Happy trails to you,...

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My last official hike of the year was spent in Jessica’s backyard, which also happens to be this lovely, relatively unspoiled wilderness known as O’Neill Regional Park in southern Orange County. I’ve wanted to meet one of my favorite running bloggers for awhile and this morning finally provided an opportunity.

Jessica injured her foot the other week, so the original trail run around Whiting Ranch was out. I certainly didn’t mind, especially after reading about her encounter with a mountain lion. Instead we ambled along dirt paths and occasionally crossed a river – me, always carelessly.



This woman’s a true trail runner. She has such an inner calm. She has such better balance. She also has such a knack for knowing which way to turn to get from one point to another. I later wondered if I took in more rustic routes, could I become a not-so-clumsy and less loquacious human being. Is it possible that refocusing one’s running away from concrete jungles and toward single-track trails could actually make a person truly tranquil? Would paying more attention to what I’m doing maybe help?




Afterward, we had a great brunch at a Hawaiian restaurant in town and I continued my trail education by asking a million questions. A few even had to do with running. We also that day discussed some of the details of Jessica’s inaugural Twin Peaks 50/50 trail ultras on Feb. 4. I got a sneak peak at the medals, T-shirts and, tangentially, course. You can see the two mountains from the rear windows of her new home. How cool is that?


Pulling my dusty Passat station wagon out of her gated community, I solemnly swore to find new trails and fully explore them. To stop talking so much and take in more. To find that pathway to inner peace.

Then I hit one major freeway traffic jam after another in my formerly vandalized vehicle, with its temperamental radio, sorry ass tires and gosh awful window glare. And I swore some more, this time not so solemnly.

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