Everyone's logging six miles. The link below should give you a relatively clear sense of where we're going. I've also included a verbal description beneath it:
SATURDAY'S RUN COURSE!
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE-
In short, we will head NORTH from the Marina Green Monkey Bars on along Marina Boulevard until we reach the intersection of Mason/Halleck. Continue running on the paved path along Mason past SportsBasement. Shortly after we pass SportsBasement, there is a lengthy straight stretch and a funny looking metal power box on your RIGHT. This is 1.5 miles.
Continue past the 1.5 mile mark along the paved path. After roughly 200 meters you will approach the intersection of Mason and Crissy Field Avenue. There is a stop sign and a pedestrian crosswalk here. You will take a quick RIGHT on Crissy Field Avenue and head uphill. Once you've crested the hill you have logged 2 MILES!
Turn LEFT on Lincoln and continue running towards the Presidio. You'll be looking down at Crissy Field once you're on Lincoln. Enjoy the AWESOME view! Continue running along the sidewalk/shoulder of Lincoln for roughly half a mile until you reach the intersection of Lincoln/Mcdowell. This is 2.5 MILES.
Continue past Lincoln/Mcdowell and continue on Lincoln. Eventually you will see the cemetery on the right. Run a bit further and continue onto Sheridan Avenue. You'll follow Sheridan a block past Montgomery (you'll notice a large grass field/square at Sheridan/Montogmery). At the intersection of Sheridan/Anza you will have logged 3 MILES! I will try to put down a 'MM3' in chalk for a visual cue. Turn around and return to the monkey bars for 6 MILES!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
I run because I am afraid..
We're all hardwired with a pretty solid 'fight or flight' mechanism that is designed to save our ass when things get dicey.
There's something to be said for standing your ground and putting up a fight in certain circumstances, but it's equally important to know when you're outgunned. There's no shame in heading for the hills when the deck is stacked against you.
If you encounter a bear in the woods, you're likely going to bolt to the nearest tree and clamber up it as quick as you can. Unless you have a death wish.
If you find yourself in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time, the ability to run like hell can come in handy as well.
What drives the fight or flight mechanism is fear. But, there are many fears in life that can't be fought or outrun. Aging and death come for all of us no matter how fast we run or how hard we fight. Change comes into our lives often unannounced and unwelcome. You can try fighting change or running away from it, but neither approach works.
Then there are the regular daily fears that plague everyone and prevent us from moving forward. I'm not smart enough. I'm not strong enough. I'm too old. I'm too out of shape. I don't know if there's an effective way to completely eliminate these self-defeating and largely irrational fears.
These fears wax and wane depending upon the circumstances. Ultimately, the best we can do is manage our fears. Not surprisingly, I think running provides a pretty good mechanism for managing fear.
During my sophomore year of high school, my father lost his job. He was the primary breadwinner in our household and was supporting my mother, me, and my two siblings who were attending expensive private colleges. He also had a sizable mortgage he was responsible for. I can only imagine the fears that plagued him.
The tension and fear in our household was palpable. I had just recently become a runner and I relished every mile I spent out on the road away from the seething cauldron of stress that our home had become. It was seemingly the only place where I could find solace and escape from the fears that occupied every corner of our home.
My father would occasionally lace up his shoes during this period and run a few miles. I vividly recall my mother telling him one day that he was 'running away from his problems'. To me, it was an absurd notion.
While I didn't know much about how my father was dealing with what was happening at home, I knew that he was not running away from anything. I imagined my father was running to 'manage' the stress and fears that likely consumed him.
I knew that was a big part of why I was running and why I still run today. Because it is in those quiet moments of zen out on the road or on the trail that all of the vociferous fears that rattle around in my head become markedly quieter...at least temporarily. Sometimes, at the end of a run the fears aren't just quieted they are completely exorcised.
Maybe it's the endorphins. Maybe it's the adrenaline. Maybe it's the natural anti-depressants the act of running releases. Perhaps it's just the change of scenery and fresh air. All I know is any/all fears become a bit more manageable and a bit less daunting after a run.
So, I say f&*k the fear. I run because I am afraid, but I'm not going to let fear prevent me from moving forward.
There's something to be said for standing your ground and putting up a fight in certain circumstances, but it's equally important to know when you're outgunned. There's no shame in heading for the hills when the deck is stacked against you.
If you encounter a bear in the woods, you're likely going to bolt to the nearest tree and clamber up it as quick as you can. Unless you have a death wish.
If you find yourself in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time, the ability to run like hell can come in handy as well.
What drives the fight or flight mechanism is fear. But, there are many fears in life that can't be fought or outrun. Aging and death come for all of us no matter how fast we run or how hard we fight. Change comes into our lives often unannounced and unwelcome. You can try fighting change or running away from it, but neither approach works.
Then there are the regular daily fears that plague everyone and prevent us from moving forward. I'm not smart enough. I'm not strong enough. I'm too old. I'm too out of shape. I don't know if there's an effective way to completely eliminate these self-defeating and largely irrational fears.
These fears wax and wane depending upon the circumstances. Ultimately, the best we can do is manage our fears. Not surprisingly, I think running provides a pretty good mechanism for managing fear.
