Running Commentary

That's what I had this morning. For the first time in many months (years?) I volunteered to help out at my running club 's monthly race. Because I also wanted to get in a run of my own, I hightailed it over to Lake Merritt before the sun was up so I could do a loop before reporting for duty.  Yesterday was rainy--unusual for this time of year--and my run for that day was a 4.75 miler with the Berkeley Half gang, an outing started, continued, and finished in a total downpour! (Now there's a blog post you're not going to see from me.) Today, on the other hand, was gorgeous from the git-go. Lights reflecting off the mirror of the lake, pelicans purposefully paddling as the sun rose behind them. And me, doing a Slow-Zone run (see previous posts), sans Garmin, sans chronograph, sans stress. After my run came the club run, which you could say was well run, in every sense of the word. Organizers and runners all shone, and not just because they were in the sun...

Another Slow Zone run this morning. I spent most of it being thankful for the trail that has gradually, finally been extended almost to my doorstep. A slow-zone run is the perfect time to appreciate this trail and all other urban trails--they are corridors of health and safety that invite even the naturally indolent to venture out, to come and explore. I've run this particular trail so many times that the notion of "exploring" and finding something new may be some kind of pipe dream, except--when I get in slow-zone mode I really do always see something I've never seen before, be it a plant, a human, or even (and I really did see this once) three raccoons perched one on top of another, totem-pole style, in a tall, skinny tree. This morning was about the wonderful September air and and about the clouds. I do love the Sunday stillness and, thanks to the wonderful folks who created this trail, I can get into that stillness with very little effort.  ...