Run DMZ

I’ve been preparing for an upcoming milestone birthday, what I call Anne 6.0. Parts of it are going well, like a new look. Other parts still have a few bugs, like my fitness level. If you read my last post , you already know this.   Since that blog entry, I’ve maintained a regular training schedule, better diet, and even started to bring down my pace per mile for a trail run on my actual birthday. I got others to sign up too. Bought new trail runners . Built up a little distance. I even planned a date night, which we haven’t done in more than a year. I’ve generally been in good spirits. Still am, despite what happened earlier today.   I was 22 minutes into a short, pre-dawn run when I fell downhill. I’d taken precautions – running on an even surface with a flashlight and staying alert, etc. But somehow my ankle rolled without warning, sending the rest of my body into freefall. Man, that road is hard. I scraped my hands, even under nailbeds, yet my head and side of my face...

Lately, I’ve been telling everyone within earshot that I’m tired of working so hard. It took a couple of carefree weekends and slow Mondays to realize how much more padding I want around hard weeks’ worth of work.    I’ve been a two-income earner for many, many years. With a few years’ exceptions, I’ve always held more than one job, as much to keep my mind stimulated as our cupboards full. And until now, I handled two occupations relatively well. But decades of heavy loads and a shortening lifespan have me reevaluating how I want to spend my days ahead. It probably doesn’t help that most of my friends now are unencumbered by jobs and school-aged children and living their best lives. I have several years before I can join them.   The hours add up My lifestyle is no longer a novelty.  A lot of people work gigs  beyond a full-time job. As a professional writer and budding novelist, I spend way too much time tethered to a desk and chair. I do get up at least once ev...

I was about 15 minutes into my morning run when I saw the lady with the golden retriever and waved. She waved back and agreed it was going to be a hot one today. About five minutes later I was climbing a big hill when a couple walking their black lab gave me the thumbs up. “You got this, girl,” the woman said, and smiled.   I felt a little naked without my neck gaiter, but I also realized with each friendly encounter that when people see your entire face, they are more apt to engage. Today’s the first day Californians can move about our state more freely, with vaccination rates high and COVID-19 cases very low now. Most restrictions over the past 16 months are now lifted, with exceptions.   You still need a mask at schools and hospitals, dentists and doctor’s offices. And you need to mask up when riding on public transportation, cabs, trains and planes. This is going to make it even stranger (and more dangerous) to travel, at least until Sept 13 when those masks can be removed...

This fall I became one of the first people to sign up for a brand-new venture that combines my long-time love of writing and renewed interest in meditation. I’d earlier attended a much longer workshop led by one of the co-founders and saw my own work immediately improve.   During one group meditation in mid-November, our guide said something that stuck with me, both then and now. It was about accepting a situation for what it is and, with that acceptance, being released from some of the associated discomfort. In the days prior to that moment, I had been struggling mightily both at home and at work. An uneven work-life integration continued to take its toll on me and those around me.   Are you the same person you were at the beginning of the year? Think hard. If your answer is still yes, then please tell us what you’re taking and if you brought enough for the rest of the class. I mean, seriously. This was a very hard year, no matter if you made a lot of money off it or lost fa...

Fall typically comes late to San Diego, if it comes at all. The season is too often marred by furnace-like blasts of brutal heat and scorched earth rather than mottled clouds rolling in to christen thirsty landscapes with wave upon wave of downpours.    Fall was my favorite season as a child raised along the Eastern Seaboard. I looked forward to the drop in humidity and crisp air that signaled a fresh slate for the school year, the end of long hours of summer boredom or busyness. The best days were those that fell under Indian summer—cool at night, hot at the peak of day. Fall was my favorite season as a younger adult too, the nippy mornings heralding a change in routine and wardrobes, the sidewalks and roads littered with calico-colored leaves. Running always improved in the fall, with far more official opportunities to test speed and endurance on a USATF-sanctioned course.   We get a milder, delayed dose of that brand of season here, with deciduous trees lining road med...

  This morning I was moving along while listening to  this podcast  when I saw a coyote standing in the road about 200 feet from me. I slowed, expecting the feral creature to continue on his or her way. It didn’t. I slowed even more and debated what to do. Then a car slowly came up from behind me, stopped as the coyote passed, waited until I was beyond both the car and the coyote and drove off with a wave. A nice neighbor, to be sure.     I was able to pay it forward just minutes later when a woman and her golden retriever, whom I’ve seen on my daily walks and runs since this spring, was coming up the road.  I warned her about the coyote hiding out in hillside brush. Just a couple of weeks prior, another runner did the same for me while I was walking my dog. Both me then and this woman now were grateful to avoid a chase that would end badly for someone.    One thing I don’t see on runs: strays. A cat or dog that breaks out of its domesti...

