Monday, December 29, 2014

Tuesday Downtown Run Map/Description (03/22/16, 3-6 miles)

Tueday's run launches from outside 333 3rd Street between Folsom/Harrison.

If you need to use the restroom, change, and/or store some personal items, head up to PSOAS in Suite 205.

Here's a link to the course map-

Tuesday's Course Map

We will cross Folsom from 3rd Street onto the sidewalk and take a right. We will run along Folsom all the way to the Embarcadero. We will cross the street and take a RIGHT onto the Embarcadero.

Run along the Embarcadero towards the ballpark. Once you pass the intersection of Embarcadero/Harrison, you will run underneath the overpass for the Bay Bridge. Once underneath the bridge (near the intersection of Embarcadero/Spear), you will have 1 mile under your belt.

Continue running along the Embarcadero towards the ballpark. Look for Red's Java House on the LEFT near the intersection of Embarcadero/Townsend. Veer LEFT near Red's Java House and get onto the 'San Francisco Bay Trail' (it's a sidewalk). Just past Red's Java House is 1.5 miles. Beginner runners will turn around here and head back to PSOAS for 3 miles!

Follow the San Francisco Bay Trail BEHIND the ballpark until you hit 3RD STREET. Turn LEFT on 3rd Street. Follow 3rd Street across the bridge and once you're across the bridge, take a LEFT on the sidewalk running along the waterfront parallel to Terry A Francois Street. Just as the sidewalk starts to turn RIGHT, you will have logged 2 miles. Intermediate runners will turn around here and head back to PSOAS for 4 miles!

Everyone else will continue running along Terry A Francois Street until you reach the intersection of Terry A Francois Street & South Street. This is 2.5 miles. Advanced level runners will turn around here and head back to PSOAS for 5 MILES!

Race level runners will turn RIGHT on South Street and continue running. South Street eventually turns into Campus Way. Continue running along Campus Way until you reach 'Koret Quad'. You will do a loop around Koret Quad and head back to PSOAS the way you came for 6 MILES!

Friday, December 26, 2014

Saturday Long Run (12/27/15)

We're logging 8-12 miles on Saturday starting from the Marina Green Monkey Bars. 

Take a look at the course map below...

Saturday Long Run Course Map

We'll head towards Sports Basement via the paved path from the Marina.
 
Roughly half a mile past Sports Basement you will reach the intersection of Mason/Crissy Field Ave. Turn LEFT (look for the ‘MM’ in chalk) and head up McDowell Avenue.
 

Run to the intersection of McDowell/Lincoln (this is a controlled intersection w/stop signs)
 

Run directly across the street into ‘Park Trail’ (there is signage). Follow Park Trail LEFT and continue to Amatury Loop (look for signs). Take a RIGHT on Bay Area Ridge Trail at Amatury Loop and cross Park Blvd on Bay Area Ridge Trail.

Follow Bay Area Ridge Trail until you reach Rob Hill Campground (on your left). Follow the paved path until you run into Washington Boulevard. Turn around here and head back the way you came. Once you reach the Marina Green Monkey Bars you will have logged 6.5 miles.

Follow the paved path towards the Marina Safeway and up Fort Mason Hill. Crest the hill and head down the other side. Beginner runners will turn around once you've reached the bottom of the hill and head back to the monkey bars for 8 MILES!

Everyone else will continue running through Aquatic Park towards Fisherman's Wharf via Jefferson Street. Intermediate runners will turn around at Jefferson/Leavenworth and head back to the monkey bars for 9 MILES!

Advanced and Race level runners continue on Jefferson through Fisherman's Wharf. Advanced runners will turn around at Jefferson/Grant (across from Aquarium of the Bay) and head back to the monkey bars for 10 MILES!

Race level runners will continue on Jefferson and onto the Embarcadero. Continue running until you just past Embarcadero/Broadway. Look for Pier 7 on your left. Turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 12 MILES!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

I run because it is magic..


I rarely slept the night before Christmas. It wasn't the presents under the tree that excited me. It was the idea that some kind of magic enabled a portly man in a red suit to squeeze down the chimney.

