Ran the Cypress this morning very early, around 5:45.   Earliest rays of light darting through the redwoods and pines that form my running cathedral.  Thinking about the fact that the sun will now pause, pivot and begin its methodical march southward for the next 180 days.  The daily changes ever so small, barely noticeable […]

Thirty years ago, the annual “Escape from Alcatraz” Triathlon began with a swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park in San Francisco, then a bike ride over the GG Bridge to Old Mill Park in Mill Valley, followed by running the Double Dipea from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach and back.  The distance of each leg […]

Resilience!  A great word, a great virtue, though not always a strong one for me.   But I awake resilient, and follow my trainer’s guidance onto my mountain bike, and do a 40 minute, leg-loosening, climb up railroad grade.  (Ok, she suggested a shorter, flatter ride, but also says that sometimes you have to color outside […]

D Day turned out to be a bit of an adventure, at least for me.  Nice, decently cool morning.  Fog curling over the hill, temperature around 60.   I crossed the starting line at 8:44.  My group included Brian Pilcher, last year’s winner, and, as it turns out, this year’s too.  I was tied with him […]

Dipsea Eve!   24 hours from now, give or take five minutes, I’ll stumble down the “stiles” (short for turnstiles), then take the last couple of turns on the road before crossing the Dipsea finish line at Stinson Beach.  With the age and gender based handicapping and staggered starts, four or five hundred runners will have […]

Last Saturday morning training run for awhile.   One last rehearsal up the brutal steps, flying down to Muir Woods, struggling up Dynamite and Hogsback to Cardiac.  Six of us today, only one in group not running the Dipsea.   Die is now cast.  WIll do some biking and easy exercise this week, then join for all […]

Got up before 6 to run the Dipsea trail again, this time to “halfway rock” and back.   Splits better; shaved about a minute and a half from Sunday’s times.  Ran hard at times, running with emotion.  Learned in last few days that a grad school classmate, the kind of guy everyone really liked,  died of […]

Okay, enough hiking and romance, back to business.  Ran the Dipsea all the way to Stinson, noting key split times along the way.  Feeling healthy and good.  Ran particularly fast the last two and half miles down from Cardiac,  but will have to pick it up on the first half to run a “qualifying” time. […]

Same running shoes, same trails, but different pace and purpose.  Up Tenderfoot early Thursday evening, wearing a backpack, bride at my side.  Up to Panoramic and the Mountain Home Inn, where an anniversary dinner and stay awaits.  Then sleep in, before an 8 mile hike on Troop 80 and Coast View to Muir Beach.  Toes […]

Over the last week, I’d resigned myself to the reality of the calendar flipping over to May 21.  Today Bridger registrants either receive an email letting them into the race, or suffer through the void of electronic silence.   With the recent aches, pains, and slow times, it feels like my body is gently telling […]