Run DMZ

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T02:51:00.000-08:00

Watching What We Eat

2012-01-24T03:54:00.001-08:00

My friend Tracy was the first to introduce me to an app called MyFitnessPal. It's a free calorie counter, diet and exercise tool to help you lose, maintain or gain weight.

Since the start of the year, I've kept a relatively accurate account of how many calories I take in and expend. I say relatively accurate because, like most online calorie counters, the database is primarily self-reported foods and meals with caloric calculations all over the place. A piece of specialty brand sourdough bread, for instance, registers as 110 calories on the package but 300 on MyFitnessPal. And I'm having a hard time believing a couple handfuls of my beloved kumquats cost me as much as a chai tea latte with whole milk.

We also tend to cook from scratch at my house, so trying to align our homemade veggie pizza with one in the database produces dubious results. Ditto restaurants. I'm more of a fine dining than fast food consumer, so I have to wing it when I enter those dishes.

But MyFitnessPal does have a few things I like, particularly instantly calculating how many grams of carbs, fat and protein you should have versus what you actually do. Of course, according to this Wall Street Journal article, it really doesn't matter where your calories come from.

And at the end of the day, when you click a button, MyFitnessPal tells you what you would weigh in five weeks if you ate and exercised like that everyday. That can be particularly motivating. I keep my logs private, but many share theirs and that level of accountability can also be a big help for weight loss.

What tools like MyFitnessPal do is force us to be honest and more mindful about what and how much we put in our mouths.

My own observations are backed up by a popular food psychology book I'm currently reading called Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Many of you probably already know of it and may have even read it. It outlines various experiments that show we tend to overeat and, importantly, why.

Often it's visual miscues. For instance, MBA students at a sports bar were given a big plate of chicken wings to consume during the Super Bowl. One half continually had their dirty bowls with chicken bones removed; the other kept the carnage on the table. Those who had a visual reminder of how much they had already eaten ate significantly less chicken wings than those whose evidence was erased.

Another interesting tidbit: It takes 20 minutes into a meal for neurotransmitters to let us feel satiated. But the average American takes only 11 minutes to complete a meal. That's why we often go back for seconds or decide on dessert.

You can watch more about some of the experiments on this web site's video player.

I've tried a lot of other calorie counters over the years. And I don't hold any illusions that I'll stick with MyFitnessPal for a long time. But I am slowly losing weight, which is the best way to do so. If you do or did track your calories, let us know what you discovered.

One Colorful Run

2012-01-19T05:06:00.000-08:00

This looks like one fun (and messy) 5k. You basically start off with a clean white shirt and are sprayed with different colors per kilometer. The materials sprayed on runners by volunteers are said to be 100% safe and even edible (though taste is another issue). I wonder what happens as you sweat. Does it sting if it gets in your eyes? And do you have to go home with that mess or, like mud runs, do you get to shower it off before you hit the road? Would year wash the shirt with other clothes - or would you wash it at all?

I've obviously not done a lot of reading on this one, which this year is coming to 18 different cities and regions. Here, the one representing all of SoCal is in Irvine - midpoint between San Diego and LA. Has anyone done one of these?

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T05:16:00.000-08:00

Don't Just Participate, Narrate

2012-01-17T05:02:00.000-08:00

When you are exercising, what do you think of when you don't want to think of what you're doing in the moment? You most likely think of some aspect of your life, past present or future. You play out a story and the role you play in it. Now there's science to suggest that omniscient voice in your head may do more than distract you from physical discomfort. It may help give you a mental health boost.

According to a new study's lead researcher, when we cast ourselves as the narrator of our life story, we actually can weather unpleasant events better than when we're convinced we are victims of circumstance with limited options. The experiment involved written expressions, but all words originate in thoughts, right?

According to an article on the study, "a big takeaway is for people to realize that they are the main character in their story — but they are also the narrator. That means it’s possible to re-write the episode with a greater sense of agency.” Agency in this instance means power and autonomy over one’s life.

Circling this around to running, when you find yourself struggling, shift from focusing on the discomfort (provided it's just from fatigue) to playing out the scene as if you were telling your own story with a little emotional distance. Do you want to be read as weak or strong? Strong, of course. With a little thought, it will happen.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Yoga vs. Pilates

2012-01-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

Maybe you've already read this, or maybe you haven't, but the yoga industry is in an uproar because of a New York Times Magazine article - an excerpt of a forthcoming book - that warns yoga can be bad for you under certain conditions (be sure to read the part about Bikram). Actually, it warns that some people are actually hurt more than helped by the practice and explains in detail why.

A lot of runners and triathletes incorporate yoga into their training as a way to stay flexible and reverse some of the muscle and tendon tightening that running and cycling promote (especially if you are bad about post-run stretching). Pilates, which incorporates a lot of yoga into a mat session, is a different animal.

Pilates' focus is on strengthening your core; yoga's more about strengthening your soul.

Most Pilates sessions start with instructions; yoga begins with intentions.

You incorporate medicine balls, BOSU balls, these funky wheels and other equipment into Pilates to make it fun; yoga typically involves optional blocks and stretch-deepening bands to make it work.

In yoga, you hold still; in Pilates, you hold count.

In both, the strength comes from within. But in yoga, it permeates more than your abs, glutes and lats.

Yoga is not a competition, and yet I think we've all been in a class where someone treats it that way. And it's these Type A's that I'm pretty sure are among the injured. As an instructor says in the article, "It’s ego. ...The whole point of yoga is to get rid of ego.”

Article: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body

In Through the Out Door

2012-01-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to a daily e-mail called "Now I Know: Learning Something New Every Day." I wanted to share today's trivia because it relates to this year's theme, Life of the Mind. I think we've all suffered from forgetfulness as we move through tasks on a to-do list. We assume we're 'just getting old' or have too many distractions. But there may be another, far simpler explanation.

According to today's missive:

In November of 2011, a team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, published a study which suggested that entering and exiting rooms can cause our short term memories to fail us. Their theory: our brains take items in our short term memories and stick them into virtual compartments, with different ideas in different areas -- much like a house or office has different rooms. When we cross through doorways in the physical world, our mental world also passes through what psychology professor and head researcher Gabriel Radvansky calls an "event boundary" -- an action which, in his words, "separates episodes of activity and files them away." Basically, when your body leaves the room, your mind leaves that "to do" list behind.

This explains a lot, doesn't it? Here's a link to sign up for the free daily newsletter.

More to Fear in Our 40s

2012-01-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

One reason seasoned runners set the reset button in their 40s is because the aging process starts to catch up to us by then. Human bodies actually begin aging at 25, but the evidence typically doesn’t show until 10 to 20 years later when it becomes harder to lose weight, stay firm, stay flexible, retain speed or recover quickly.

Now a new study suggests masters runners' brains begin a downward slide too.

A widely distributed article in today’s USAToday shows mental decline – memory, reasoning and comprehension – begins at 45 to 49, and not in our 60s as we all have long believed. It may even be earlier, given the age of study participants.

Beginning in 1985 and involving 5,200 male and 2,200 female British civil servants between the ages of 45 and 70, researchers periodically tested participants for memory, vocabulary, hearing and vision. Everyone in the group experienced a drop in cognition over the years. Men 45 to 49 saw a nearly 4 percent drop (compared to 10 percent in those 65-70) and women the same age suffered a 5 percent memory and reasoning loss (7 percent for the older group).

Life is very different now than when the study began. Our reptilian brains are still tackling the technologies that allow us to do more tasks while reducing our ability to concentrate on them. And as a society, we’re more productive yet lazier. Lazy people who can't stay on task tend to not take good care of themselves.

This study also confirms that people in their 40s probably always had minor memory issues; they just weren’t as big a deal until Alzheimer’s experts lowered the diagnosis threshold. Now we "know better." So what can we do, since plastic surgeons have yet to find a way to lift and lipo a sagging brain? It's simple: exercise your mind throughout the day, week, month and year. And feed it well.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

Special thanks to Christine and Todd for making these sugar cookies for last night's Sugar Bowl. Too bad the game didn't end as sweetly for the Hokies.

A New Focus for the New Year

2011-12-31T06:25:00.000-08:00

I thought long and hard about what to do with this blog after spending yet another year essentially documenting my decline.

As we age, our reasons for running change. Our bodies change too. My physical therapist last night told me that the older we get, the more we shift from being uber fit to just trying to stay flexible. It takes some people like me longer to transition, but I'm finally there.

"Project Me" is still going strong, and running remains an important part of my grand plan to look and feel better when I turn 50 a few months from now. But I'm also going to return to this blog's roots and devote more posts to research I come across in my current profession. In this case, I'm going to write about the most important organ we engage when we run: the brain.

I already do a lot of reading on cognitive science at work as it relates to Alzheimer's and dementia. But this upcoming year, I'm going to share more of what I learn because we could all stand to devote more attention to how and why we think as we do. I also think the topic has broad appeal because every family has at least one member with mental illness, and it's a family's inability to adequately address those dysfunctions that often destroys people. Similarly, many of us run as a form of therapy and it might be kind of nice to know just what is helping you process those issues.

Here's more on 2012: The Life of the Mind.

The Two Tornadoes

2011-12-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

That's what my husband calls our daughters when they visit. Whether it's a weekend or full week, as it was this time, they almost immediately destroy what was once tidy and manage to both remove and release items that we find for hours, even days, after they leave. After awhile, you just avoid looking in that direction. It's easier that way.

This time they borrowed heavily from my closets, usually without permission. They also raided our cold weather gear for the Holiday Bowl, but that time I approved. I just discovered they emptied my entire sock drawer but they left a Costco-sized box of healthy-ish fruit rollups. Someone forgot to pack a nice pair of jeans, and we're still scratching our heads over how my tweezers ended up in the Christmas tree.

All this we took in after one boarded a San Francisco-bound plane without a few of her presents, and the other was on her way to a Tahoe cabin via Disneyland and Davis with only one earring in a pair . . . and maybe my body lotion.

I already miss my life this past week.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T04:16:00.000-08:00

My Favorite Things of 2011

2011-12-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

Along with taking on a post-dawn mall with my prodigy in search of sales, we have another post-Christmas tradition here at Run DMZ. It's time to indulge in a little hubris and list some of the races, books, movies, plays and songs that I especially enjoyed this year.

First, here's my list from 2010. And now, on to this year.

Favorite Race: Buffalo Alley 10k
Once again, I didn't do a lot of races this year. But it never felt so good to hurt so bad as the 60 minutes I spent moving with a couple of thousand others through the hills of Camp Pendleton on a race-perfect October morning. I really enjoyed my video version too.

Favorite Book: 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America by Albert Brooks
It's impossible to read this Swiftian satire and not start worrying about where we're heading as a country. It is a fictional account of the United States 20 years from now, when we've found a cure for cancer and Alzheimer's Disease and we've continued to let our national debt spin out of control. That it's written by a well known actor and director keeps a very heavy topic from feeling so.

Favorite Movie: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Granted, I like James Franco and I have seen every Ape remake since the one starring Charleton Heston way back when. But this one is so well done that it tops my list of movies. And I see a lot of movies. The story line, the acting and the special effects are superb.

Honorable Mention: Take Shelter
I'm betting no one reading this blog has seen this one, which lasted in theaters about a week. Very powerful indie film about a man's mental illness ... or gift. I'm still not sure how to interpret the ending.

Favorite Play: "The Tempest" at The Old Globe's Shakespeare Festival.
It was cold in the outdoor festival that night, but I never noticed because I was so engrossed in the performances. This was Shakespeare at its best. Even the actors onstage cried during the final bow.

Favorite TV Show: "Revenge"
If you judged the show by ABC's commercials and trailers, you'd think it was just some superficial chick show. But it's intelligently written with perfectly paced plot twists and multifaceted characters. I can't tell you how many people I've gotten hooked on this show. You really should be next.

