Run DMZ

If you checked the weather button on this blog this afternoon, that was no mistake: The thermometer hit close to 100 for the second day in a row. Welcome to fall, Southern California style. We're in a Santa Ana, which means hot and dry weather that crisps outdoor vegegation, creating excellent kindling for brush fires. It also does a number on us humans exposed to the elements. It occurred to me I might actually have to run part of my marathon in this mess, so I waited until it had cooled to 89 degrees and set out this afternoon for a run around Miramar Lake. Knowing my typical Thursday tempo run was not gonna happen, I strapped on my heart rate monitor and hit the lake's dirt trails for a change of pace. This is a rare treat for me since I'm usually spooked by the sights and sounds of slithering creatures and highly uncoordinated when it comes to dodging sticks, stones and mud bogs. I can't gauge speed on such rocky terrain, so I use my heart rate to ensure I am indeed...

Most of you probably don't know that as a young coed, I studied economics and have remained fascinated with the discipline since. At present, we're in work stoppage mode due to yet another internal network flare-up, so I've been catching up on my reading and came across this great essay by a Cornell econ professor on how writing assists learning. The piece focuses on academics, but it made me realize that one of the benefits of transcribing weekly routines and random thoughts so publicly in Web logs and other online forums is self-learning. Sure, you quickly deduce by my ramblings that I'm dedicated yet easily distracted, serious but quirky and able to find humor or deeper meaning in just about any situation. I've learned those things too, but only by culling from my vast library of memories, some just minutes old, and committing them to computer screen. Many of my favorite moments and lasting friendships, I now realize, began while I pushed my pudgy body along som...

There's an old adage that the best writers "show, not tell." Well, sometimes the mediocre do too. I trudged to the top of Lake Miramar to capture the early evening sun setting...because it beat running in the 88-degree heat instead. 

One of the greatest men I had the privilege of knowing passed away yesterday. It is very difficult to describe what made Ronald L. Speer unique, but Tony Germanotta, with assistance from Cate Kozak, does a nice job of it in today’s obituary. Even more difficult is putting into words how influential Ron was to me and, by extension, to those around me. At least at this moment it’s difficult, even with the crying jags now three or four hours apart. Ron retired a few months after I left for Massachusetts, and though I didn’t keep the letter someone read aloud at his big bash, I remember some highlights that tell a little about him. But just a little. He knew squat about pop culture. After covering a visit by then-President Bill Clinton, I wrote a column and included a reference to Forrest Gump. Ron said he didn’t know who this Ferris Gump was. So after arguing over his ignorance and strongly suggesting he see a movie now and then, I went back to my computer terminal and cranked out a far s...

I’m now on my third dose of Extra Strength Tylenol. The pills are not so much for tightening muscles but some pretty nasty abrasions from where my bra rubbed me raw. Chafing is common for me, but this time I really “topped” myself. I got up at 4:15, lubed up, dressed and made tea and toast I would not eat. Around 5 I headed out. The memories conjured up earlier in the week made me realize that I could just as easily run in my immediate neighborhood, as I’d done in NC, until dawn, and feel slightly safer. So I set my Timex to stopwatch mode at the edge of my driveway, hit start and began a series of .6 loops. It’s a little hilly, but at that hour quite doable. After the first loop, I looked at my watch under a street lamp. 3:33. Huh? No way I just ran a half-mile that fast. Next loop I did the same and this one said 10:53? What the--?! I ran another set, and my watch told me I’d just done two miles in 23+ minutes. No way. I ran inside to use the bathroom and this time got a clearer look...

Less than a day after retelling the story of my 'run-in with a robbery,' I learned that an elderly woman who lived on my street was brutally murdered this week. While reading one of the news accounts , I came across this passage: The crime rattled Dawson’s neighbors in the residential neighborhood southeast of downtown Elizabeth City. Most residents in the area keep their lawns tidy, and many people ride bikes, jog or take walks through the community, which offers sweeping views of the Pasquotank River at the northern border. Needless to say, it really hit home. My condolences to Ms. Dawson's family and to all my former friends and neighbors in Elizabeth City who've been rattled by this.

I invited my sister in San Gabriel to come to the Long Beach marathon in about three weeks. I also alerted my parents in Lake Forest. If they show, it would be the first time either's seen me run. Meantime, I just stumbled upon this story about the marathon and immediately saw a surge in the psych factor. Hallelujah. Mind and body remain ready to tackle this weekend's crucial 20- to 22-miler. Potential family (the Blacksburg, Va. clan) appearance on ESPN Game Day this weekend. Stay tuned for details.