Looking Forward to Getting My Act Together (Dirty Paws Virtual Run & Other COVID19 Shelter-in-Place Stuff)

Spring semester officially ended for me yesterday (Sunday, May 24). I have submitted all my grades. All "paperwork" has been completed. It is finished. Which means of course, it's now once again time to get my act together. Not that I've fallen totally apart during this COVID19 shelter-in-place era of our lives. I got my plank up to two minutes (though it has been a week since I've done a plank). I began doing burpees out on the back lawn with my husband and sons (though it's been three days -- Doh! This is what I mean by get my act together! I'm not consistent.)  

Now that Billy Goat 1/2 Marathon is for sure postponed (was planned for June), I've got a little more time on my hands. I have time to continue running with my graduating high school senior. He is trying to increase his speed on the same two mile route that we take through the neighborhood -- a one mile loop with Pacific Ocean views that we reverse at the house. My son is more consistent than I. He runs this two mile loop daily, resting only Sundays. This of course means that he easily "laps" me. I on the other hand, take a couple of days off here and there to work on the plantar fasciitis. But I do occasionally get in longer runs -- my longest this month, 5 miles, an out-and-back out my front door and down the coast.  

Also, on the COVID19 front, being the multi-tasker that I am (chronic, my multi-tasking is sometimes so bad, it's debilitating), I decided to take along my dog Millie and registered for a DirtyFeet Race, Dirty Paws Virtual Race (the 5k). Millie's a squeamish girl and she'll bite you if you try to trim her nails. I thought running her on the sidewalk might file down her nails (no such luck!). Anyway, even if I didn't get those nails filed down, it was time to bond with Millie. I never did because I was so heartbroken over the loss of Daisy, the dog-love of my life. Millie has always been the kids' dog. I half expected that she wouldn't have me because of this. 

What a delight it was to take Millie out on her first few runs. She seemed thrilled, wagging her tail the entire way. She didn't seem to tire, and I did very little coercing. I had trouble at one corner where she is used to turning after years of walks with the boys. Other than that, she was a good girl. I also dropped her off after the first mile and did the second lap solo. She's a little dog, and also not so young anymore (kind of like myself!). 

About the third or 4th run, Millie seemed hesitant. After that she grew even more hesitant. She didn't whine, she didn't act like she was in any pain. All off a sudden she would just sit and refuse to go. I had to pick her up a few times and walk with her in my arms. The last run I ended up cutting her portion short by running her back after only about a 1/4 mile. I haven't been out since. But as I mentioned, school is out for summer (and I'm only teaching one online class), so I have more time to get my act together. First, I am going to stay in on this Memorial Day, the day thousands journey to my town for waves and barbecues. Then after the Memorial Day crowds go home I will get out and put some more lovely miles on my feet. Our beaches are now open in the OC, but face masks are required in public when you cannot keep 6 feet distance. Once those crowds are gone (or at least thinned) I'll get back out there. And once it starts to heat up, the crowds in the coastal hills and mountains will thin out too. YOU WILL SEE ME THERE.

Look for more news on Billy Goat 1/2 Marathon. If all goes well with the state's re-opening phases, we'll be able to have this race in October. Live sports events are Phase 4, which is the last category to re-open. I've heard estimates of August. That sounds good to me. 

Pics from my 5 mile run down the coast:

Social Distancing

With my teaching assignments going online, and my children all off from school (2 youngest @ home and oldest still in college dorm), life has been altered (quite disrupted) to say the least. All events, rehearsals, lessons, everything has been cancelled. The state of California and much of the nation (as well as the world) is practicing "social distancing." No longer do I need to wake by 7:00 am to get my boys off to school. No longer do I drive 60 miles a day. Nowadays, I try to sleep in as late as I can possibly stand it (which is between 8:00 and 9:00 am). I feel like I need the rest. Most of the businesses in my town are closed and with the off and on rain, the streets most days are empty. The shelves in the groceries stores are empty as well. Every single store. It’s an odd thing. Surreal. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

We are not in a literal “shelter-in-place,” though there’s cities in San Francisco County that are, and probably even more areas in California by now too. In my county, there’s an order against gathering publicly or privately. Church services are cancelled. Bars and restaurants (except for take out) are closed. Gyms are closed. Theaters are closed. It’s a screeching grinding halt to the economy. We can’t find grocery essentials (like toilet paper, eggs and rice), but on the other hand, I just paid $2.85 a gallon to fill up my gas tank. I can’t remember when fuel has been that low. It's been years. 

On the 16th (Monday, the first day of my official “spring break”), we got a break in the rain. Much to to my surprise, I was living my spring break in a surreal world. I knew that I needed to get out and put some miles beneath my feet. (I believe my husband even pleaded with me to do so 😅) But I didn't feel like it; in fact, I dreaded it. I watched the weather reports, and they said rain, rain, rain for the next several days. And here I was on March 16 with a break in the rain. I felt I just couldn’t chance it. I feared that I may not see another break in the rain for a while. So, I took off locally, with pavement beneath my feet (and a new pair of road running shoes -- yay!). My left foot injury felt very faint, and it fared no worse, I am grateful to say, from this run. Even though I dreaded it, within 15 seconds of my feet hitting the ground, I was glad to be out pounding pavement. My spirit felt lighter. I don't think I enjoyed the running as much as I enjoyed the freedom. Running does that; it breaks the chains between you and everything that is. Running down Pacific Coast Highway toward the ocean gave me something else to focus on, something other than the coronavirus (COVID 19). All of that was kept at bay. And that was lovely!  