Favorite Running Song You've Probably Not Heard and Yet Have Heard: "Under Control" by Tim Myers & Ben Lee
No, I don't think this got any radio play, but if you watch any amount of television, then you'll immediately recognize the tune from the Chase Bank commercials. It's free to download, and I highly recommend you do.

Honorable Mentions: "Got It All [This Can't Be Living Now]" by Portugal. The Man (it's the chorus that has me floating through workouts) and "Whirring" by The Joy Formidable

Favorite Post: "Stairway to Heaven[ly]," which features my favorite self-made video of the year and recounts a huge milestone and the perfect day that enveloped it.

Yes, This is Someone's House

2011-12-21T04:40:00.000-08:00

Want an Injury? Sign Up for a Big Race.

2011-12-19T04:32:00.000-08:00

I used to think it was just me. Then I started following a good many running bloggers and realized that I’m not the only one that seems to be struck by a significant injury soon before a big event.

Here’s what I think happens. We invest a lot of hope and money into a big “A” race, or even a B race that sells out quickly, and we promise to follow the marathon or half marathon schedule to stay healthy. But maybe we get ambitious and ramp up the mileage ahead of schedule or start the schedule midway through without a proper base.

Then, what starts as a niggling ache in our foot, ankle, shin, knee, quad, hamstring or hip becomes bona fide pain as we build up mileage. We realize this is maybe going to take more than a day or two off to heal. So we take ibuprofen and give it a week when we really need to give it two or three. But that long of a layoff could spell trouble so we “modify” our routine but continue to put undue pressure on our knees, hips, feet and thus make matters worse. Instead of applying common sense, we apply frozen peas.

Finally, we see someone who offers a remedy that isn’t fitting with the race training timetable. At this point one of two things happen: (a) we ignore or self-modify the advice and press forth to a painful finish or DNF; or (b) we bail beforehand and suffer a costly DNS.

If you’re lucky, you get a race that allows deferrals or even a rare refund. Most likely though, you learn an expensive lesson in the true meaning of rest.

So as you fill your online registrations for next spring’s key race[s], make sure you carefully consider the calendar and make sure you have enough time to truly absorb the training. You might also consider supporting smaller local races that are still affordable and generally let you wait until you know you’re ready to sign up.

All races, by the way, claim they will sell out quickly. It's called creating a sense of urgency to get you to act first, think later. Some really do fill fast; but there are plenty of others that would welcome you and not make you pay $135 for the privilege.

Men

2011-12-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

I'm about to make someone mad.

I want to know why men can't follow directions. And don't give me that bit about how it's not nice to stereotype. Case in point: this morning's 5th annual Christmas Card Lane Fun Run.

I used to direct this run, and I designed the 5-mile course. This is the fifth time at least half the field has done it, though only the second from this particular start and finish point. Everyone is supposed to look in advance at the course map and carry a copy if they need.

This also was the first time I was a course marshal with my husband. When I gave him his simple marching orders ("Make sure they turn right at the corner where you're standing."), he looked at me incredulously. "You mean these people can't follow a map or go right when I tell them to go right?"

Then he called me at my post after the first two runners - men - came through. "They just crossed the street for no reason after they passed me; I have no idea where they're heading," my husband said. About 10 minutes later, I watched a huge pack jaywalking along a thin median on a semi-busy street, trying to cross at the wrong point. That group was led by men too and would go the wrong way at the one and only intersection on the way back.

Meanwhile, every group or duo led by a woman knew where to go. Granted, they usually had someone ahead, but when that rabbit veered off course, they stayed true to the map and the marshals' directions.

Afterward, a kindhearted veteran of the program (a man) pulled me aside and said we needed more course marshals. Some somehow shortcut the S-shaped Christmas Card Lane and others went beyond the final turning point, even though I said clearly to every runner, "Take the first road on the right." He said it was because the street sign was obscured. I just nodded politely, rather than ask how they also missed the wide opening they call a road.

I am not angry in the least. I had a wonderful time reuniting with the old gang. And I've been known to miss a turn on a new course too when I'm not paying attention. I also realize frontrunners in races sometimes go off-course. And frontrunners typically are men. So I don't mean to question an entire gender. But, do tell, is it just me that wonders how some people ever make it through life if they can't follow simple instructions?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T04:22:00.000-08:00

Falling for My Foam Roller

2011-12-13T16:26:00.001-08:00

I’m in love with my foam roller. Since I started physical therapy for greater trochanteric bursitis, I’ve been self-massaging with the Trigger Point foam roller I bought from a local running store. It is one of the best $40 investments I may have ever made in my personal health.

I realize many runners already are familiar with foam rollers, but I didn’t realize what an important part of my running and rehab arsenal one was until I actually owned one -- and, importantly, used it. Now, each morning and evening I settle in to do my prescribed floor exercises and end with a hip roll session to work out the knots and scar tissue built up from a year’s worth of neglect. The orthopedist warned it would hurt like an SOB, and she wasn't wrong.

I also use it to get the kinks out of my back and shoulders after hours sitting in front of a computer. And sometimes I relax at the end of a long day with roller-induced foot massages while watching my current favorite television show, “Revenge.”

I’m sure the exercises, the anti-inflammatory drugs and the electro-stimulation at the PT are helping, but the foam roller is getting the lion’s share of credit. It's pulled me out of my funk and when I’m well enough, it’ll come in handy to get my abs back in shape.

There’s no shortage of usages for one of these gems. And no shortage of videos. Only one more month of this therapy and I should be good as new. Almost. Maybe. Oh, who am I kidding.

Over the Moon

2011-12-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

I emailed my running/walking group to make sure everyone knew about this morning's total lunar eclipse. For those of us on the West Coast, we got a rare treat that won't be seen again until April 2014, and even then it might be obscured by clouds or occur in the middle of the night.

This one began just before daybreak, and I wanted an unobstructed view of the northwestern skies. So I grabbed my camera, car keys and Mace and headed to Hilltop Community Park. Braced for hooligans, I instead encountered dozens of professional photographers, moon lovers, star gazers and dog walkers lining the rim of the park. Despite the hour, not one child cried and not one kid complained.

My point-and-shoot camera was no match for the big guns on tripods. But I did manage to get a couple of decent shots. I also decided the lunar event was as good a reason as any to come out from behind my own shadow and start posting again. Feels good to be back at it.

The Silent Treatment

2011-11-25T18:13:00.001-08:00

Run DMZ is going to go dark for the next several weeks.

(And if I usually or even infrequently comment on your blog and it seems I haven't in awhile, it's not me. It's your blogging software telling me I'm not wanted.)

Sheriff's Department's Sweet Side

2011-11-23T04:50:00.000-08:00

Hold the Sunscreen

2011-11-20T10:10:00.000-08:00

Now that I've raised everyone's social conscience about the true cost of our fresh food and other goods, I thought I'd focus on some of the benefits of those fruits, vegetables and another natural ingredient: the sun.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a health conference and one session focused on treating the whole person through diet and exercise. Many of our "lifestyle diseases" such as type 2 diabetes come from poor choices and bad habits.

I thought I knew it all, but here are some things I learned that surprised me.

Vitamin D - Not as Easy to Get as You Think
We all know that vitamin D is a key component of our everyday health, and that the best way to get it is from direct sun. (Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression.) What you may not know is that if you wear sunscreen, you not only block potentially harmful rays but also the beneficial ones.

Similarly, once you ingest vitamin D through the skin or the stomach (in food or pill form), you must engage in weight-bearing movement in order for it to be pulled into bones and muscle. There's a fancy term for how it works, but just know you need to walk or run to make it work. Swimming, cycling and yoga, great as they are otherwise, won't help you here.

So the best way to maintain bone health via natural vitamin D is to walk or run on a sunny day for 15-20 minutes daily. If you are at high risk of skin cancer, then by all means follow your doctor's orders on sunscreen. But if you have experienced or fear stress fractures, go "naked" for the first 20 minutes outdoors, then apply the sunscreen.

Ah, Ah, Ah ...Chew
Broccoli is a natural cancer-fighting food when eaten in concentrated forms. Two Brazilian nuts have the same anti-inflammatory power as a dose of Motrin (but more than six of those giant nuts, and they become toxic in the body!) Popcorn is not only a great source of fiber, but it contains trytophan -- the "feel good" ingredient that mimics a runner's high. (Ditto spinach, egg whites, and halibut.) And speaking of endorphins, the top three ways to release them in our bodies are: sex, exercise and -- ready for this? -- sneezing.

When it comes to antioxidants, the real superstars are blackberries, walnuts and strawberries - not blueberries, wine and dark chocolate (though they are major league too).

The best way to benefit from all of these functional foods is to eat them as close to nature as possible - which means raw. Once you start to boil, bake or fry (!) them, they loose some of that medicinal punch. That said, I'd rather eat my egg whites cooked.

Finally, for those that are starting to mull over changes they wish to make in the coming year: give a new habit enough time to set. We always hear about the 21-day rule or how 30 days will lead to some transformation. Apparently, science says it actually takes 6 months for most people to develop a solid habit and 2 years for it to become a permanent way of life for them.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

Sunday Morning Snail Dodging

2011-11-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

After a succession of rainy weekends, I took one look at the blue peeking through the blinds early this morning and immediately threw on a pair of tights, technical shirt, shoes and the brand new Triple Trail Shell I received a week ago from Columbia Sportswear. Field testing winter gear when you live in San Diego is tricky, but the 48 degree air and chosen bike route were perfect to discern the colorful jacket's wind resistance and wickability.

When it's warm, you live for the breezes on long downhills and dread the heat generated on the climbs. But when late fall and winter arrives, it's the reverse. The winds tear at your face, ears and limbs as you barrel down steep parts of bike paths; you start longing for a different discomfort from leg churn. Today was different, and I think it's because of this jacket.

First: a disclosure. I immediately fell in love with this jacket before I even tried it on or read about the technology to keep you 20% warmer by reflecting back the heat your body generates. I cared more about the cut and the colors than the fact that Columbia's patented omni-tech weather protection system allows you to wick away moisture so you don't stew in your own sweat. I also gushed to friends about all the secret pockets that come in handy on long hikes.

The bright colors are instantly cheery, but they also mean I can be easily spotted should I be lost or injured. This is important to me, as is the reflective material that makes me easier to spot before dawn or after dusk.

The jacket worked fabulously on my first test ride. I felt confident as I meandered through the Carmel Valley, dodging snails forced into the open due to last night's downpours. It didn't matter which road I took -- the 56 bikepath ... Rancho Santa Fe ... my beloved Black Mountain -- they were everywhere.

As I passed alongside the gated communities of the 1% in Fairbanks Ranch, I concentrated on avoiding these creatures. And I did an excellent job until I was just a quarter mile from my house and I heard a loud crunch. My back wheel had betrayed me.

But my new jacket did not. I can't wait for next weekend's outing and maybe an opportunity over the holiday to test the thermal underwear I also received. I'm thinking it may mean a trip into the mountains, where it's already in the 30s. And, I hope, the snails are all tucked safely away.

This is the jacket, inside and out. Pretty cool, huh?

What's Your Slavery Footprint?

2011-11-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

I just came across an app that immediately intrigued me because it brings awareness to something way too often overlooked in this country. It's called The Slavery Footprint, and I found out about it this morning courtesy of this post.

Living in California, and traveling regularly through the Central Valley where a bulk of everyone's U.S.-bred fruits and nuts are produced, I became keenly aware of how poorly farmhands are treated in this country. I even blogged about it several years ago.

Some of us tend to feel morally superior because of the foods and lifestyle choices we make. After taking this "test," perhaps that piety will recede a bit. After you take it, you can share your score if you wish. Personally, I'm embarrassed by mine.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T04:43:00.000-08:00

What Really Gets You to the Finish?

