Run DMZ

 

The king tides pummeling the cliffs of La Jolla Cove were the most impressive I'd witnessed in all my years living in San Diego. Of course, I usually head to the beach during the other end of the cycle: the extreme low tides that expose tidal pools filled with crabs, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, and lobster shells shed either naturally or by vicious currents. But that morning, with everything bathed in a celestial blue thanks to an impenetrable marine layer, we watched serious swells march toward the sandy beaches of La Jolla Shores. Closer to us, an inlet filled repeatedly with frothy waters while a gulp of cormorants (yes, I had to look that up) bore witness to the sea's incessant violence from a safe distance. There must have been hundreds of the black birds blending in with the dark, wet stone and dim light. Pelicans settled in on another cliff, recovering from their aborted flights in gale-force winds. They flew so close we could make out the veins in their webbed feet, fe...

I’ve written numerous times about bathroom issues common among runners and probably anyone whose repetitive movements impact their  gastrointestinal organs ,  kidneys  and  bladder . Pre-exercise nutrition is a key factor; you need to make sure you eat foods and drink liquids that help prevent things like diarrhea and dehydration. But there’s another important factor that isn’t always within the runner’s control. I’m talking about restrooms. If you run or even walk long and far enough, especially if you pre-hydrate to ward off other dangers due to hot-weather workouts, then at some point you’ll need to make a pitstop. This typically isn’t an issue and may even predetermine a select route. But these are still not typical times, despite the relaxing of rules that now allow for more public interaction. Depending on where you work out outdoors, you may need to go and find a public restroom near a still-shuttered state or local park is closed. It’s also not as ea...

In the months leading up to both our daughters’ weddings, I watched the television show  Four Weddings . For the unfamiliar, four brides leverage their weddings to win a honeymoon. Most often they are judged by the other three contestants on the venue, decor, bride’s dress, vows, length of service, entertainment, quality of food and quantity of booze.  Rarely does the bride’s parents’ speech play a major factor, but that’s just because they never heard the speeches  I  gave. I got a lot of compliments on both, though perhaps that was just the effects of a five-hour open bar talking. Still, I thought it might be a nice way to introduce you to the newest members of our family. Alex & Alex, August 26, 2017 Scripps Seaside Forum, La Jolla Shores Saturday Afternoon in La Jolla Shores (Wedding Day) from Run DMZ on Vimeo . I’ve been ordered by Her Highness and a high-ranking member of her court to keep it short. So, without further ado: ...

   

Back before I started blogging, I kept an online weekly diary for my track club's marathon training program. The first few months, I never received feedback. Then I wrote the following post and everything changed. People started commenting - praising me, even - on a very active message board. After having a conversation this weekend with a friend who maintains you aren't a real runner until you pee or poop on yourself, I decided to rummage up that 9-year-old piece to repost here. File This One Under TMI (Too Much Information) Way back when my sister and I were planning our first marathon, we relied primarily on word of mouth for training tips. With each new piece of information, we’d mull over the possibility -- falling behind pace; overdosing on Gatorade; running in rain -- and adjust our expectations accordingly. (We would also, unfortunately, encounter all of these situations and then some that October morning.) About three weeks before the big day, my sister called. ...

This morning I went on my first exercise excursion since injuring my back seven weeks ago. I took a walk along the beach in La Jolla with my Saturday morning group. It was warm, cool, overcast, serene, noisy and joyful as we all plodded through the sand, seaweed and smooth rocks freshly cleaned by a receding high tide. We had a pod of dolphins following us just off shore, and as we climbed along a rock ledge for a better view, the dolphins started to flip in the air. They were quite the showmen and for an instant I wondered if they were refugees from nearby SeaWorld. Maybe this is how they fish in the wild. It was definitely something I'll remember for a long time. We celebrated someone's birthday at a Del Mar cafe afterwards, and I forgot how the morning can carry you well into the day when it starts out this way. On the way to get groceries, I stopped for gas and encountered a huge fight at the pumps between a lone woman in a silver sedan and a family in an older model mi...