Magic is what turned me on. The Easter bunny was real. The tooth fairy floated in and out of my room while I was asleep leaving me a few bucks for coming one tooth closer to adulthood.

But, the magic eventually began to fade. It started small. It turns out the tooth fairy was usually mom. The colorful eggs hidden all over the yard were typically my Dad's handiwork.

Then, I suffered the coup de grace. Santa, the most magical of all was not real. My house of cards came tumbling down. There is no such thing as magic....or so I thought.

Years later, I found myself gasping for breath. Spent and neck deep in pain, the finish line was ahead of me. I let out a war cry and ran faster than I thought I ever could.

A few months later, I was flying around a quarter mile oval watching the clock as it crept closer to 5:00. I was mere steps away from doing something that was beyond my comprehension. The clock read 4:57. Surely, something otherworldly was at work.

Two decades later, I was deep in the valley of despair. 45 miles of self flagellation had me threadbare and wasted. A brief respite, a few deep breaths, and some Mountain Dew served as a magical potion that somehow enabled me to run the last 5 and notch an astonishing, surreal 50 miles.

Magic is real. Running draws magical things out of you. It catalyzes magic.

Running has taken me places that defy imagination. It has pushed me into other dimensions I can't quite explain. It waves its magic wand on me every time I head out the door.

I run because it is magic.




Friday, December 12, 2014

I run because I haven't done enough...

The holiday season is often characterized as 'the most wonderful time of the year'. This has never resonated for me. The holiday season always serves as a reminder of things left undone.

There are things I didn't start. There are things I didn't finish. The holiday season is the least wonderful time of the year for me.

It's the season of self-flagellation. I beat myself up for not doing more. I could have accomplished more. I should have crossed more items off my list.

I gloss over the things I accomplished. I minimize them. I trivialize them. I sell them short.

Rather than celebrate what I did right, I fixate on what did not pan out. My inner critic is merciless.

It doesn't matter if I did my best. I fell short. I didn't go fast enough. I didn't go far enough.

This quagmire of self flagellation threatens to consume me. I struggle to breathe. I somehow pull myself out.

I put my shoes on. I don't stop to think. I just run.

I breathe deeply. I pick up the pace. The inner critic struggles.

I put the hurt on him running even faster. He gasps for breath. Unable to keep up, he hunches over. He capitulates.

I move forward. It's rarely fast enough. It's rarely long enough. But, I am still moving forward.

The act of moving forward gives me what I need. The potent cocktail known as the runner's high intoxicates me and drowns the inner critic.

The self-flagellation ceases. The triumphs come bubbling to the surface. The victories become vivid.

Nothing went perfectly. Nothing ever does. But, the laundry list of wins easily dwarfs the short list of things that didn't go swimmingly.

I keep the wheels turning. I keep moving forward. I have no illusion I will cross everything off the list, but I will keep crossing off what I can.

I run because I haven't done enough...






Thursday, December 11, 2014

I run because no route is the same twice..

I have friends who run a different route every day. They uncover new trails on a regular basis. Their running is a constant exercise in variety and exploration.

In stark contrast, many of my runs are utilitarian. I often get the miles in via a simple out and back route. There are stretches of road and trail that I have covered innumerable times.

I never get bored. There is no monotony. There is no tedium. Every run is fresh and different to me. Every run has a unique identity and character waiting to be revealed.

My standard five mile out and back route is drenched in subtle details. Maybe I am the only one who discerns them. Maybe I am the only one who cares.

Something as simple as when I run can radically alter the texture and complexion of the experience. Whatever hour I choose to begin alters what lies ahead. No hour is the same.

6AM brings a bracing bite in the air that rouses me better than a cup of coffee. The slow awakening of the world around me mirrors my own awakening on the road. My heart rate gradually elevates. The wheels turn over awkwardly at first, then a bit more gracefully.

The same journey at 12PM has a much different flavor. There are no cobwebs to shake off. I am awake. I am warm. I am grooved. Everything flows.

Evening descends and the same stretch of road at night becomes yet another journey. The darkness excites. There is mystery on the road. There is intrigue. Perhaps there is a tinge of danger.

