the climb up Baden-Powell. I swore. I could not believe what I was seeing. Someone had spray-painted a large white numeral 7 on a rock at a switchback. Are you kidding? One was too many — were we going to see spray-painted switchback numbers on rocks and trees all the way up the peak?

Nearly thirty switchbacks later the numbers — painted mostly on trees — continued and so did my swearing. Who would do such a thing? How could anyone think this was an acceptable or beneficial thing to do?

The explosion of outrage in the outdoor community was like a fiery supernova. I made some inquiries and was told that an older, neatly dressed man had been seen painting the numbers on Sunday, October 14. Reportedly the man was asked to stop, but refused. Maybe at some point saner minds prevailed because the numbers stopped (I think) somewhere around 27. In any case the damage had already been done.

We did this run last Saturday. The good news is most of the numbers have already been removed. (Thanks David!) Last I heard only two difficult to remove numbers remained, and I’m guessing those will disappear soon.

Things do seem to balance out, and as vile as the spray-painted trees were, there was an offsetting positive force in the forest that day, and we met her at Little Jimmy Spring. Leslie (Banff Trail Trash) looked like she was out for a mile or two stroll. But she had been on the trail since the beginning of August and was at about mile 2275 of the PCT! Effusive and exuberant, her enthusiasm was contagious.

For the remainder of the run we put aside thoughts about spraypaint, and just enjoyed being in the mountains.

Some related posts: Inspiration Point to Islip Saddle Trail Run, PCT from Inspiration Point to Islip Saddle