And Then the Clouds Parted

-
It was a running joke (he he) during my tenure with the track club that if I planned a group run, it rained. I'm glad to see as part of my legacy that tradition remains.

Drops fell right up to the start, but then the clouds parted and the brave souls who planned a rainy run were blessed with blue skies as we started the 6th annual San Diego Track Club Christmas Card Lane Fun Run. My participation was by invitation since I'm no longer part of the training group.

It's a hard course. I know because I designed it and yet that didn't make me run any better up the steep hill at the start and gradual, grueling hill towards the end. But I got to reunite with old friends, like Irene and her husband, and meet a few new ones on the course. My conversation with a securities fraud attorney was especially interesting.

The predicted time competition is still in place, and I was knocked out of contention by a lot of other women more intuned with their abilities. The guy who won was only 5 seconds off of his 36:00 prediction for the tough 5-miler. To put it in context, I finished almost 18 minutes after him, and I felt like I was booking.

No one mentioned the tragedy in Connecticut at the onset, but it was on our minds and during post-run awards, the group's leader asked us to think of those whose grief is hard to grasp.

The run was dedicated to Darrel Lachel, one of the track club's most avid members and volunteers who passed away earlier this year. Darrel was that calming influence when I lost my cool; we shared a lot of fond memories working together at water stations over the years. Yesterday made me miss him, and to miss the group with whom I shared a decade of running. Jameson and Kate let newcomers knew who I am, Erin gave me a bag of her prized Christmas cookies, and Doreen made sure I went home with this year's mug.

The Christmas Card Lane Run always made me feel special for the day. Thanks, everyone, for keeping that tradition going too.


Christmas Card Lane Run 2007
Christmas Card Lane Run 2009
Christmas Card Lane Run 2010
Christmas Card Lane Run 2011




Popular posts from this blog

How 'Bout Them Hokies?!

-
Image
After a quick run and not-so-quick coffee break yesterday morning with a friend, I hurredly showered and headed to the mall for holiday shopping. My husband came too, and it wasn't until a young couple passed us saying "Go Hokes" that it dawned on me that they meant Hokies and they meant us because we were both wearing Virginia Tech gear. On Saturday, this might be explained, but a day later, this was momentarily embarrassing - like we were looking for some attention, which if you saw my mussed-up hair and puffy eyes I most assuredly was not. Then again, when the computers rank your alma mater No. 1 and the humans bump it to No. 3, you can let the good tidings and questionable clothing coordination linger a little longer. [This photo by the way was taken by Case Western Reserve University students in Cleveland as a show of solidarity and support following April's massacre. I think all those warm wishes from around the world really helped the team this year. I truly d...
Read more

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

A Local’s Guide to San Diego’s Sunset Cliffs

-
Image
With pandemic restrictions rapidly lifting, and tourists pouring in, I’m sharing some of my favorite weekend walks. Last Saturday, some friends and I took in iconic Sunset Cliffs between Ocean Beach and Point Loma proper. Let’s start here.   A Brief History of The Cliff’s Rise and Decline There are several spots in San Diego that generate the lion’s share of  FOMO-worthy photos on Instagram and other social media. Sunset Cliffs is one of them .    Historical websites often open with how a sporting goods magnate spent a couple million dollars in the 1910s to make the cliffs publicly accessible with Japanese-inspired landscaped walkways and stairways, shelters and benches, caves and even a saltwater swimming pool replenished with each high tide. Albert Goodwill Spaulding bequeathed his 64-acre seaside park to the city of San Diego, which did nothing with it. A decade later, developer John P. Mills assumed ownership and restored some of the park’s features. He too gave...
Read more