The Reason for My Crappy Run Today

One of San Diego's best-kept secrets is the annual "Concert Under the Stars" that kicks off the La Jolla Music Society's Summerfest. You don't have to be a classical music lover to appreciate the unique opportunity to gather at one of the area's most scenic locations and listen to virtuosos as the sun sets. Any other day of the year, people pay a lot of money to hear these performers in a more conventional auditorium. On this evening, we wine and dine ourselves as waves crash in the background and even the hollow notes of nearby seagulls seem scripted for just the occasion.

Even the palm trees seemed to be swaying to the music.

The music director opened by joking that this year's concert series was being renamed Winterfest, a joke among the locals as we continue to weather the coldest summer in almost a century. Note my friend Maxine's wardrobe and that of many others in the previous pictures. Of course, note also that the person directly behind Maxine is barefoot. I happened to know for a fact she also was on her third glass of wine.

This year's program ran 45 minutes longer than last year and included a youth symphony and musicians from Beijing. Max and I both loved the gypsy music medley the best, and I wondered if it's because we're both of Eastern European descent.

The wonderful evening yielded to a rough night with not much sleep that then led to a major stomach ache and, subsequently, a raging headache. Still, I needed to get in one more short run, if only to keep up my confidence for Saturday's big race. When I finished, I was confident of only one thing: I will not feel this lousy in two days. At least not in the early miles.