Run DMZ

It took two bum-busting falls on black ice and a near collision with a skidding car for me to break down and buy a treadmill during our first winter in Cape Cod. It cost about a grand on sale at Sears, and it ended up being used more than I expected in our tricked-out basement. I used it to run at 4 a.m. weekday mornings because it was the only time I had between my crazy Boston commute, only it was so loud it woke everyone sleeping three stories above. During Sunday long runs in January, February and March, it kept me out there when no one else was. I’d tell myself, “I’ll run half outdoors and then finish with the rest on the treadmill.” Then I’d hit the midpoint, with my sweaty hair iced to my face and my Camelback frozen solid, and remember how much I dreaded that machine. I would tell myself I could do another 30 minutes outdoors and then finish inside. And I’d keep at it, until, of course, I’d done the entire run in the bitter cold. When movers were hauling that treadmill out of t...

As mentioned in an earlier post, this year’s annual Black Friday Family Hike had to be more like a walk due to injury. For something both short ‘n’ pretty, I decided on a trek to walk over the new David Kreitzer Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge at Lake Hodges. The pathway/trail to the bridge is easy to reach from a concrete entrance at the end of Sunset Ave. in southern Escondido. I’d run numerous times along the nearby Mule Hill Trail and another used in the old San Dieguito River 10k Trail Run, but this was my first on this path. We were close to the chaos at the North County Faire mall but miles away in terms of scenery and seclusion. The path initially parallels the 15 freeway, then goes under it. The bridge is within easy sight on the other side. There are signs – and signs – that this area was hit hard by the 2007 wildfires. Another natural disaster also was in plain sight: long-term drought. While on the bridge I recognized part of a 10k trail race route on the Rancho Bernardo s...

From today's New York Times: The Turkey Day Trot, Explained

Certainly one of the biggest beneficiaries of my spare time this year has been the San Diego Track Club, particularly since I lost my job this summer. Not only have I served on a couple of committees, done one-off assignments and helped out at every race I'm in town for, but I unexpectedly went from being a training program e-newsletter editor for three months to an interim administrative director for six months. That's a huge shift in responsibilities. On Saturday night the track club held its annual banquet and I was among the "Super Volunteers" to receive recognition and a really nice embroidered, fleece jacket. A lot of wonderful people received special honors, including Mike, our volunteer coordinator, who was named Volunteer of the Year, and Marison, our own program's volunteer coordinator, who received the coveted Spirit Award. I liked something Mike said that evening that explains why a lot of running programs have a chronic shortage of volunteers. Mike me...

I really, really like the nurse practitioner that is my primary care provider. She really knows a lot. She really knows me too. For more than two years I have complained to her off and on about the same ankle injury. She listens, recommends a conservative course of treatment and tells me to get back with her in six to eight weeks if there is no improvement. For awhile this fall, there was improvement, which I think is why she was surprised to see me this morning. My achilles tendon had by then swollen to twice the size of the healthy one on the other leg just by running errands the day before. Fortunately, the tendon is still attached to my “calf muscle,” so it’s not severed. But the huge knot and chronic pain point to a significant tear. Maybe even a “recreational-ending” one. For those that are interested, the course of action for now begins with prerequisite x-rays of my foot and ankle, which are required for me to get an MRI. The MRI will settle once and for all the extent of damag...

Just finished reading today's Wall Street Journal that includes an article on the rising trend of 'mega marathoners' and just what motivates someone to essentially devote so many waking hours and income to run marathon after marathon. To no one's surprise, those in pursuit of such big goals tend to be middle-aged and at their peak income, at least when they start chasing race tallies rather than race times. For 'Mega Marathoners,' the Race is On ... To Run More Races Here's a passage that stood out to me: Scientists have studied compulsive running, not only in humans but in rats and mice. Some compare it to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa. Michael Sachs, a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia who studies exercise addictions and usually runs 18 miles a week, says for most people, running multiple marathons is simply a passion, like skiing or surfing, and not a disorder. He says runners enter addiction territory only when they can't contro...