Independent of when I choose to embark, there are an infinite numbers of things beyond my control that add flavor and complexity to my journeys.

The wind blows differently or maybe it doesn't blow at all. The light strikes my eyes differently. Maybe I feel like a different person.

The world never looks the same as it did yesterday. The path is familiar. It is similar. But, it is not the same.

I run because no route is the same twice...



Tuesday, December 09, 2014

I run because my mind's playing tricks on me...

The night descends. But, sleep doesn't come. My mind turns.

Questions bubble to the surface. Doubts invade. Loose ends drown me.

I try to filter them out. I do my best to ignore them. I struggle to keep afloat.

Tossing and turning, the wheels keep rolling. My mind becomes a runaway train. Uncontrolled, it picks up speed.

A vision of chaos coalesces. Everything's falling apart. Nothing's within my control.

I sit up with a start sweating. I take a deep breath and hold it. I stand up and let it out.

My shorts are on the floor. My shirt hangs on the door. My shoes are at the foot of the bed.

I pull the shorts on. The shirt comes next. I double knot my laces and take a step.

The vision is less clear, but it is still there. I know it's not real, but my mind's not right. My imagination runs roughshod at night.  

I open the door. Only the stars are out. They spectate in silence.

The cold air rouses my lungs. The bite in the air pushes me back into a state of quasi-lucidity. The legs start to turn over.

Air comes in and out. A rhythm emerges. I try to control the only thing I can.

I don't know where I'm going. I don't know how long it will last. The unknown lies before me.

I tackle it head on. I run into it. It's scary.

It's not as scary as the vision my mind conjured. The details of the vision start to fade as the sweat emerges from my pores. The wheels slow down.

There isn't much I can control. Things will fall apart. Chaos will intrude.

But, not all is beyond my control. What the imagination conjures rarely becomes reality. The train glides into the station gracefully and grinds to a halt.

I run because my mind's playing tricks on me...






Friday, December 05, 2014

Epic Run #3 Course Map/Description (6ish miles)

We'll get things rolling with an easy 1/2 mile warmup run to Julius Kahn Park. We'll do some range of motion drills before starting the run.

Here's a link to the course map....


Here's a description of said course...
 
Follow chalk markings indicating 'E' with arrows on paved roads. Follow flour arrows on trail segments.
 
-Launch from Julius Kahn Park. Follow dirt trail towards Arguello. Turn right on Arguello.   
-Shortly after turning right you will cross the street and veer left onto Bay Area Ridge Trail. -Continue on Bay Area Ridge Trail (Look for signs and flour markings).  
-You'll follow Bay Area Ridge Trail across Park Avenue. Roughly a 1/4 mile later look for flour markings on your RIGHT and continue following Bay Area Ridge Trail to Rob Hill Campground (it will be on your left). 
-At Rob Hill Campground, run on the paved path for a brief stretch and turn LEFT onto Washington Boulevard.   
-Run along Washington for 1/10th of a mile and cross over to Immigrant Point Overlook for an EPIC view!
-At Immigrant Point Overlook take steps down to Lincoln Blvd

-Turn LEFT once you've crossed Lincoln and run along the trail adjacent to the shoulder of the road overlooking the ocean.
-Run for roughly 1/4-1/2 mile until you see a trail on your right heading downhill. Veer right and follow this trail down towards Baker Beach.
-At the bottom of the hill, the trail veers LEFT in front of some bunkers adjacent to Baker Beach. Run past these bunkers and into the parking lot for Baker Beach.
-Run through the parking lot and follow Battery Chamberlain Road to Gibson Road. Turn LEFT on Gibson Road and head uphill until you reach Bowley Street. Turn RIGHT on Bowley Street and follow Bowley until it connects with Lincoln/El Camino Del Mar.
-Cross Lincoln/El Camino Del Mar. Run onto Lobos Creek Trail (look for chalk markings) . This is a wooden pathway that you will follow behind the parking lot/buildings. 
-Eventually Lobos Creek Trail (the wooden portion) dead ends into a dirt/sand trail that you will follow RIGHT. Follow this dirt/sand trail until you run into Wedemeyer Street. 
-Turn LEFT onto Wedemeyer Street. Wedemeyer turns into Battery Caufield Road. 
-Follow Battery Caufield Road until you run into Washington Blvd. Turn RIGHT on Washington Blvd.
-Follow Washington Blvd and veer right through Presidio Golf Course. This turns into Park Trail.
-Follow Park Trail underneath 101 North and connect with Mountain Lake Trail.
-Follow Mountain Lake Trail/W.Pacific Ave across Arguello and connect to Ecology Trail.
-Follow Ecology Trail (and flour markings) to Quarry Road. Follow Quarry Road to MacArthur Ave. 
-Veer RIGHT onto MacArthur Ave. Veer RIGHT onto Lover's Lane.
-Reconnect with dirt trail and follow back to the start of the Epic Run in Julius Kahn Park!
 