2011-11-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

For a change, this post isn't about me. It's about you.

Laura V. is the author of a book and blog about productivity and also is a runner, the kind that apparently is fit enough to run through pregnancies and start up again within weeks of giving birth. One of her recent posts asks people to consider how they are motivated and uses marathons as a metaphor. Basically, she boils marathon training and race day strategy into two camps: those who prefer to turn inward and those that gravitate toward external sources to get them to the finish line as fast as they can.

And a marathon is a great example because shorter races require a different strategy, but regardless of how well you plan to run a marathon, there are more variables. Even the elites blow it if the weather isn't right, their nutrition or hydration backfire or an injury flares up.

So here's my question: Which is more important to you - being motivated by the clock or being motivated by other people? You can't say "both." Think of what gets you through the last sprint in a 5k or the final 6 miles in a marathon - where is your head during this critical time? And do you prefer to train alone or with a group? Is it more important to beat your own time or your rivals' in a race?

Less Wordy Wednesday

2011-11-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

Remember my friend Jessie that we all helped get out of Iceland for her honeymoon? Well, she sent some pictures from her wedding ceremony and I wanted to share our favorite. I do not know the photographer and it's possible this may only stay up a few days. But I'd like to think part of Jessie's jubilation in this shot is because a lot of people she didn't know played a part in how she will begin her marriage. Thank you! Thank you!

She Was With Us Until She Wasn't

2011-10-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

The two Grand Dames, as we liked to call Maggy and Grandma.

She was a class act, right to her very last breath at around 9:30 a.m. today.

I've replayed the last couple of days and especially the last few hours over and over, wondering if there was something I missed or something more I could have done. The early morning walk, usually our longest of the day, was made shorter because she didn't seem in the mood. I wonder now if that last walk was more for me than for her.

She ate a few bitefuls of her last breakfast, maybe to be polite. A little later she asked to go out the rear sliding glass door, but I couldn't let her loose in the condo like I could at the old house. So when she went too far, I quietly called her back and she listened to me, ignoring what her canine soul was instructing. She walked back into the house and laid down in her dog bed.

I am so sorry for the way I broke the news to Louise and Rolly. I am so sorry that she couldn't die with her own family and that her last days weren't even in a familiar neighborhood, mine or theirs. But she could have passed in the back of our car on the way to the emergency animal hospital instead of our living room, surrounded by people who loved her and pampered her and did everything to comfort her even after the vet on the phone told me there was nothing more we could do.

Now that I've had a little distance in the day, I realize it was a privilege to be the one with her as she passed with such grace and unselfishness. Rest in peace, Maggy.

Food Allergies: Not So Fast

2011-10-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

For decades I went through life believing I was allergic to Novocain, a common local anesthesia. As a result, I never was numbed when I had cavities filled or even an episiotomy during childbirth. (And epidurals? Forget it!) All because when I was 5 I fell off a see-saw and was knocked out. I remember the fall and next coming to as a doctor was stitching up my forehead.

I was told my heart rate wasn't right after the injection and shouldn't take Novocain. That was in the 1960s, and I stuck with that story through a lot of painful procedures. Then this summer I went to a new dental practice for my first crown. Instead of taking my word, they conducted an allergy test because the formula had changed and - lo and behold - I wasn't allergic anymore. I now wonder if I ever was.

This got me thinking about the sudden surge in food allergies and this article I read earlier in our local newspaper. It seems to buck against evolution that we're becoming less tolerant of our environment. Unless, of course, a lot of us are conning ourselves into thinking we're allergic when, in fact, we're not. Why, suddenly, is everyone afraid to eat gluten? If you truly have celiac disease, you know it. If you get indigestion after eating bread, you aren't necessarily sick.

You can trick yourself into becoming hypersensitive to a food group. People with eating disorders often do this to justify their overly restrictive diet. I recall one actress outlining all the things she couldn't eat - eggs, dairy, gluten, meat, soy - on a competitive cooking show. As guests gathered at the table, her mother commented with some suspicion that she never had all of these food allergies when she lived at home.

Our eating habits change with age and new lifestyles. And we do sometimes develop food intolerances as we age, lactose being a common one. Just remember: a healthy body can handle a lot; an unhealthy mind cannot.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T04:44:00.000-07:00

Race Review: Light the Night 5k

2011-10-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Deborah described the Light the Night to Stop Crime 5k as more of an event than a race. After experiencing it last night, I tend to agree.

The race starts at 7 p.m. by the old Naval Hospital in Balboa Park. You don't actually run through the park but alongside of it on Park Blvd. We arrived in plenty of time to find great parking, get our running numbers and glow sticks, check out the expo, use the portable toilets a time or two and, for a couple of people in our group, get first dibs on the taco plates that typically are a post-race meal.

(They actually were smart -- and walking the course -- because the lines later would be really long for just about everything.)

This race is under different management now, so we had chips to accurately record our times. That said, the start is chaotic as people with strollers, dogs, walking groups and lots of costumes cram as close to the start as they can. I felt disoriented initially, mainly because it was dark and crowded and I felt a little lost once we passed the starting line.

About a half mile up Park (and up is the operative word since there's a slight incline the first half), the crowding thinned and we could start manuevering around slower runners and walkers. There were some dark stretches where I was grateful to follow the glow sticks, but elsewhere there was street light.

Even injured, I typically run in the middle of the pack. So when we turned to head back, I expected to see the crowds behind me start to trickle after about a half mile. But the throngs of runners and walkers just kept coming. It was amazing to see that many people on the streets on a Saturday night, especially all of the families with small children. We're talking thousands of the people huffing and puffing and hooting and hollering.

That incline becomes a slight decline on the return and so even if you're tiring, it's easy to comfortably coast to the finish. I personally felt the lack of training in the last mile (and maybe the fried clams and green smoothie I'd had that afternoon) but I managed to finish around 28:30. Considering my first mile was close to 11 minutes, I'm pleased with the 9:12 average pace.

This is definitely something that everyone can -- and should -- do at least once, maybe annually. It's a different crowd, competitive but not. And it raises reward money for Crimestoppers, which operates a law enforcement tip line. Speaking of which, I wanted to give a special thanks to Stephanie G., the sheriff's deputy in our running group who coordinated our registrations and T-shirts, and to all of the volunteers who made the 5k and after party a great event.

Night Moves

2011-10-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

I was trying to think of the last true night race I did and best I could recall it was the annual Rockville Runfest 8k in Maryland that our family did for about four years in a row. Then we moved and that was all she wrote.

Those that have followed our family can guess at how long ago this photo must have been taken (I'm in pink shorts), given the little girl with the number was in kindergarten and now she's a kindergarten teacher. And the one being carried by her dad is now 5'8".

With night races, you don't have to worry about waking up on time, but you do typically hit more traffic. You must manage your fuel and your day differently. I remember this vividly from the Niantic Bay 10k my girlfriends and I did a few years ago in coastal Connecticut, but that began and ended in daylight.

Tonight I'm again running after dark, this time at Balboa Park. It's a 5k to benefit San Diego Crimestoppers and it's kinda cool that our group is part of the San Diego Sheriff's Department team. We wanted to go in costume but I think we planned it too late. I'm not sure what to eat in the hours leading up to the race. I'm not sure how I'll feel since I haven't been running due to bursitis. I do know it'll be fun regardless.

Lots of 'Footage' from Camp Pendleton

2011-10-16T03:24:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Alley 10k from Run DMZ on Vimeo.

This was a lot of fun to compose. Enjoy.

Race Review: 2011 Buffalo Alley 10k

2011-10-15T16:11:00.001-07:00

When I say I was on the fence going into this morning's cross country 10k, I mean it literally. One minute I was on one side planning to run the 5k and the next I had hopped over to join the 10k runners with less than 2 minutes to go.

I've got a fairly serious injury - bursitus of the hip - and that led to the decision to downgrade. But then I thought, What if this were my last race ... ever? Wouldn't I want to soak in every dusty footfall, every parched petal on the course? Wouldn't I want to at least say I didn't sell myself short?

So there I was with 1200+ others hitting "the hill" just as the sun broke through the marine layer. As a result, I saw this challenging course in a whole new light.

This one requires a high degree of concentration and stamina, but I decided to document the run in pictures and held onto my trusty Nikon so I could capture a little of what makes this final race in the Marine Corps' Hard Corps series so special. Because it is, to me.

I described the actual course last year. This time, though, we were rewarded with sweeping views of the last unspoiled coastal territory in San Diego and Orange counties. Runners aren't just fit but friendly. The comraderie reminded me of races of old, before everyone hunkered down with their iPods and Garmin gear.

I'm working on a video that will prominently feature my running confidant, Deborah - the only one from last year's large group that made it to this year's start ... and finish. Deborah was in major fist-pump mode on this one. If I wasn't carrying around my camera, I would be too -- and I finished five minutes slower than last year.

Guest Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

Photo of Place des Vosges in Paris by Deborah J. Thanks!

Help Jessie Get Out of Iceland

2011-10-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

Longtime readers of Run DMZ may recall my good friend Jessie, who served as confidant when we worked together and companion when we were "in transition" a year later.

Jessie is getting married in two weeks, but not where she planned. About eight weeks before the date, she went to put down the required deposit for their dinner reception and learned this place had double booked and dropped their reservation. This also put the ceremony location in Quantico, Va., in jeopardy and, long story short, she cried hard, cried a lot, and then booked a harbor cruise for both ceremony and reception and at a very pretty penny. She's been super stressed since.

Well before the wedding/reception went south (or, rather, north), she and her fiance Duke thought it might be fun to have friends and family choose their honeymoon destination. And Duke's friends thought it would be hilarious to send them to Iceland. So they voted en masse and Iceland pulled waaaaay ahead in the poll. Jessie called me one day and was genuinely concerned.

Since then I have waged a secret battle against the Marines and quietly marshalled my ~~family~~ forces to shift those percentages towards a better venue. Initially it was Greece, but now it's New Zealand since (a) it's warmer in winter and (b) it's solvent.

Now it's time to mount a surge.

Please help me get my friend to New Zealand by voting on their Web site. And if you can find it in your heart - and schedule - maybe you can do it more than once between now and Oct. 22. Let me know in the comments that you participated. I'll add you to the card I send to wish her well on her honeymoon, made possible because of you. It'll make her day -- and mine too.

Advice for Life from Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

I may not be Apple's biggest fan, but I always admired Steve Jobs for his vision and for this speech he gave in 2005. And I'd always meant to post it on this blog, since I listen to it at least once a year.

If you don't want to watch and listen, here's the transcript.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T04:15:00.000-07:00

Failure to Communicate

2011-09-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

I read the other day that blog comments are down while less labor- and thought-intensive "likes" and "recommends" are up. A Pew study shows people 18 to 24 now text rather than talk 60% of the time, according to a radio report I cannot find online at the moment.

Meanwhile, politicians and privacy advocates are urging the government to do something with the invasive policies of Facebook, which apparently tracks your online activity long after you sign out. My guess is 559.99 million of its 600 million users don't really care.

I just tried to post comments to three blogs (all Blogger) and none were recorded. I have limited time as it is, so this is particularly frustrating. I don't "like" it one bit. But at least you wouldn't know I did it unless I told you here. Sometimes I'm glad to be behind the times and the technology.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

Sleepless in San Diego

2011-09-25T05:20:00.001-07:00

On Friday I had to leave work early due to a migraine headache. It came as we were celebrating a co-worker's 40th birthday. One minute I was snapping photos for our Facebook Fan Page and the next I was lying on the carpet in an empty (and mercifully dark) room wondering when I'd again vomit and when I’d again feel the left side of my face.