What started out as a 5 mile out-and-and back to where the sidewalk ends in Capistrano Beach, grew as I made my way back through Doheny Beach. The weather was perfect, the clouds were majestic and awesomely eerie at times.  I ran through the campgrounds which had just a few campers. There were a couple of other runners out. A few people strolled about on the sand. After making my way back through Doheny Beach where I would have normally made my way back to Pacific Coast Highway, I decided to head on off to the jetty to get a good look over at the marina, a spot that I always enjoy taking in. 

After running out to the jetty and back, I was already at about 6 miles in my run, and I thought, well, heck, push it to 7 and see how that feels. By the time I hit 7 miles, I was so close to 10, in my warped mind, that I thought heck, just do three more miles -- you can do that! 

And I did. And the land and skies out before me were beautiful. It was a tiresome journey for sure. And I didn't quite come in at 10 miles. My sports watch AmazFit read 9.61 miles, but uploaded to Strava, the data read 9.5 miles. Either way, I had no more energy to run around the block a couple times (like the old days) to make sure I hit the intended mileage. 😂 9.5 or 9.61 was good enough for me. Left foot is still a little sore, but I don't think that I re-injured it. I think I will try and stay off the pavement for a bit, just to be safe. 

"Baby Beach" in the Dana Point Harbor pictured left, during what is Spring Break 2020 for many. I know many local community apps and social media pages are showing pictures of groups of teens gathering publicly, and there's been quite a bit of discourse on these matters. This is what I saw. Barely a person around. A few runners here and there. A couple people on the sand, a couple eating a Jon's Fish Market (this was before the restaurant closures). A few people at the wharf. A few people in Turk's Bar. That was about it. We are "social distancing".

Old Shoes Finally Got Me!

Sunday March 1, weather reports said rain, so I didn't do a mountain hike/run as planned (And I was thinking big! That is my nature, my eyes are always bigger than my "stomach" -- not so much about food, just with goals in general. This is not necessarily good thing in my opinion. This mentality puts me in a perpetual state of coming up short. On the other hand, this mentality has also given me some great experiences. So, I suppose it's a good trade. Anyway, I digress!)

I wasn't too bummed about the weather reports because I just had too much to do. I couldn't give up the hours. So, I cut the drive time right out of the equation and ran out my front door beneath beautiful gloomy skies. According to my weather app, I was safe from rain for a few hours.

Wow was this run was a struggle (I can't really get back into road running, but I try!). I can't say that I felt strong during any stretch of this 6.5 mile run. But the beauty that surrounded me was immense. Really. It was superb: spooky clouds, green ocean waters, a cool breeze to the face. The gorgeous scenery coupled with the music streaming through my earbuds made this run, as miserable as it was, doable. However, I don't currently own running shoes for the streets. And I didn't want to take my newish trail shoes out on the road, so I grabbed an old worn pair of trail running shoes from beneath my bed. I threw in my orthotics stupidly thinking I'd be good. (I write "stupidly" because four days later my left foot still aches. It feels like the left front pad has been bruised, though there's no visible bruise. I can't be sure if it was the shoes, but I'm suspicious that old shoes finally got me!)

My route on this dreamy, dreary day took me along Pacific Coast Highway, Doheny and Capistrano Beaches, including the campground (which was empty), and back, then to the jetty where I looked across at the harbor, then over to Golden Lantern and back up to Pacific Coast Highway where I made my way home. I perhaps took too many pictures. It's a sickness, as I've said. 🤪. Oh, almost forgot. It rained toward the end of this run. And it was lovely!

Doheny Beach, where San Juan Creek meets the Pacific Ocean

Doheny & Capistrano Beaches

View of Harbor from the Jetty

Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, California

Hike in the Hometown

Last Friday’s hike (10/26/18), I was fortunate to have my husband along. This is the reason I opted for a hike in the hometown – a nice long 5.41 mile walk along Doheny and Capistrano Beach. The tide was high, the breeze was cool. And we were back home in no time, which was important for my husband so that he could get back to work. For me – it was my day off! And what a lovely day off, complete with lovely Pacific Ocean views. We ploughed through the sand for some of the miles. But the beach ended up at such a slant in certain locations, that we opted for boardwalks and parking lots. It’s a strange wonder that I don’t walk much in my hometown anymore. Instead, I’m constantly on the road, driving good distances to hike in locations far away were I can only see the great Pacific from afar. I really do live in a wonderful location, expensive as hell, but we were fortunate enough to get in before we were priced out. The California Riviera, that’s what some people call this place that I have called home for thirty years. I have never been to the Riviera, so I don’t know for sure about the comparison. But I do know that the coastline out here is magnificent!