This morning made four. Heading to the gym at daybreak, I spotted the fourth very big and very dead raccoon in the very same place as three others, give or take a few yards. These casualties of cars, coyotes or some other collision are all just around the corner from our house, on the main throughfare through our housing development. The carcasses are removed by the time schoolchildren head up the street, but by whom I do not know. I'm not sure how often you've encountered a raccoon, but these critters are very big (21 to 60 pounds) and often rabid. I've seen maybe three my entire time here, all while running in the dark. They like to hide in storm drains until you pass, though wild ones can be aggressive. And now I come upon four of them, all stone cold dead, in one week and in one place. Even more disconcerting: What are my neighbors doing with the road kill?!

Once again I sat out what appeared to be another superb Saturday morning run with our training program. I guess when you re-aggravate a tenacious ankle injury that took months to heal, it takes more than a couple of weeks to mend again. Instead, I volunteered at our aid station at Morley Field, near North Park, which meant sitting in a cushy director's chair with my spiced chai latte and shooting the breeze with fellow volunteer Erin while runners came and went. I also shot photos for our online album, some of which I'll share here. First, the group decides on a route - or several options, in this case. Ordinarily we follow a map with a prescribed run, but today everyone decided to wing it. That flexibility and innovation is what I love best about this group. We always do a warm-up first. Oh, come on...you wouldn't have been able to pass up this shot either. (Besides, it's not like I was 'behind' everyone.) Most of the group just before everyone took off in...

I spent yesterday in Point Loma babysitting an 8-month-old. We spent the morning strolling all over Shelter Island and surrounding residential areas. The weather was perfect. The setting, perfect. The baby's disposition, perfect perfect perfect. My camera, not so perfect. It wouldn't work and there were some wonderful Wordless Wednesday photos just waiting to be captured. One image was of a pod of lunchtime runners all wearing their iPods and Vibrams with the bay, city skyline and mountains in the background. (I will say this, those barely-there "shoes" make you look much cooler if you're running in longer board shorts than itsy bitsy running shorts, guys.) So there's no photo for today. Instead, let me cast aside my disappointment and thank each and every veteran and family member of a veteran for their service and their sacrifices on behalf of our country. That includes my all-time favorite veteran, who is still upstairs snoring away as I type this.

This weekend has been marked on my calendar since August, when a farm in Fallbrook took out a notice on Craigslist to let everyone know that persimmon picking would begin the first full weekend in November. That weekend finally arrived, along with an email invitation to former customers of Little Quail Ranch deep in Valley Center, where we set out Saturday morning. The timing worked well for me because I’d decided to take the day off from our half marathon training program to ditch some e-waste at our suburb’s annual recycling event. It’s usually full by mid-morning, but as a sign of the times, there was still plenty of trash truck space at all the recycling stations by 9 a.m. People are indeed holding on to their stuff now, which is probably just as good for the environment. From there we drove up to northern San Diego County, though my husband did so under duress. It’s college football season, after all. To win him over, I repeatedly vowed to be quick and to not go over budget, and I...

Today San Diego welcomed home Meb Keflezighi , the first American to win the New York City in 27 years . Meb’s family emigrated from Etirea when he was young and he went to elementary, junior high and high school here in San Diego. His family, classmates, coaches and teachers and track friends attended the special event at the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. A former sports broadcaster, who ran NYC in 1977, gave Meb an original LeRoy Neiman poster from that year. (As he accepted the gift, Meb mentioned that despite running NYC five times, he'd never gotten a poster.) Most people, particularly those who read running blogs, are familiar with his story, which includes winning the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Then a few years later he fractured his right hip (from, he says, being “too lean for too long”) and many wrote him off because of his injury and his age. “A year and a half ago, I couldn’t even walk,” he recalled. He said during that time he came to reali...

Saw this over on Daily Mile yesterday and thought others might like to take this simple quiz to determine if maybe, ahem, you have a real issue with exercise. Be honest, now. It's very easy to tell what the "correct" answer is. Let us know the results, too. Exercise Quiz: Are You An Exercise Perfectionist?

From a friend's collection of photos during a recent trip to Vermont.