This one seemed to come out of nowhere until hours later, when I finally made it home and into my bed, I remember it had rained. That meant the barometric pressure had changed, and that’s the trigger.

I ended up sleeping for almost 14 hours and woke ready to tackle the hill up to Lake Ramona via Blue Sky Preserve with my Saturday running group. It’s ideal training for a trail race coming up in a few weeks. And I felt surprisingly good for the ordeal I’d just been through.

I think it was the sleep. Like the majority of Americans, I don’t get enough of it. And like a lot of people with sleep issues, I can so relate to this op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times. Something tells me a lot of you can too.

Project Me

2011-09-23T04:01:00.000-07:00

Earlier I shared steps that I took over the summer to improve my overall health. Everyone reaches a stage in middle life where serious self-evaluation is needed. I do not begrudge my many years of running, but I do now see that my dedication has done some real damage. Here’s what I am doing now to try and make it up to me. Maybe you can learn from my mistakes.

1. Maintain a healthy weight. We all know our metabolisms slow as we age, though many don’t slow as much as we think. Instead, our appetites grow along with our income, especially once we hit our 40s. We also tend to have desk jobs by then because fieldwork is for younger folks. Now that I live in a much smaller home with very limited pantry space, it’s easier for me to not eat as much or as often. So if diets haven’t worked for you, consider the “scarcity” model and only stock, at most, a week’s worth of meals. And, of course, try not to eat too many empty calories in the name of carbo-loading.

2. Improve flexibility. If ever I “short-changed” myself, it was because I always rushed the post-run stretch – if I remembered to do it at all. Early on I was in a hurry to get back to the kids. Later it was to get back to work. As a result, major muscles have shortened over time, resulting in poor posture, leg and hip tightness and injury proneness. I’m resuming my yoga and Pilates practice to help lengthen those limbs and realign my musculature. They now replace two days of weekly cardio. I’m also indulging in deep tissue massages since they improve my flexibility. It’s gotta be deep tissue, though, which hurts – sometimes for days afterward. Embed 15 minutes of stretching into your daily workouts now and you'll thank me later.

3. Take a multivitamin. I eat well, so I had dropped my multivitamin. But my history of fractures in my 40s (all but one running related!) and anemia reflect holes in that diet. If you find your energy lagging for any length of time, it may be a vitamin deficiency. Just make sure it's a good brand that is more product than filler. We all know the FDA doesn't monitor the supplement industry and as a result vendors overinflate ingredients and their benefits.

Wordless Wednesday (a.k.a. Happy Feet)

2011-09-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Product Review: Orbana Healthy Energy

2011-09-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

My normal “fuel” for a long run is a cup of strong tea about 30 minutes prior to the workout. The caffeine gives me the initial kick, but it definitely has side effects. I have to pee, sometimes a lot. I sometimes have an upset stomach. And if I run or cycle long enough, I feel spent despite staying at a low-intensity pace.

Energy gels are not for me. They coat my tongue and leave me feeling thirsty while doing a number on my GI system. Ditto Gatorade. I do get an energy boost, but it’s generally short-lived. Water’s good for hydration but not necessarily performance.

That’s why I was excited to try Orbana Healthy Energy, an electrolyte mix you combine with 9 ounces of cold water 20 minutes prior to a workout. It’s designed for sustained energy without the spikes and without side effects of other stimulants. I was given enough sample packets to share with some friends who gave me their honest appraisal of the product. I’m glad I asked because all three of us had different reactions.

First up was Deborah, who worked out for 90 minutes after taking in the citrus-flavored drink. Although she liked the taste, she noticed a slightly metallic aftertaste and needed a bathroom break - which isn't typical for her. She didn’t notice an appreciable increase in energy. She did, however, feel thirsty the rest of the morning.

Sharon also experimented with Orbana and also found herself thirsty and using the bathroom more often. Her experience was similar to Deborah’s in that she didn’t really feel any highs or lows. While she sounded a little disappointed, I actually think that’s how the product might work.

I used Orbana three times. Twice on runs and once on a long ride. Like the others, I liked the mild taste and consistency. Unlike the others, I never got thirsty. At least one of them had coffee prior, while I went sans caffeine, which is a diuretic. I wonder if that made a difference.

The big selling point for me was the “energy evenness” experienced throughout all three workouts. There wasn’t that surge at the onset but there wasn’t a plunge at the end either. I easily maintained my pace all three times and even felt some energy to spare at the end. This despite having no caffeine or other source of energy in my system and intentionally climbing steep hills on the back half of the ride.

If you’ve never heard of Orbana amid all the other energy drinks out there, it may be because it’s from the UK and available primarily through Amazon.com in the US. The premeasured packets (kept in powder form to maintain potency) are great when you’re on the go. It’s pricier than some other mixes – a packet of five “sachets” retails for $13.46 -- but compared to other energy sources – especially ~~candy~~ energy bars and electrolyte chews and pills – it at least works longer than 30-45 minutes and is great as a recovery drink too. It also stays on the shelf longer – up to a year! In today’s tough economy, that’s important.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

The Powers That Be

2011-09-09T01:08:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood at 9 p.m.
I was in an afternoon meeting when the power went out. We've been having record heat, so everyone knew the grid was under duress. Then someone came in to say it wasn't a brownout but a blackout. Then someone else said it wasn't just San Diego but much of Southern California. Then the same person looked up from her smartphone and said it actually extended from New Mexico into Baja (the real Mexico).

Then I knew I had to try and get home to my 97-year-old grandmother.

Just imagine hundreds of thousands of people simultaneously pouring out of nearby buildings (if they weren't stuck in elevators or underground trolleys) and hitting the same narrow downtown streets and already clogged freeways when all of the traffic lights are out, gas stations are closed and ambulances are exiting hospitals en mass.

That was my commute.

The same situation played out everywhere in San Diego County yesterday as a power outage originating in Arizona created a crisis all along the Southwest and Mexico. According to news reports, we got the worst of it. Everyone was fine once we got home, though I couldn't find but one candle nor any batteries for the radio. Our family emergency kit had been dismantled due to space limitations. And, of course, all the stores were closed.

We've been in the throes of a heatwave, but temperatures were mercifully cooler that evening as everyone hit their porches and decks and balconies to barbecue, clink glasses of lukewarm water and do something rare these days: just talk and listen. I was surprised that our daughters in northern California and even relatives in Murrietta were unaware of our energy crisis when I could finally get through on my cell phone. In all, 5 million of us lost power.

I have to admit I enjoyed participating in my first neighborhood pow-wow. Within a span of 5 minutes, the conversation went from does anyone know of a grocery store open to why did people immediately conclude illegal immigrants raped those two girls. God bless Loretta, a woman around my age who commandeered the small crowd wearing nothing but a bathing suit. I loved later sitting outside with my good-humored Grandma ("Where do we go if the air raids start?") until around 9 a.m., then waiting for my husband to come back from a few moments listening to the car radio with an update. Both of them were asleep when electricity was restored and a blackend world suddenly righted itself. Or at least returned to normal. While we were in the dark, I think I finally saw the light.

At Least Criminals are Colorful Here

2011-09-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

Remember me saying that our new neighborhood was safe, given we had 24-hour security and the San Diego Police Station was right down the block? Well, this 7-Eleven is about a quarter mile from that police station too.

Just in case the embedded video doesn't work: http://bcove.me/6sak6dh9

This Hits Too Close to Home

2011-09-06T18:59:00.001-07:00

We were at our former home today (for the last time, I hope!) when I saw television trucks go by and discovered two teenagers were raped in the greenbelt just up the street. I must have slept through the helicopters immediately after it happened because everyone else seemed to know about it.

It happened over the holiday weekend and around 8:15 p.m., when there were still people out and about and a party going on down the street. Heck, I've taken Maggy on walks at that hour in the exact same place and never felt unsafe.

This is the same park I ran past every single morning (usually dark) for four years. It's also the same park where the first two Christmas Card Lane Fun Runs began and ended. Normally when police helicopters circle overhead, it's because of a brush fire in Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve or because someone on a skateboard just robbed a Wells Fargo branch (true story...he got away with it too).

I haven't felt this vulnerable and angry since a woman runner was raped at noon along Lake Miramar several years ago. As always, these incidents are good reminders that we are never safe, not even in our own neighborhoods or yards. I feel for those two girls and I hope they catch the guys who did this. In the meantime, stay alert and stay the heck away from residential parks after dark!

Here's one of several news reports: Double Rape Reported in Rancho Penasquitos

Many Magic Erasers and Meltdowns Later...

2011-09-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

I can’t recall a move this painful and protracted, but that may be because in the past all of our relocations have been to lateral or larger homes and therefore it was just a matter of making a few Goodwill runs, giving the old place a good scrub and then excitedly arranging new rooms. What didn’t immediately fit always could be stored in an attic, garage or basement.

Until now.

We halved the size of our living space and with that came a lot of soul-satisfying giveaways and weepy trips to trash bins. I did have one cheat, renting a 5x6 storage unit to keep some heirloom furniture and boxes of sentimental stuff because there’s only so much my maternal heart could handle.

My husband and sister had long accused me of being a pack rat, which I’d always denied because our homes never looked cluttered. And yet when I hung up my sixth never-used robe, I had to admit they had a point. And when I counted my 12th – 12th! – blanket, I had to admit I had a problem.

One closet and dresser was (ok…still is) full of nothing but running and exercise clothes. Just imagine if I didn’t do an annual purge.

Hardest to let go were old yearbooks dating to 1974 that I never knew were damaged in the garage flood during last winter’s relentless rains. And I chucked 20 years’ worth of newspaper clips except my columns, realizing that my heirs would never express an interest in reading that their great-grandmother covered the Grottoes sewage system controversy of 1984. And when my husband asked why we had 20 wine glasses, I told him "to entertain." Then I realized: We won't be entertaining anymore. Not in this condo's tight confines.

There’s stuff I didn’t mean to throw away, like my driver’s license. And stuff I still am unaware I no longer possess. Just this morning I almost gave away handmade gifts my girls gave me in grade school. They were stuffed deep in a box of stemware I hadn’t opened in four years.

That feeling that once-cherished relics no longer have a place here has been a source of mourning these past few weeks. It’s one thing to be done raising children and quite another to now live where there is little evidence that we are a family of four. It’s getting better, though, because I am again running, and with less of a heavy heart.

Our girls have moved on. It’s time I did too.

Race Review: End of Summer Fire Run

2011-08-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

The "after" photo taken by Diane B, who also served as our chauffer this morning. Thanks, Diane!!

I almost talked myself out of doing this race because (a) I was extremely busy,(b) I hadn't exercised in almost a week and (c) I wasn't feeling well. But I'm glad I didn't listen to that voice. I only wish I'd found the camera in our neverending move because today's 4-miler from La Jolla to Pacific Beach was picture-perfect.

It's unusual for there to be clear skies along that stretch of coast that early. San Diegans are used to a thick marine layer until around 10 a.m. When it's lacking, it can only mean one thing: It's going to be a scorcher. And it was.

But spending a Sunday morning with 1,800 others on a slightly downhill course was a perfect escape from my current stressful life. The run starts in downtown La Jolla and essentially winds down La Jolla Blvd. through Bird Rock and into Pacific Beach, where it ends at Garnet and the Crystal Pier. It raises money for local fire departments - thus the photo opp above.

I went into this as a purely fun run. No stopwatch, no clue my finish time besides it averaging around 10 minute miles. We grabbed our technical shirts and some free beverages at the finish and then drove up Garnet to Broken Yolk, beating the crowds that formed just minutes after we arrived for breakfast.

I saw a lot of people I know from various running circles, including the SDTC. It was nice to reconnect. I've been away for some time now and my running times reflect the change of pace.

