Run DMZ

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...

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 roo...

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.

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 a...

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, pa...

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 Caroli...

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...