Time to Throw Another Running Party

-

I haven't hosted a run in awhile, so I was overdue to indulge my inner Martha Stewart (actually, more like Sandra Lee of Semi-Homemade Cooking fame, minus the cocktails, tablescapes and decolletage). This morning was the first of two Welcome Committee events for the Rockin' 'n' Runnin' marathon training program. This is my fourth year as its chairwoman.

Each year is a little different, and each time I think it gets a little better. The preparation can be intense but well worth it. I didn't do as much baking due to time, but everyone contributed to a potluck. Did I mention up to 300 people were expected? I did bake an angel food cake last night while gathering every possible supply needed -- from serated knives to cut fruit to individual ice packs to toilet paper in case the public bathrooms ran out -- and bought almost 300 popsicles, which required some tricky logistics to keep them frozen until they were placed in a giant cooler. I packed them tight in my own cooler at 5:30 a.m., then stuffed remaining crevices with crushed ice. Then I had a momentary memory lapse on the drive to Mission Bay, got off at the wrong exit and in trying to correct the car, managed to spill the contents of the cooler everywhere. But, the sugary frozen treats survived and were well received.


I again made commemorative stickers that again had trouble staying affixed to sweaty skin and sweat-drenched shirts or shorts. That's Cynthia with a sheet of them in the above picture. And this year I brought a big spray bottle and designated a helper the "official mister." Linda did an outstanding job -- even if her style was a little in your face (he he). We did have one big glitch: someone else had commandeered the gazebo at Hospitality Point for a later event. We graciously moved to another spot and, everyone agreed, it turned out to be a better location for this 20-mile run around the city of San Diego.


We had some time to kill between setting up and the arrival of the fast group, so three of us went for a 40-minute run along Quivera Basin and Dana Landing. Afterward, we all agreed it was a great run. It's been quite a while (December, actually) that I've run with anyone else.

I get to do it all again in two weeks, for a 22-miler called the Gran Turismo di Mission Bay. I'd appreciate if the perfect weather would make a repeat appearance on May 10. I'll even save it a popsicle and piece of angel food cake if it does.
(That's Linda, Cynthia, me and Tara...with Peter in the background tending to the first few runners.)

Popular posts from this blog

I Leave You With This

-
Image
There's this social media post some guy put up on Instagram. I almost scrolled past it, but I'm glad I didn't. It asked what question we should ask ourselves when we die. In retrospect, ChatGPT's response was basically pulling from Eastern philosophy, but, still, I couldn't stop thinking about it in the hours and days since I first heard it. Here's a partial transcript I cribbed using -- what else? -- AI. Some guy set up the prompt, which was long and convoluted. The following picks it up from there.  Some guy : I'm assuming most people would ask, 'Where am I going? What's next?' Something like that. Is that a good question?  ChatGPT : No, because they don't matter. Some guy : W hy don't they matter?  ChatGPT : If there's a heaven or hell or some next phase, you're likely already heading there. Asking won't change your destination. It's a wasted question.  Some guy : That's a good point. Um, what about 'Did I do en...
Read more

What's Your Slavery Footprint?

-
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.
Read more

Do Mom and Dad Make You Run?

-
I know of a lot of middle-aged running friends who are motivated by their parents to run. Their mother or father was in poor health for many years and it ultimately cost them their lives (or at least a higher quality of it), and so one reason they initially put on a pair of running shoes was to avoid the same fate. However, that's not the sort of parental connection outlined in a provacative post about the link between exercise and genetics in this morning's Daily Beast. It reflects a couple of scientific studies that show we may be genetically encoded to favor workouts. That means some of us will never enjoy exercising like others, nor will our children. If this is true, then those of us modeling good behaviors by eating well and exercising in moderation may merely be passing along the endorphin baton to those with our "exercise gene." And that might also explain why some parents who push their kids into sports end up disappointed that their child never "takes...
Read more