During my sophomore year of high school, my father lost his job. He was the primary breadwinner in our household and was supporting my mother, me, and my two siblings who were attending expensive private colleges. He also had a sizable mortgage he was responsible for. I can only imagine the fears that plagued him.
The tension and fear in our household was palpable. I had just recently become a runner and I relished every mile I spent out on the road away from the seething cauldron of stress that our home had become. It was seemingly the only place where I could find solace and escape from the fears that occupied every corner of our home.
My father would occasionally lace up his shoes during this period and run a few miles. I vividly recall my mother telling him one day that he was 'running away from his problems'. To me, it was an absurd notion.
While I didn't know much about how my father was dealing with what was happening at home, I knew that he was not running away from anything. I imagined my father was running to 'manage' the stress and fears that likely consumed him.
I knew that was a big part of why I was running and why I still run today. Because it is in those quiet moments of zen out on the road or on the trail that all of the vociferous fears that rattle around in my head become markedly quieter...at least temporarily. Sometimes, at the end of a run the fears aren't just quieted they are completely exorcised.
Maybe it's the endorphins. Maybe it's the adrenaline. Maybe it's the natural anti-depressants the act of running releases. Perhaps it's just the change of scenery and fresh air. All I know is any/all fears become a bit more manageable and a bit less daunting after a run.
So, I say f&*k the fear. I run because I am afraid, but I'm not going to let fear prevent me from moving forward.
Monday, October 08, 2012
Tuesday Marina Run Description (9/15/15)
You will be logging between 3-6 miles depending upon your training
level. The link below should give you a relatively clear sense of where
we're going. I've also included a verbal description beneath it:
TUESDAY'S RUN COURSE!
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE-
In short, we will head NORTH from the Marina Green Monkey Bars on along Marina Boulevard until we reach the intersection of Mason/Halleck. Continue running on the paved path along Mason past SportsBasement. Shortly after we pass SportsBasement, there is a lengthy straight stretch and a funny looking metal power box on your RIGHT. This is 1.5 miles. Beginner level runners will turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 3 miles.
Everyone else will continue past the 1.5 mile mark along the paved path. After roughly 200 meters you will approach the intersection of Mason and Crissy Field Avenue. There is a stop sign and a pedestrian crosswalk here. You will take a quick RIGHT on Crissy Field Avenue and head uphill. Once you've crested the hill you have logged 2 MILES! Intermediate level runners will turn around and head back to the monkey bars for 4 MILES!
Advanced and Race level runners will turn LEFT on Lincoln and continue running towards the Presidio. You'll be looking down at Crissy Field once you're on Lincoln. Enjoy the AWESOME view! Continue running along the sidewalk/shoulder of Lincoln for roughly half a mile until you reach the intersection of Lincoln/Mcdowell. This is 2.5 MILES. I will put down a 'MM 5' in chalk on the ground for your reference. Advanced level runners turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 5 MILES!
Race level runners will continue past Lincoln/Mcdowell and continue on Lincoln. Eventually you will see the cemetery on the right. Run a bit further and continue onto Sheridan Avenue. You'll follow Sheridan a block past Montgomery (you'll notice a large grass field/square at Sheridan/Montogmery). At the intersection of Sheridan/Montgomery you will have logged 3 MILES! I will put down a 'MM3' in chalk for a visual cue. Turn around and return to the monkey bars for 6 MILES!
TUESDAY'S RUN COURSE!
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE-
In short, we will head NORTH from the Marina Green Monkey Bars on along Marina Boulevard until we reach the intersection of Mason/Halleck. Continue running on the paved path along Mason past SportsBasement. Shortly after we pass SportsBasement, there is a lengthy straight stretch and a funny looking metal power box on your RIGHT. This is 1.5 miles. Beginner level runners will turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 3 miles.
Everyone else will continue past the 1.5 mile mark along the paved path. After roughly 200 meters you will approach the intersection of Mason and Crissy Field Avenue. There is a stop sign and a pedestrian crosswalk here. You will take a quick RIGHT on Crissy Field Avenue and head uphill. Once you've crested the hill you have logged 2 MILES! Intermediate level runners will turn around and head back to the monkey bars for 4 MILES!
Advanced and Race level runners will turn LEFT on Lincoln and continue running towards the Presidio. You'll be looking down at Crissy Field once you're on Lincoln. Enjoy the AWESOME view! Continue running along the sidewalk/shoulder of Lincoln for roughly half a mile until you reach the intersection of Lincoln/Mcdowell. This is 2.5 MILES. I will put down a 'MM 5' in chalk on the ground for your reference. Advanced level runners turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 5 MILES!
Race level runners will continue past Lincoln/Mcdowell and continue on Lincoln. Eventually you will see the cemetery on the right. Run a bit further and continue onto Sheridan Avenue. You'll follow Sheridan a block past Montgomery (you'll notice a large grass field/square at Sheridan/Montogmery). At the intersection of Sheridan/Montgomery you will have logged 3 MILES! I will put down a 'MM3' in chalk for a visual cue. Turn around and return to the monkey bars for 6 MILES!
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