  The other day I recalled a conversation decades ago with a fellow member of a corporate running team known as The Deadliners.  One of the stars of the team was running late for a highly competitive 10k in downtown Norfolk. We feared she’d be a no-show and, as a result, we wouldn’t make it onto the podium that day.    When June finally did turn up, she confessed she wasn’t enthusiastic about running the race, which carried a steep fee for the times.    “Remind me again why I just paid $45 to do something I could also do for free?”   I couldn't deliver an adequate answer. She had a very good point. But one of our colleagues, Dan, was ready with a response.   “Duh, June. We do it for the T-shirt and maybe a medal.”   And so, some 25 years later, here we are, now running virtual races for a T-shirt and maybe a medal (back then given to those who placed; now, to those who participate). If not a T-shirt, then we seek some other swag to justi...

I spent half of this year unintentionally living in Oregon. That story is for another time. For now, let’s recall the high point of daily life then: the 30 to 45 minutes I ran in the morning. These runs happened just as the sun peeked over the gorgeous geological centerpiece of nearby Smith Rock State Park. More than once, they took place hours after I’d failed to fall asleep.  Sometimes I’d turn a corner and be gobsmacked by an incredible sunrise. More often, though, it was a gust of wintry wind. When I first tried to run, my legs and lungs rebelled. I barely made it 15 minutes before I was spent. I thought I was out of shape, but a nurse later told me I just hadn’t acclimated to the harsh temps and high desert elevation.  Even in late May and June, the outdoor thermometer registered in the mid-30s at dawn. It had been many years since I was forced to wear ear warmers and long sleeves beyond Memorial Day. I noticed snow covering a trio of volcanoes known as The T...

I read somewhere that everyone peaks in a career only once or twice in a lifetime. During that time you are your most creative, productive, influential and dependable self. You are in a near-constant state of flow, and your work has a positive impact on everyone around you—both in and outside the office. Some of us peak at our first job and then spend the next 30 or 40 years chasing the same dream. Others peak late in life, having tried on a range of roles before finding one with the best fit.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my career peaked around the same time I ran  marathons. I need movement to think, and long runs provided plenty of it. Marathon training also requires daily discipline and excellent time management when you are a full-time employee and full-time parent. Back then I mainly ran early mornings when everyone else was asleep. I always ran alone and without music, so I had plenty of time to talk to myself about issues, both personal and p...

I was midway through this morning's run when I stopped at a hillside park to get a drink from the water fountain. I saw a group of dogs sprint from their elder owners toward me. Initially, I thought nothing of it because it's a public park and surely these people wouldn't allow vicious animals to run loose. But, you see, dogs behave differently in packs. Especially when a heavy-breathing, sweaty stranger enters their realm. One dog in particular named Charlie seemed to lead the charge and next thing I know I was surrounded by a couple of labs and three mixed breeds, none wagging tails and Charlie bearing teeth. Two were younger and didn't seem to know quite what to do or where to go, but they were mesmerized by Charlie's territorialism -- so was I. I tried to walk but the pack just tightened in on me. So I looked up, pretending not to be scared and could tell the group of five people were realizing this wasn't a friendly encounter. That's how I know th...

This morning I weighed a running route that is mostly uphill when it dawned on me: run it backwards and it's mostly downhill. You not only finish strong, but you finish faster. So that's what I did. What? You didn't know I'm running again, four months after a serious back injury? You mean to tell me you haven't been keeping up with my daily running log ?! Well, while I try to get over the lack of interest in my life, let me mention that I no longer feel like the same runner and I think that's a good thing. I began running on a lark , and I was kind of a closet runner in my 20s and a competitive one in my 30s. I paid for it in my 40s and now that I'm starting a new decade, I am returning to running being more of a me thing. There's a video from Mizuno's  Mezamashii Run Project that I think perfectly encapsulates this way of thinking, this lifestyle. It's not about counting your calories but counting your blessings. It's not about collectin...

Yesterday's Worldess Wednesday was a setup for today's lecture post on basic runner safety, especially if you are a young woman who moved to San Diego from Chicago and was bumming rides a few days ago, one from a total stranger and one from me. On Sunday morning, young Kate decided to drive some 15 miles from her home in Hillcrest to Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve in Mira Mesa/Rancho Penasquitos for a 12-mile solo trail run. She took with her a car key, a water bottle and her iPod. At some point, she dropped her key but didn't hear it fall because she was listening to music. She couldn't call anyone for help because she'd locked her cell phone in the car. There is no public transportation in the area, and Kate wasn't carrying any money on her anyway, so she accepted a ride with a guy who said he also lived in Hillcrest. Don't worry, this story has a happy ending. Kate made it home unharmed and proceeded to contact co-workers via Facebook and email to see i...

I can't believe I'm saying this, but as I type we have the heat cranked in our house. It's May and it's San Diego. What the heck is happening? I thought it was just me. Yesterday morning I shivered through yoga, where I overheard others complaining that the indoor climate matched the sudden plummet in outdoor temps. Then this morning I ran through Santaluz under very low cloud cover and unusually stiff winds. I came home, got back into bed with a hot cup of chai but couldn't shake the chills (no pun intended). Moving On So near the end of today's run I saw a barefoot runner heading down a steep hill as I was chugging up it. I actually was moving faster than he was, despite his gravitational advantage. Then I noticed he was carrying sandals similar to the ones of the Tarahumara in Born to Run . It reminded me of a conversation I had with another nascent barefoot runner. He found it very difficult to actually run downhill because of the stress placed on his forefe...