For anyone thinking of doing this one next year, I will note that we arrived before 7 a.m. for the 8 a.m. race and had no trouble finding parking close by. We even had time to go down to the cove and visit the seals at the Children's Pool -- and that's with two portapotty stops too. It honestly didn't seem like that many people were there until we got going.

All in all, it's a great race and a great tradition that I hope to continue in the coming years.

The 5:30 a.m. Run Test

2011-08-18T06:18:00.001-07:00

This is the view I see each morning as I head out for my early morning run.

Or, more accurately, it's the view I used to see. We're moving again.

Unlike past moves, we didn't have a compelling reason to stay in the same part of San Diego, which gave us plenty of options. Since this move represents a major downsize, I initially had my heart set on a downtown condo. Then one morning I picked up a friend at 5 a.m. at her downtown loft and, in addition to the vagrants, two young guys walking down the street saw me get out of my car and slid into a deep door frame. I can't prove they were waiting for me to walk by because I didn't give them the opportunity. Instead, I got back in my car, locked it and called my friend on my cell. I also checked downtown off the potential housing list that day.

Then a lot of people recommended another trendy urban area not far from where I work. The problem, though, was that several blocks of neat bungalows always bumped up against shady sections. I asked several people if it was safe to run early in the morning, and they said yes -- if I drove to the other side of town.

I always liked the East County vibe, but we have Grandma now and she wilts in the heat. I didn't want to go any farther north either because I already have a kinda long commute. South Bay's too far for my husband's commute. And we couldn't get much bang for the buck moving closer to the beach.

So in the end, we picked a condo a mile from where we live now. It's cute; it's safe; and it's perfect for our current household. There's even a little waterfall outside our patio where Grandma can sit and read the papers while nursing her morning coffee. And it's three bedrooms, so there's still room for our grown daughters to come home to. As a bonus for them (and maybe me), one of the complex pools is a stone's throw from our unit. The town center now is within walking distance, as is the public library and a police station. My favorite trails are a little farther, but the 56 bikepath is much closer.

So for the next two weeks we'll continue to sort, sell, donate, chuck, store and relocate all of our worldly possessions and then clean up our old home while becoming more acquainted with the new one. I think we're going to like it here, and especially when it's 5:30 a.m. and I'm ready to run again.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

What's wrong with this picture/product?

A Dry Summer

2011-08-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend marked a turning point for me. I could drink alcohol again, but I didn’t.

I devoted this summer to fixing some body parts that were no longer working as well as they used to. I guess this is what women do when they can’t afford to buy new models.

Let’s go through this from head to toe, shall we?

What a headache.
I’ve suffered for several years now from migraines and gone through a battery of tests and slew of prescriptions to find out the root cause and best cure. The headaches were worst in the winter, when it rains here in San Diego, and I was convinced the wet soils produced some plant that made me sick.

It turns out that the trigger is a change in the barometric pressure. And it also turns out that after many $$$ later, a bottle of Excedrin Migraine works just as well as those fancy drugs – and without the potent side effects.

I can see clearly now....
Some people hate the dentist; I tense up at the optometrist’s office. I was overdue for an eye exam, so it was no surprise that my prescription had changed when I finally made it into the doctor’s chair, body literally shaking. It took 10 tries to get a successful glaucoma test in each eye. I am sure I shocked patients in the waiting room when I left teary-eyed and soaked in sweat.

Open up, please.
In June, I cracked a tooth and needed a root canal and crown. I’m still going through the multi-part procedure but I think the porcelain upgrade is worth it. Or will be when I can start chewing on the left side of my mouth again. I’m allergic to an ingredient in many anesthesia treatments, so I was happy to learn that they now make something to numb me because drilling for cavities without novocaine is one thing, but drilling a tooth down to a bit is quite another.

Feel the burn.
I’ve written before about my foolish sunbathing days. Well, as a result I have a rare skin disease called DSAP that is near-impossible to cure. That’s because the lesions on my arms and legs are not healthy nor cancerous, so no medications to date work. Only two people at my hospital currently have DSAP, and we’re both part of a study to see if a prescription for psoriasis helps reduce at least the appearance of these ugly sores. So far, I’d say no.

Toeing the line.
This brings me to the alcohol-less summer.

Like 50% of adults, I contracted a toenail fungus. For several years I thought I could treat it topically, but no. Like a lot of longtime runners, I traumatized my toes regularly while producing the proper environment for the fungi to grow rampantly. It got really, really gross and now it’s going to take a really, really long time to get rid of these pests.

Part of the treatment was taking Lamasil for three months, and since a side effect is potential liver damage, I swore off alcohol for the summer and underwent blood tests every 30 days. I cheated once, with a glass of wine on my 25th wedding anniversary, and was sick hours later. Now, the thought of a drink makes my stomach churn, though I think it’ll take one happy hour invitation to bring me around.

Staying on Solid Ground

2011-08-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Back when I was one of the cool kids, a group of us would meet after Tuesday track practices for dinner, usually pizza at Luigi’s in Golden Hill or Thai at Saffron off Washington Street. One of the guys was always planning a big hike with the goal of covering every bit of ground in a book he'd bought several years before. He mentioned that if I wanted to be a trail runner, then I had to own this book too because there was nothing else like it. He promised it would make me want to get into the wildnerness more often, and he was right.

So I got a copy of that book and another with selections aimed at trail runners, both by a guy named Jerry Schad. To this day, they are the most opened and earmarked of all the books on my shelves. A community college professor by day, Schad wrote extensively of the most popular and the little known trails surrounding just about every open space in the county and beyond.

Then today I found this article in our local paper about the author fighting cancer. It doesn’t look good. So I wanted to take a minute to (a) recommend his book to any active San Diegan who doesn’t already own it and (b) thank him for the countless hikes and memories made possible because of his books and the inspiration they provide.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

From Smashburger to Smashrun

2011-08-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last night we had the pleasure of joining friends Todd and Christine for a grand pre-opening of the newest Smashburger, now conveniently located in our suburb's "town center." Turns out Christine’s an elite Yelper and scored an invite. They had live entertainment and characteristically great food at this fast casual restaurant (now just feet away from a Golden Spoon … can it get any better? Wait, yes, it can – the food was FREE!)

I highly recommend the San Diego Smash. And you must get the Smashfries too, tossed with rosemary and garlic.

The grand opening reminded me I was recently introduced to a new online tool called Smashrun (no relation to the burger, I’m sure). It’s still in beta but for those seeking a “fresh start” in logging running miles, it may be just what you need. I asked someone at Smashrun to answer questions for me. Here are Jacklyn's responses as they were emailed:

How does this program different from DailyMile and Athlinks, the two biggest players in this space?
• We don't consider Athlinks as a direct competitor because their demographic is specifically geared towards tracking race results, whereas Smashrun is more like a trailing log of every run you do, regardless of whether or not it's a race.
• We also differ from DailyMile in that we focus more on context for individual vs. groups of runs, as opposed to just looking at pure aggregates.
• Smashrun is built around a series of dashboards that present running data using infographics. Unlike reports which are common to DailyMile and RunKeeper, a dashboard is already tailored and prioritized; it highlights the relative importance of various metrics and, more importantly, is designed to be acted upon. Smashrun also rewards runners for their running achievements and ranks users against their chosen peers. As we grow the site, we'll build additional dashboards with more advanced charting features to help runner's make better decisions about their training.

What are the biggest advantages to using this program to collect stats? And does it parse running from other mileage (say, cycling)?
• Logging your run is easy.
• We've made the user interface as intuitive as possible and we're redesigning and tweaking as we receive feedback from our beta questionnaire.
• Earning badges help structure training. Some badges reward users for cumulative distances reached, some for speed, and others that demonstrate different types of discipline (e.g. tempo runs, interval training, speed drills, etc.)
• Facebook sharing is fully customizable. Why settle for a generic "Ran 4.13 miles at 9:27/mi" when you can post "Knocked out 4.13 miles at a comfortable 9:27/mi - time for beer!" ... perhaps, minus the beer comment :)
• Understanding your stats require less than a minute. We built Smashrun for quick use. You log in, sync your latest running data or manually log your most recent run, and glance at the overview page. Everything you need to know is in front of you: miles run overall, average pace, miles/month, average run length, average days run per week, PR's, etc.
• We don't currently show entries for other types of training, but it's something that we'll gradually integrate towards year-end 2011.

Down with Dvorak

2011-08-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

Technically it's still Wednesday, but I have been "off" all week thanks to major dental work and I thought Tuesday was Monday and today was Thursday despite everything pointing to it being Wednesday. Some weeks are just like that.

To celebrate the middle of a pain-riddled and chaotic week, I raced across town to join friends for the annual Summerfest Under the Stars concert at La Jolla Cove. Let me tell you, nothing takes the edge off a stressful day like joining hundreds of others watching the sun set over the seas while the beautiful strains of Dvorak fill the salty air.

This Kiss Goes Out to Meg and Steve

2011-07-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure last night of dining with some old and some new running friends, all of whom are like me and can't keep their thoughts to themselves. Meg gathered a bunch of us while Jill and her son were in town. We'd hoped to toast the Denver pair's great adventure up Mt. Whitney; however, a nearby forest fire created conditions that made the asthmatic in the group abort before reaching the summit. Plus, poor Jill has been battling a serious injury for months now. It sounds like they had a good time anyway while in California.

Meg and her husband Steve were hosts extraordinaire. They have a wonderful home and one of the nicest backyards I've seen. Now I know why Meg lists gardening among her hobbies. She's very good at it. And Steve was an excellent barbecue master, especially since we barbecued custom-made pizzas.

(By the way, everything you might have ready about their adorable dog Daisy -- completely true!)

It's always interesting to meet bloggers. I've found that in general running bloggers in the flesh match their personality in print, though occasionally I've been surprised by someone's shyness. And, of course, there's always plenty to talk about because of common interests.

There were a lot of cameras there, but none belonged to me. I drove up to Leucadia directly from work and forget to bring mine, so I'll have to rely on the others to fill you in pictorially. Check back to their blogs, if you're so inclined.

Meg of Meg Runs
Jill of Run with Jill
Irene of Magazine Smiles
Cyndi of Hefferblog
Glenn of The Running Fat Guy
Chris of The Manly Runner

When You Encounter an Exhibitionist...

2011-07-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

You’re heading to take a shower in your gym’s highly humid locker room when you notice the only floor fan has been moved into one of the occupied stalls. No one’s running water.

About 15 minutes later you emerge to now find the fan is aimed at a heavyset woman dressed in a floral blouse and black skirt. She’s lying on a long bench and she has her legs up. Did I mention she was wearing a skirt?

You are one bench over and avert your eyes, then out of the corner notice her just staring into space. Occasionally she changes positions, but mainly she’s just staring and sharing her hoochie with the world, which at least is covered by underwear.

Do you:
a.) Continue to ignore her
b.) Blow hot air at her butt.
c.) Ask if she’s OK.

Well, I did all three.

First, I pretended there wasn’t a woman lying next to me in a strange position. Then I decided to test her by coyly aiming my blow dryer to elicit a response. Normally when it’s that humid, I don’t aggravate things by adding more heat to the room, but I felt I needed to send a message about fan hijacking. Still, she didn’t move much so I started wondering if maybe she was in pain.

It should be noted only one other person came into the locker room during this time, and she made herself scarce after taking in the situation.

Now worried about this woman, I went over to where I could see her face and asked if she was OK. She initially didn’t answer, then scowled and said, “Yes. I’m stretching. Isn’t that obvious?”

I didn’t say another word.