Photo from our Torrey Pines hike courtesy of Tracy R.

The "after" photo taken by Diane B, who also served as our chauffer this morning. Thanks, Diane!! I almost talked myself out of doing this race because (a) I was extremely busy,(b) I hadn't exercised in almost a week and (c) I wasn't feeling well. But I'm glad I didn't listen to that voice. I only wish I'd found the camera in our neverending move because today's 4-miler from La Jolla to Pacific Beach was picture-perfect. It's unusual for there to be clear skies along that stretch of coast that early. San Diegans are used to a thick marine layer until around 10 a.m. When it's lacking, it can only mean one thing: It's going to be a scorcher. And it was. But spending a Sunday morning with 1,800 others on a slightly downhill course was a perfect escape from my current stressful life. The run starts in downtown La Jolla and essentially winds down La Jolla Blvd. through Bird Rock and into Pacific Beach, where it ends at Garnet a...

Technically it's still Wednesday, but I have been "off" all week thanks to major dental work and I thought Tuesday was Monday and today was Thursday despite everything pointing to it being Wednesday. Some weeks are just like that. To celebrate the middle of a pain-riddled and chaotic week, I raced across town to join friends for the annual Summerfest Under the Stars concert at La Jolla Cove. Let me tell you, nothing takes the edge off a stressful day like joining hundreds of others watching the sun set over the seas while the beautiful strains of Dvorak fill the salty air.

I love this picture. I took it last night when my grandmother didn't know I still was holding my camera. We were at a movie premiere and I asked her to "dress for La Jolla," so she pulled on one of my old sweaters and declared herself and her white capris in compliance. She also didn't eat much dinner but later devoured two full plates of free cheese, quiche and fruit tarts like no one ever feeds her. The movie was a documentary called "Over 90 and Loving It" about 12 incredible senior citizens who are holding up extremely well and doing things that defy their ages, which range from 90 to 105. It's airing around this time on PBS television stations nationwide. Four from the film were on hand for an audience Q&A, including a 96-year-old record-holder in just about every track & field event. He was a hoot. One woman, who obtained her master's degree at 98, couldn't make it because she's now an associate professor and didn't want to ...

I knew March would be a struggle because of an unusually heavy workload. But I didn’t expect it to gain the upper hand with such veracity, and not with two weeks still to go. Sisters are not supposed to call and say, “It’s stage 2” and then act like they have a cold, not cancer. Friends are not supposed to invite you to birthday celebrations you can't attend. Freelance clients are not supposed to forget the work will be late, and only because you’ve doubled hours at your “real job.” For now I live for the reprieves, like this morning’s particularly picturesque group run along the coast. It was high tide and cloudy with no chance of meatballs. The plan called for 8 to 12 miles, and I was fine for the first 4 from Solana Beach to Torrey Pines, but then came “the hill” – locals know which one – and I began to falter. By the return to Del Mar, I just wanted it to end. It did at somewhere in between: 10 miles. Months like this, I approach early morning runs as a grace period before the ...

Today a group of us tackled the steep Torrey Pines hill in preparation for a 10k trail race in two weeks. We all made it to the top without walking and had plenty of energy to spare to the end. This training cycle, because it's a hilly race course and uneven surface, I've been focused on conditioning for endurance and strength, not speed. My plan appeared to be working this morning, and we all definitely left for various breakfast points much more confident. Then I met up with another group for breakfast and mentioned my upcoming race. My tablemate was familiar with it. This guy is one of the fastest in his age group throughout all of San Diego County, and he said that you essentially run up the side of a mountain and once you finally descend, you will feel like you are going off a cliff ("because essentially you are."). The good news: the last half mile is flat and fast. Here's the thing: this guy does not exaggerate. He's very literal, which means that his ...