I was working out in the gym yesterday when I saw the story about the Alaskan runner who was believed to be killed by a pack of wolves -- a rare attack. The article makes a point of her running alone and while listening to music (instead of her wild surroundings, I presume). LA Times: Wolves kill teacher in Alaska Here locally we've been told for a couple of weeks now to not run alone, especially if you're a woman. This was prompted by the attack on one college student and murder of a high school runner on trails surrounded by suburban homes. A couple of days after Chelsea King's body was found, there was a news report of a woman attacked in Chula Vista while jogging in a park in the evening. The commenters were none to kind toward her, saying the victim was incredibly stupid to run alone and in the dark after what was known to have just happened elsewhere in the county. I planned to celebrate my first Sunday morning home in six weeks with a short run followed by a long wal...

No Wordless Wednesday photo today. Thousands gathered last night to mourn the assumed death of a local high school runner whose body was found yesterday not far from where I live . You might have seen the coverage on CNN and other national news media outlets or remembered reading about it here last week. The guy who is in custody now may be connected to another attack on a runner in that area and the disappearance of a 14-year-old a year ago. Her parents helped in this child's search. Both were abducted in plain view, and a third attack on a Colorado tourist took place in the middle of the day. We are not as safe as we think, even in familiar surroundings. Never forget that.

A local high school distance runner went for a run yesterday and never came back, prompting an ongoing, substantial search in the Lake Hodges/Rancho Bernardo area today. You can read the latest: Search continues for missing Poway teen As much as I'd like this blog to play a very small role in the search, I also think the circumstances serve as a reminder for all runners who head out alone. Authorities were able to locate the girl's locked car because she left her cell phone in it. It begs the question: Why wasn't she carrying with her on her run? I've mentioned it before, but I'll say it again: Anyone, but especially women, should always carry a cell phone when they run. And make sure it's charged and on so the GPS function can locate you if you are abducted or knocked unconsious in an attack or a fall. This is especially critical on trails and parkland because you have unique dangers and may not be found if it isn't a busy area. Also, make sure your cell ph...

Yesterday was supposed to be my A race, but instead of pulling ahead of people struggling up the steep hills on the El Cajon 20k, I was talking myself into walking just a wee bit along the 56 freeway bike path near my house. I had two goals: (1) get in some miles before the start of a hectic day; and (2) get rid of the angst from troubling talks and insights of the prior work week. At least I added 5.5 miles to my weekly total. Like most long distance runners, I use running to process issues – mostly mine but sometimes others’. It's the main reason I prefer to run alone. Sad to say, I’ve actually added mileage in recent weeks, not because a training schedule told me to, but because I wasn’t ready for the therapy session to end on time. Not only does this put me at risk for re-injury, but I’ve also noticed I’m not covering as much ground, either. Fear of losing my job, losing a friendship and losing my mind now has started to literally drag me down. In December, like a lot of runner...

In a comment on my previous post, Tony brought up an interesting point about the impact sanctioned headphone use may have on specific races: raising insurance costs which, in turn, will raise race fees. Personally, I’m already appalled at what some, mostly for-profit organizers now charge for the privilege of running along a closed course with aid support. But I get that demand remains quite high for popular events, and more expensive premiums like technical shirts and any-distance medals increasingly are expected. Tony’s comment, though, struck at something I’d just learned from the excellent book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do by Tom Vanderbilt. I had no idea our insurance rates were tied to our credit scores. Did you? It seems auto insurance companies assume those who make poor financial decisions are also more likely to drive dangerously on our roadways. If you live where there are a lot of at-risk drivers, you pay more because of the likelihood of colliding with one of them...

Since recovering from a sick spell, my morning runs have been wonderful. The air's been crisp, with the thermostat hovering within the ideal 45- to 51-degree range. Some mornings are washed clean by a brief rain spell (our first since April); others start with the wind tossing me a few falling leaves. I head east as often as possible to witness heavenly sunrises with the moon at my back. I'm midway through an eight-week training schedule, about the point I should be tired of being told what to do. Instead I still rise before the alarm and hurry into my long sleeve shirt and shorts, sipping a strong cup of tea and mentally plotting out my course. I'm especially excited when it's a full moon because it adds an almost spiritual dimension to the moment. I had to come up with a substitute for track workouts and created the perfect circuit that has me running around a big block. I move toothpicks between my shorts pockets to help keep track of my 400 repeats. (Pennies would b...

My fears from about 10 hours ago were unfounded. Not only was the fire near us extinguished quickly, but I woke to clear skies without even the faint trace of smoke. It's still brittle dry out, so though it was 15 degrees warmer, I didn't sweat -- or if I did, it evaporated immediately. With the moon full, I could actually see my shadow as I ran along a few streetlight-less avenues. It was pretty cool, until I caught something in my periphery vision and realized it was not one but two coyotes tearing across a canyon -- towards me. I quickly did a 180, though I think they were after something else anyway. About a mile later, I saw what looked like a cat scoot across another moonlit area toward a storm drain. As I approached, I knew the tail was way too large to be a house cat. (Plus, what cat heads toward water?!) Sure enough, it was a big ol' raccoon staring at me.