Running Topless in a 10k

2011-07-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of posts about running barefoot, but what if you're a woman who wants to run topless and in a big race that isn't Bay to Breakers? A comedian shares her experience on an NPR program. Audio is about 5 minutes long. Have a listen.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T04:59:00.000-07:00

A Season of Hurt - and Healing

2011-07-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

If you live or visit San Diego and have frequented the 56 bikepath in the past couple of months, then you've seen the memorial erected after two cyclists were struck by an out-of-control SUV during the evening rush hour. One was killed instantly and the other, far as I know, survived life-threatening injuries.

Here's another angle to help you understand how difficult it was for those of us who use this bikepath to fathom what happened.

A motorist turned into oncoming traffic, overcorrected and ran her truck up a 15-foot steep embankment and through a large chainlink fence at precisely the time two executives were riding on the bikepath. They didn't know each other.

It's been a solemn spot for cyclists since that fateful evening, and for some reason each time I pass it I start thinking about how many terrible drivers are out there (it's going to be one of our top public health crises in the next 20 years as aging baby boomers refuse to turn in their keys, folks). I also think about how you can do everything right and it still turn out oh so wrong.

On this morning's ride, I also thought a rash of murder-suicides throughout San Diego, the majority involving children who were slain by a parent. In each instance, the press mentioned that the families were in dire straits financially. Then the other week there was a double-murder in my suburb. This time it was a mentally ill adult son who allegedly stabbed his mother and teenaged sister after going off his meds.

This line of thought led me to push hard on the hills, despite it being a bit warm and me being a bit out of shape for the course. I also said a small prayer for all those who cannot see the beauty and opportunities in each new day because they remain surrounded by the fog of fear and uncertainty.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

Stairway to Heaven[ly]

2011-07-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

It had been eight years since the family gathered for a true vacation, one purely to reunite, relax and recreate. I picked Lake Tahoe in northern California because it was far from San Diego and because it was within an easy drive for our grown daughters. Adding to the fun, I invited my parents and nephew from central Oregon.

We opted for inexpensive accommodations within a neighborhood of motels nestled under tufts of big pines and bordered by casinos, lakefront beach and a modern resort village. The “mountain house” was much nicer than I expected, and everything we did was within easy walking distance.

Among our motel perks was a pass to access the nearby state beach, which otherwise costs $20 daily per family. On a cloudless day we set up our towels, slathered on sunscreen and went exploring. My 3-year-old nephew seemed especially pleased with the nearby playground, though he spent most of his time throwing sand, swiping sticks and stalking geese.

You can also rent kayaks, rafts, paddle boats and other water gear, but beware of the constant breeze slowing down your efforts. Additionally, there’s a nice little café and, as with all California state beaches, there’s no alcohol and no smoking.

I’m not big on gambling, but my parents are and had four places (Harrah’s, Harveys, Montbleu and Horizons) to choose from. My dad announced beforehand he’d treat us to a casino’s all-you-can-eat buffet dinner. He didn’t win big at the tables but we ate big anyway.

Heavenly Village has pretty much anything a visitor needs, from shops and restaurants to a movie theater, grocery store, ATMs, art galleries, mini golf, adventure tours, photo opportunities and the Heavenly Gondola. The plan on our final day was to take the lift, which transports skiers in other seasons, to mountain trails. Hiking’s my thing, even more than running, and it’s all I talked about for weeks. So when we learned the trails were still closed due to snow (in July!), I was more than mildly disappointed.

Still, we decided despite the setback to spring for the pricey ($32 per person) tickets and see what was up there.

Here’s where I’ll stop and point you to the video in this post, hastily produced with my poor-pixel camera and limited-feature freeware. Those unpolished images, though, are for me pure gold in the memory bank.

That crappy camera captured – for you and for me too – a little of what it’s like to watch the lake grow and the town shrink as tubes of tourists advance 2.4 miles up a mountain that refused to leave the last of winter.

And it also captured – for me and for you too – a little of what it’s like to be in Heavenly on a special day that you always dreamed of yet never quite imagined.

The thinner alpine air was warm yet chilled. A long row of Adirondack chairs sat void of visitors. The near-empty lodge also looked lonely as it broadcast 80s music to the dormant ski chair machines, the undisturbed forest, a dozen dazed families in search of fun and one woman with her overwhelmed Nikon who found everything about the place perfect.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

I Still Do

2011-07-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

July 12, 1986
Harrisonburg, Virginia

After the ceremony, botched reception and raucous post-reception party, I told my new husband that we should plan to do something special every five years on our wedding anniversary. I said this before our Cape Cod honeymoon was mired by my morning sickness. We had one good day, riding bikes on Martha's Vineyard, and the rest of the time I was barfing in our B&B.

For our fifth, I planned a hiking holiday from Vermont to Quebec. Instead, we spent the day with good friends our age on a local hike to a place called Termination Point. I told Gilbert the destination did not bode well for our future. Then Tim and Julie, our guides and our best friends, both died within the next 10 years.

For our tenth, we booked the honeymoon suite at Peaks of Otter in the Blue Ridge Mountains, close to trails my husband had once tended as a member of the Youth Conservation Corps. Instead, the entire family was curled up in a corner bed of our tiny house in Carolina as a tornado-spawning hurricane threatened to raise the roof (literally).

For our fifteenth, we happened to be in Las Vegas and I had this idea we should have Elvis remarry us. Our teenaged children appear as the worst witnesses ever in the few photos tucked in a box somewhere in the garage. And we forgot to tip Elvis, who stomped off when he realized we had no more money on us.

For our twentieth, I planned an ambitious vacation in Los Angeles only to spend that summer with a fracturerd hip and ankle. We did make the trip but greatly altered the itinerary because I hadn't yet gotten really good on those crutches.

And now we've arrived at our silver anniversary. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

Runners Run on the 4th, Right?

2011-07-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

Right after the Black Mountain race, I set as my next goal to beat my time at the Scripps Ranch 10k on the 4th of July, which is a great race for PRs because of its gracious downhill finish. I even made sure I had nothing else over the holiday to distract me and my destiny.

Alas, the only records to be broken this weekend will be the number of times I've complained here about being injured. (I just realized the phrase "sounding like a broken record" may be lost on anyone who has never listened to music on vinyl.)

I have either (a) bursitis (b) tendontis (c) osteoarthritis or ~~(d) a stress fracture~~. It's also possible this is related to medication. The worst of the side effects come 5 to 8 weeks into the treatment and I'm right in the sweet spot.

In any event, it hurts to do a wide range of activities, and I've got to heal quickly. So, I'm finally catching up on emails, books, blogs, Bravo shows, paperwork, freelance work and even housework. I even took my grandmother, 97, to mass at the Mission so she could knock it off her bucket list. I hope your 4th of July weekend is a bit more exciting.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

'Who Is This Guy?'

2011-06-25T15:27:00.001-07:00

The highly competitive 5000m race was underway when people started asking if anyone knew who was winning. He wasn't preregistered, so he wasn't on the runner manifest the USATF announcer held as the men wound round and round the track this morning at Cal State San Marcos.

Fortunately, I knew who he was, and if you are a longtime reader of this blog, you would know too. He was my friend Akos, a three-time runnerup and record-breaker at the Badwater Ultra Marathon. Now a PE teacher in his native Hungary, this summer he returned to San Diego and to his roots.

He handily won his event at the annual Chuck McMahon Master's Track Meet, which included some of the fastest master's runners in the nation. But what was really amazing was his time. The last time Akos entered the 5000m was in 1992, when he finished in 16:12. Today, almost two decades later, he ran a 16:32! Who says ultra runners slow down with age?!

There were plenty of stories like that one at an event that featured former NFL stars, world-record holders and one guy returning to the track after 45 years. One competitor looked exactly like his teenaged son. We thought they were twins! There was a 91-year-old discus thrower and a 78-year-old who entered the 400m. Watching these aging athletes was such an awe-inspiring experience.

I once again handled day-of registration, which turned out to be a very busy place. There definitely were more competitors this year, and they were blessed with beautiful weather -- sun and a slight breeze the entire morning. At one point the announcer got a call and handed the microphone to me. Definitely not my best moment. I repeatedly asked specific runners to check in with the "clerk of courts" instead of "clerk of course." Guess I subconsciously wanted to hand down the law.

Track & Field is experiencing a renaissance here in San Diego. In addition to a newish series building in attendence, Chula Vista recently hosted "Vault City" featuring the best pole vaultors in the nation. Next up is The Thorpe Cup in which the best U.S. heptathletes and decathletes will compete against Germany at the Olympic Training Center. See you there.

Me, wearing two shirts so I look extra "puffy," and Akos during a break in activities. He volunteered at the event after he won the 5000m. What a champ!

An Upside to a Downed Freeway

2011-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a terrible week for those of us whose commute includes the I-15 corridor. CalTrans closed the express lanes for construction, and my normally 30-minute drive home in "normal" San Diego freeway traffic grew to 90 minutes no matter which alternate route I sought. This is the problem with living around millions of people, all of whom get around by car. (And in my defense, there are no other public transportation options where I live in Carmel Valley, which is, of course, why the roads are so congested.)

Sitting so long in traffic has had one advantage -- more time to catch up on news. I used to listen to NPR on my MP3 when I commuted by bike at my previous job. Then they outlawed earplugs/headphones for cyclists in California and the trips became better remembered for grinding up the 56 bikepath hills in sweltering 90-degree heat. I saw some current cycling sufferers on one ill-fated attempt to get home sooner and was wistful.

One report that was particularly of interest was on a Harvard Public Health study that concluded what we eat contributes to weight loss and gain, but not in the way you may be thinking. Potatoes, for example, no matter how prepared are not good for you if you wish to lose weight. Meantime, fatty nuts are. And yogurt and cheese.

The reason these foods win over many fruits and vegetables are because they stay in your stomach longer, meaning you aren't hungry an hour later and in search of more food.

Here, listen for yourself.

Guest Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T04:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Deborah J.!

Why Do We Run and Walk for Charity?

2011-06-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Not sure how I feel about an editorial in the New York Times that questions the ubiquitous charity fundraiser walks in most urban areas and many suburban ones.

I've done both charity walks and run on behalf of a charity, and they are both similar and different. And, even if they annoyingly violate basic race etiquette or use a charity to do an end run around a sold-out race, charity runners (and walkers!) deserve a certain amount of respect. It is not easy to ask for money, especially in this economy, and many have personal ties to the cause they are supporting.

On the other hand, consider this passage from the piece:

In the charitable ritual that has evolved, two sides expend energy, but only the sponsors’ efforts directly aid the poor. The others’ is pure sweat equity that goes nowhere but down the necks of the participants. Consider, too, the public resources expended: the rescue squads and medics along the way, the police sealing off urban arteries, the snarling of traffic. We tie our cities in knots. Enduring such inconvenience is what each of us gives to the cause.

I do not question the sincerity of the participants, but in these mass mobilizations I see many lost opportunity costs. I recognize the value of exercise and companionship, but question why society values these schemes.

Despite this excerpt, the author favors these events. He just questions whether resources could be better spent devoting all of that energy elsewhere. I think a lot of people who run for charity wouldn't be as involved otherwise, mainly because they have limited time and would prefer to use it for training, not volunteering at a soup kitchen or cancer unit on Saturday or Sunday mornings. In doing so, they help both their bodies and their charity stay in better shape. I recommend you read the piece, then let us know where you come down on the issue.

Guest Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Like Mom, Like Child (thanks, Elise!).

One for the Books

2011-06-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

The first time I ran along the UC Davis Arboretum trails, I wondered what would unfold during the next four years and what it would feel like to be finished, as in “done done” – a parent of grown children. I never pictured graduation day, and maybe that’s a good thing considering how the real day developed.

We arrived in Davis hours later than expected due to airplane delays, cutting off an afternoon of planned activities once we reached our destination. I am not complaining because you can’t predict the weather. Still, it was an omen.

“Get out of the car – now! I don’t care that it’s moving!”
The next morning, we were enroute when we were asked to buy bandages. Our older daughter had cut her foot. She also was (temporarily) ill and vomiting.

On the way to the pavilion, we hit heavy traffic and our daughter got sick again. On the outside of the car. Both girls were told to get out, one to get fresh air and one to get in her graduation line on time. At the time we were stopped at a traffic light, but no one made their move until it turned green and we started rolling. By then passengers in nearby cars were no doubt thinking, “Thank goodness I’m not with that family.”

No commencement speaker and still it lasts three hours When you attend a big, big school, you have big, big ceremonies. Even broken down by college, it takes awhile to go through that many diploma recipients. Especially when there are almost 2,000 in your college alone.

Our daughter had affixed a lowercase e to her cap for a group photo that spelled out their major. Everyone else apparently went with uppercase letters, but that made her easy to spot as she entered the pavilion. She found us too, waaaaay up in the stands. I did go down and shoot video of her moving across the stage.

“Call 911!”
Afterward, we were heading out for lunch when a motorcyclist failed to fully round a corner, lost control and slammed into our car. We all screamed, convinced we'd find a bloody mess as we exited all four doors and rushed to the rescue. Both the paramedics and police were great.

It was quite an impact, but the lucky young man had invested well in safety gear and was spared all but a few bumps and bruises. Even his bike looked better than expected. But it left us all a little shaken for the remainder of the day. We saw him later that night because he also happened to be my daughter’s next-door neighbor.

“Dad smells like sewage water!”
Before leaving for our dinner reservations in Sacramento, my husband and daughter went to an automatic carwash to clean off the vomit. They almost immediately felt a surge of foul-smelling sluice rush into the backseat and realized someone had left their window partially down. That would be me.

An hour later we all piled back into the soggy Corolla for pictures and Benihana’s; my husband needed to be “Febrezed” to make the trip tolerable. It’s a good thing we took these steps because we ended up in the car much longer than anticipated, having been given directions to a farm instead of a strip mall.

We were 45 minutes late for our reservation for 12, made many months ago. I really want to commend the staff at that restaurant off Madison Ave. for not only accommodating us after we blew our start time but also providing exceptional service.

And so, when a new day dawned, I put on my running shoes, grabbed my recyclable key card and retraced my first run through Davis, only this time from a downtown hotel instead of a dorm. I had the place to myself and sometimes I stopped to read placards or cross a bridge or jump over a sitting duck.

The arboretum looked just as I always remembered it, and I exited with the same mixture of pride and bewilderment as I had four years ago when we first arrived on campus. It seemed as if nothing had changed since I stepped onto that unknown path. And yet, everything had.

Dispatch from Davis

2011-06-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

Some snippets from today's graduation, which did not disappoint in the drama department.

"Get out of the car - now! I don't care that it's moving!!"

"Can we please go to a carwash and clean off the puke before we drive to Benihana's?"

"Call 911!"

"Where's all this carwash water coming from? Oh my God, MOM!!!"

"We are still 13 miles from the restaurant."

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T04:11:00.000-07:00

A Great Quote, Most Apropos

2011-06-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

It's a big week in our household, one that signals yet another major transition in family life. Our younger daughter officially graduates from college on Friday morning and then in a few weeks, all four of us reunite again for our first bona fide family trip in eight years.

I love this article in the New York Times and particularly this paragraph:

The entry into adult childhood, with its complex alchemy of separation and attachment, is as fraught a time as the baby end of childhood. More so, for the parent, anyway. When he is 5, a child has no choice but to be with you. When he is 25, he is with you only by choice. As most of us don’t want to lose touch with our kids just when they become truly interesting people, we have to figure out how to navigate that perilous, post-adolescent territory.

Another Side to Accessibility

2011-06-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

I live near a popular hiking area and can understand these residents' concerns. Makes you really think about what happens to an area when it's made more accessible to the general public.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T04:35:00.000-07:00

Gifts from Heaven

2011-05-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

When a Columbia Sportswear rep first asked if I wanted to participate in an exclusive spring field test of a new waterproof jacket, I was elated.

“Not sure about testing for rain-proofness since I live in San Diego, where it likely won't rain again until this fall and our woods aren't moist,” I wrote back. I explained that if they changed their minds about me, I’d understand.

Then on Friday UPS delivered this beautiful turquoise Peak Power Jacket, featuring Omni-Dry fabric to transfer moisture away from the body while the outer shell keeps wet stuff from soaking in. It had all kinds of cool pockets too.

I started thinking of where I could travel in the next few weeks to truly test the jacket’s rain-worthiness and how many miles away it might be. 100? 200? I even asked if maybe we could go to Yosemite while there was still lots of mist from the falls.

It turns out I only had to go 2 feet.

I woke this morning to steady rain, the first time I can remember such weather on Memorial Day weekend here. The rain and wind might have poked holes in some people's plans, but it instantly made mine better.

I ran through Black Mountain Ranch feeling on top of the world, well protected from the downpour and subsequent winds that whistled through the canyonsides. I saw only two other runners, both men and both looking liked drowned rats in their flimsy windbreakers. Me? I looked like a princess. Yes, my wet hair was stuck to my head, but only because it took me awhile to realize the loose jacket hood can be cinched to create a protective brimmed hat.

This really felt like a special morning, even if to anyone out at that hour I was just this woman in a bright blue jacket who didn't dodge the gushing gullies and who didn't stop smiling as she ran through town in blood-soaked socks.

Congratulations, Elsie

2011-05-25T03:30:00.000-07:00

Here's proof that even at 11 months old, you knew how to take command of a room. Sheppie may have had 12 human years on you, but he knew who to listen to if he wanted to get ahead in the world.

Hours before this picture was taken, you were in a hospital emergency room with a very bloody mouth. Your mom cried a lot more than you did. Less than 12 hours later we'd be back in that same hospital emergency room, this time so your father could be treated for injuries from an auto accident. It was a very long day.

Today's going to be a very long day, too. You finally finish with all that school and we can't be there to help you celebrate. And even if you don't land a teaching job because the state is still broke and public school enrollment is way down, we're very proud of you. Somewhere out there is a classroom full of fourth-graders just waiting for fate to intervene.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T04:36:00.001-07:00

Running With Allergies

2011-05-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

For the past month I’ve developed a new routine to try and overcome a major weakness in my running: overall fitness. So I’ve been running less and hitting the machines more to provide more balance and to prevent burnout. Ideally, I’d like to hit a new masters PR in the 10k this summer but a recent visit to the doctor’s office has me reconsidering.

I’ve developed severe allergies that have dramatically restricted my running (and breathing) capabilities. Here are a few things I’ve learned about running with allergies:

Pollen counts are highest between 5 and 10 a.m. So, if you can, avoid running during those hours.

Wind is your worst enemy; sunglasses, your best friend. The wind factor is obvious, but if you are caught in a windstorm or just hit a pollen pocket being blown around, those sunglasses help protect your eyes so they itch less.

It’s easier to develop allergies as you age. I rarely suffered from nasal allergies until last year, and then the case was rather mild. But as we age, we become more susceptible to airborne allergies. That’s partly because over more time you’re exposed to even more allergens.

Not all allergies are alike. I had been self-medicating with an over-the-counter, popular allergy relief pill. Only it brought very little relief. That’s because my kind of allergy doesn’t respond to pills. It needs to be inhaled. Also, if symptoms last less than two weeks, you likely had a cold, not allergies.

When you eat is as important as what you eat. In the course of researching allergies, I discovered that one of the best ways to stave off a cold is to eat 300-500 calories within 20 minutes of finishing a workout since your immune system is otherwise weakened during this time. The nutritional boost helps elevate those allergen fighters.

Shower immediately after an outdoor run. This helps get all the allergens, like pollen, off your skin and clothing.

Soon as you feel sick, cut back. Way back. A lot of people wait until a cold hits the chest, but if you cut back your mileage by 50% at the first symptoms of a cold, you stand a better chance of returning to full training sooner than if you continue to run as if you’re well. Again, your immune system will remain suppressed for longer if you don’t let it go to work sooner.

Kiss the Dirt

2011-05-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Shortly before we moved to San Diego, a friend gave me a copy of Runner’s World with an article about this unique 10k held on a military installation. The challenge was to make it through a military-style obstacle course without losing your shoes or your shorts. It was called a Mud Run.

Now, of course, every major metropolitan area and many minor ones host their own mud runs, and they typically sell out quickly. In the past five years, those dirty 5ks and 10ks have evolved into events like the Warrior Dash and Spartan Race series and perhaps the most difficult to date, The Tough Mudder.

I admit I’d never heard of the Tough Mudder franchise until someone contacted me to see if I’d help promote it on this blog. Entry fees are on par with an expensive marathon, and something tells me by the time you finish the 10- to 12-mile course, you’ll feel like you’ve just finished a grueling 26-miler. The Finals in December in New Jersey sound particularly demanding.

I’ve done a lot of thinking about the evolution of competitive events for weekend warriors, and The Tough Mudder is a great example of enterprises meeting the demand for those seeking new challenges and bigger bragging rights. It also benefits a wonderful cause, The Wounded Warrior Project.

I’ve discussed numerous times about attitude shifts once a certain distance gains mass membership and/or loses its appeal. If you’ve focused a few years on marathons, an ultra is typically next on the to-do list. Once you’ve mastered the 50k, it’s on to the 50- and 100-milers. Similarly, people privately pass judgment on seasoned sprint or Olympic triathletes who’ve yet to do an Ironman – much the way marathoners are sized up by how often they’ve done Boston.

The Tough Mudder is tailor-made for this brand of ego-fueled athlete. It gives their weekday training a new focus and promotes exceptional cross-training since being able to run fast will only get them so far in this level of competition.

I just checked and the SoCal event being held over Memorial Day weekend is almost completely sold out for both days. No surprise when you consider this area is known for fitness fanatics and thrill seekers.

This area also remains home to the original Mud Run, which though still wildly popular now seems quaint by comparison. It no doubt will continue to be a feeder to more difficult and dangerous events, so The Tough Mudder need not worry about low attendance rates any time soon.

Guest Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T05:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Deborah J. for this one of Lake Poway on a recent hike.

A Bibliophile's Dream Day

2011-05-04T05:03:00.001-07:00

Last weekend my friend Suzanne and I made our annual pilgrimage to the LA Festival of Books. This year it was held at USC instead of UCLA and the smaller campus worked well for the event, though there weren't enough food and beverage concessions. Of course, if you get lost leaving UCLA, you end up in Beverly Hills. At USC, you end up at the intersection where Reginald Denny was beaten during the LA Riots of 1992.

In the first photo is panelist Jennifer Egan, who has won just about every major book award this year for her experimental "novel" (she never called it that, the publisher did) A Visit from the Goon Squad. Our next panel with non-fiction writers who disprove popular misconceptions (like the MMR vaccine causes autism) was fascinating but also off-limits to cameras because C-SPAN was recording live.

Other authors in the photos below include Patti Smith and Dave Eggers -- definitely the place to be that day. Jillian Michaels from "The Biggest Loser." Danica McKeller (Winnie from "The Wonder Years"), who now writes math books. And some people who were singing that I don't know but whose picture I felt compelled to take.

Review: Eucerine Everyday Protection

2011-05-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

Last month I reviewed a skin lotion from Eucerin, a company that has a solid relationship with runners as the makers of Aquaphor, an ointment found in a lot of race goodie bags – and for good reason ... the stuff works.

Now that it’s almost summer, and our skin is coming out of hibernation, it’s important that lotions not only nourish our largest organ but also help protect it from the sun’s harsh rays. So right on time I got another invitation to take two other Eucerin products for a test drive: Everyday Protection SPF 15 Body Lotion and SPF 30 Face Lotion.

While I liked the last body lotion I tried, I love this one. It has a lighter feel and sinks into skin quickly while retaining a protective layer that is noticeable only if you feel the smoothness of your arms or legs later in the day. Best of all for me – it’s fragrance free! This way it doesn’t clash with another scent or turn off those with very sensitive noses.

When it comes to face lotions, I’m a bit more brand loyal. In fact, I’ve been using the same face lotion for about 10 years, so convincing me to switch is not easy. What the Eurecin face lotion has that my current bottle does not is a stronger SPF, which is increasingly important to me as I try to better manage those crows feet, laugh lines and mysterious growths (for lack of a more eloquent term) that my dermatologist calls “weeds in the garden of life.”

There’s also more risk when you try out a face lotion, even one for sensitive skin – if it backfires, the world will know. But I’m happy to report my face remains supple and blemish free and, much to my delight, void of “raccoon eyes” from running, riding or hiking for a long stretch in full sun. I should note that there was at least an hour’s gap between application and exercise, so I still am not sure how it fares if applied immediately before sweating.

If you are interested in testing the product yourself, you can head over to one of Eucerin’s Facebook pages and receive a sample. I’d be curious to know – as I’m sure Team Eucerin would – how your results compare to mine.

Guest Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T05:40:00.000-07:00

Another of Northern California by my daughter Elise

Old-Timers Rule

2011-04-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

I love this picture.

I took it last night when my grandmother didn't know I still was holding my camera. We were at a movie premiere and I asked her to "dress for La Jolla," so she pulled on one of my old sweaters and declared herself and her white capris in compliance. She also didn't eat much dinner but later devoured two full plates of free cheese, quiche and fruit tarts like no one ever feeds her.

The movie was a documentary called "Over 90 and Loving It" about 12 incredible senior citizens who are holding up extremely well and doing things that defy their ages, which range from 90 to 105. It's airing around this time on PBS television stations nationwide. Four from the film were on hand for an audience Q&A, including a 96-year-old record-holder in just about every track & field event. He was a hoot. One woman, who obtained her master's degree at 98, couldn't make it because she's now an associate professor and didn't want to miss class.

Grandma seemed to enjoy the film and laughed and smiled with the rest of us. She got a little competitive -- "How old is she? 95? Oh hell, that's all?" -- and then she got a little fidgety and made us leave early. I wish I had my camera at the ready when we walked out and saw a sea of walkers. There must have been at least 50 of them lined up like a triathlon transition area.

My big takeaway from the evening was that age truly is just a number and that if you fixate on health issues, you'll make them just that. The other takeaway was Grandma, who forgot to whisper her inappropriate comments.

I've broadcast my own share of inappropriate comments about Grandma on this blog. God willing, I'll have even more to dispense in the years to come.

Paying for 'Pounding the Pavement'

2011-04-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

This is not encouraging for anyone who now pays for years and years of pushing hard, especially endurance athletes.

Forgetting to Remember

2011-04-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

As you work up to longer distances, it can be easy to forget what it was like the first time you ran a mile and then a 5k and then a 10k and so on, whether it was in a race or in your backyard.

You get picky about the T-shirts, stashing the cotton ones deep in a drawer. Medals don’t mean as much unless they're different or from some exotic place. Even among new-runner bloggers, eventually the shorter race posts get short shrift to the marathons and ultras and half and full Ironmans. There’s an implicit message that you’ve moved on to bigger and better things.

I used to hold a similar attitude once I began running marathons, but a few people recently reminded me of what I'd already forgotten a few years ago -- that feeling of accomplishment when you push past a new barrier.

Yesterday two of the women that I run with on Saturdays completed their first half marathon. They sent a great photo of everyone wearing similar T-shirts, big smiles and medals at the finish. I’m thinking today, given the difficult course, those smiles may look like winces as they try to get down stairs. I’m also thinking they are still smiling inside.

But that’s not what got me thinking about underappreciated distances.

As I was pulling out of my driveway this morning, I saw a kid bouncing down the street on his way to the bus stop. He was wearing his La Jolla Half medal from yesterday for all of his classmates to see. You could tell he was quite proud of himself. In fact, he was acting like me the first time I returned home a half marathoner.

Congratulations to those who fulfilled a dream this long weekend. That includes all you lucky enough to be in Boston and especially Deborah, Sharon, Angela, Dianne and the kid who lives down the street. Thanks for reminding us all to be proud of what we achieve regardless of how far or how long it takes us to get there.

Guest Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

Beach near Bodega Bay in northern California, taken by my daughter, Elise.

Race Review: Xterra Black Mountain 15k

2011-04-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

The trails that make up the Xterra Black Mountain 15k are just a few miles from my house, and yet I’d never run on them. They are home to rattlesnakes and mountain lion, and they are remote enough to be creepy if you are a lone, early morning female runner.

This morning, though, that area between 4S Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe in northern San Diego put on its best party dress to impress hundreds of runners, most of whom finished well before me.

The race starts and finishes at Black Mountain Community Park off Carmel Valley Road. I arrived 90 minutes before the start and within 15 minutes of my arrival, the parking lot was packed. Overflow was sent a few miles away to a shopping center to catch a shuttle. That distance guaranteed a late start of about 30 minutes.

By then the sun had warmed the place to the mid 50s, which is perfect for a spring race and preferable to the rains we’d been experiencing in the days prior. Portable toilet lines moved along better than expected. I saw Meg and her family and was grateful for her husband’s heads up on some difficult sections of the course.

Best I remember, the first couple of miles are along mostly single track, some of which is rather rocky and rife with bottlenecks. But it’s nothing compared to the stone-strewn trails across the street to access the top of Black Mountain. And there are some ups and downs but nothing compared to the second half of the course.

If there is course crowding up to this point, it dissipates as soon as you hit residential streets within the affluent gated community of Santaluz. We hit our first “water feature” on a dirt pathway in this section, where most of us chose a muddy walk-around while one woman bravely inched across a barely visible raised curb to avoid plunging into an impromptu stream.

More residential trails that parallel asphalt streets and then before you know it you are facing the first of two big rollers. This is where I fell apart, around mile 6. Like most of the folks in front of me, I power walked the climbs. It’s very hard for me to regain momentum after I’ve started walking, and it’s doubly so when I can’t bring my heart rate down. That may be a testament to my lack of fitness or my advancing age. Or both.

After the second huge hill, you eventually cross a road and head down a gulch. By then I’d come to dread the downhills as much as the ups. My quads were trashed, my breathing still unusually labored and I was thirsty and no longer sweating despite taking in enough liquids. My toes were tender, my fingers looked like sausages and my ankle was throbbing after I’d twisted it a couple of miles back.

Worse, by now I’d figured out the mile markers were not accurate. This, though, is definitely the most scenic part of the race. There is nothing for miles to break the lush landscape of plump sagebrush offset by wildflowers in full bloom. The track by now was an overgrown fire road, and you basically picked which rut to run in and soak in the views and the quiet.

I’d been worried about a creek crossing, but when it arrived, it felt really good to soak my shoes and feet for a moment as we pushed through the moving water. Another 1.5 miles of aloneness and I finally heard the noise of the finish line as I walked (with no power) up the final, cruelly located hill.

This late in the game, arrivals have blown in somewhere on the course, but the race officials made it seem like I’d finished right behind the front-runners (who, thankfully, shooed off the rattlesnakes reportedly on the course.) I thank them and the others at the finish line for making such failure seem less so. That includes Todd, who came in 20+ minutes ahead of me and camera-carrying Christine, who shot me at my worst.

Xterra bills Black Mountain as the easiest of its trail series, and from what I’ve heard it is. There aren’t any real technical sections to trip you up. However, this is not a flat place. It does have excellent course support and is well marked. It’s also a little longer than the traditional 15k distance, but what’s a little more time running through the countryside on a beautiful spring morning.

Photo by Christine Newman (aka Listgirl)

Product Review: Eucerin Daily Balance Body Lotion

2011-04-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Most of us know the skin is the largest organ in our bodies. It's also among the most abused. We expose it to all kinds of hazards, often intentionally when it comes to tanning and makeup and drying soaps. As we age, we pay for those sins with everything from wrinkles and age spots to skin cancers.

I grew up along the ocean and had a backyard indoor pool, and as a teenager I didn't use sunscreen. In fact, because tanning was so competitive at my high school, and Hawaiian Tropic so expensive, my girlfriends and I literally fried our skin in Crisco. Then in college, I once fell asleep for four hours in the sun. A friend and I spent that night in a hospital emergency room. I still bear the scars from that lapse in judgement.

Runners are particularly prone to skin damage, which is why when the folks at Eucerin told me about a new product and a new campaign, I was immediately on board.

They sent me a bottle of their new Daily Skin Balance Body Lotion, which contains "a unique, patent-pending technology with provitamin B5, glycerin and pH buffer." My husband and I have been using it daily for two weeks now. It soaks in quickly and without leaving a greasy film. I'm not a fan of the light fragrance, but it doesn't seem to bother my husband.

I waited to write this review to note any visible improvements with daily use. I have a couple of dry patches that itch constantly. Normally if I apply fragranced lotions to these areas, they sting. This lotion didn't.

Here's what Team Eucerin had to say about its Skin First Express initiative:

Eucerin is partnering with LIVE! Regis And Kelly’s Run Across America with Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes! The Eucerin Skin First Express is traveling alongside to promote a skin savvy nation and the importance of overall skin health. The Eucerin Skin First Express includes stations to take the Skin FIRST Pledge, FREE samples, full product displays, a dermatologist and a video station to record skin wisdoms and tips.

The suggestioned retail price for the Daily Skin Balance body lotion is just under $10. That seems a little expensive, but when compared to other brands that don't work as well, it's a small price to pay for preserving the skin you're in.

If you want a free sample, visit Eucerin’s Facebook page.

Guest Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T05:01:00.000-07:00

Shot off the Mexican coast by my daughter, Alex. The water really is that blue.

iTunes Users, Beware

2011-04-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

My husband sent me this item about how hackers are compromising iTunes accounts to charge up items. Every iPod-loving runner I know has an iTunes account, so I wanted to pass it along.

And, please, stop telling me Apple is secure. Here's proof (again!) that they are just as susceptible to cybercrime as any other company that collects your personal data. Trust no one.

Hackers Compromising Some iTunes Accounts

Taking It All In

2011-04-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

I could have slept in and stayed in my pajamas all day as a reward for surviving March and opening April with less than 6 hours’ sleep in two days. Instead, I was pulling on my hiking shoes and driving out to Escondido to finally take in Daley Ranch.

I’ve wanted to visit this city-owned preserve a mile from El Norte Parkway for years. I was particularly interested in seeing how it rates for trail running since I know of several local runners who rave about it. So when our “Happy Hour” group elected for something different -- a hike in Daley Ranch, followed by a stop at Stone Brewery -- I was in no matter how much my feet hurt, head throbbed and stomach ached.

This was Victoria’s suggestion – and backyard – so she led us on a figure-eight route that had us initially climbing for some terrific views before we finally hit the Ranch House (under renovation) and set up our little picnic. She also pointed to a more level path popular with runners.

Along the way we carried on as we normally would after work hours in a wine bar or trendy restaurant. I got to relate details of a major fundraiser last night that I helped organize. Everyone left the event in good moods and a little lighter in the wallet. Our vendors were amazing and really deserve a lot of credit I received as the de facto organizer. I was never so proud of my co-workers and my friends who volunteered, including Melissa, who is standing next to Victoria in the opening shot. Katie arrived a few minutes later.

We never did make it to the brewery. That's OK with me. I was still riding high on my recent success (and caffeine!) and delighted to mark Daley Ranch off my must-hike checklist. Now it's on my must-return list.