Epic Run #3 Course Map/Description (3ish miles)

We'll get things rolling with an easy 1/2 mile warmup run to Julius Kahn Park. We'll do some range of motion drills before starting the run.




Here's a link to the course map....


Here's a description of said course...

Follow chalk markings indicating 'E' with arrows on paved roads. Follow flour arrows on trail segments.

-Launch from Julius Kahn Park. Follow dirt trail towards Arguello. Turn right on Arguello.   
-Shortly after turning right you will cross the street and veer left onto Bay Area Ridge Trail.  
-Continue on Bay Area Ridge Trail (Look for signs and flour markings).
-You'll follow Bay Area Ridge Trail across Park Avenue. Roughly a 1/4 mile later look for flour markings on your RIGHT and continue following Bay Area Ridge Trail to Rob Hill Campground (it will be on your left).   
-At Rob Hill Campground, run on the paved path for a brief stretch and turn LEFT onto Washington Boulevard. 
-Run along Washington for 1/10th of a mile and cross over to Immigrant Point Overlook for an EPIC view! Turn around and head back the way you came until you reach our starting point at Julius Kahn Park!  
-3.5 miles total 

Epic Run #3 Chest Sheet (6ish miles)

-Launch from Julius Kahn Park. Follow dirt trail towards Arguello. Turn right on Arguello.   
-Shortly after turning right you will cross the street and veer left onto Bay Area Ridge Trail.  
-Continue on Bay Area Ridge Trail (Look for signs and flour markings).  
-You'll follow Bay Area Ridge Trail across Park Avenue. Roughly a 1/4 mile later look for flour markings on your RIGHT and continue following Bay Area Ridge Trail to Rob Hill Campground (it will be on your left). 
-At Rob Hill Campground, run on the paved path for a brief stretch and turn LEFT onto Washington Boulevard.   
-Run along Washington for 1/10th of a mile and cross over to Immigrant Point Overlook for an EPIC view!
-At Immigrant Point Overlook take steps down to Lincoln Blvd

-Turn LEFT once you've crossed Lincoln and run along the trail adjacent to the shoulder of the road overlooking the ocean.
-Run for roughly 1/4-1/2 mile until you see a trail on your right heading downhill. Veer right and follow this trail down towards Baker Beach.
-At the bottom of the hill, the trail veers LEFT in front of some bunkers adjacent to Baker Beach. Run past these bunkers and into the parking lot for Baker Beach.
-Run through the parking lot and follow Battery Chamberlain Road to Gibson Road. Turn LEFT on Gibson Road and head uphill until you reach Bowley Street. Turn RIGHT on Bowley Street and follow Bowley until it connects with Lincoln/El Camino Del Mar.
-Cross Lincoln/El Camino Del Mar. Run onto Lobos Creek Trail (look for chalk markings) . This is a wooden pathway that you will follow behind the parking lot/buildings. 
-Eventually Lobos Creek Trail (the wooden portion) dead ends into a dirt/sand trail that you will follow RIGHT. Follow this dirt/sand trail until you run into Wedemeyer Street. 
-Turn LEFT onto Wedemeyer Street. Wedemeyer turns into Battery Caufield Road. 
-Follow Battery Caufield Road until you run into Washington Blvd. Turn RIGHT on Washington Blvd.
-Follow Washington Blvd and veer right through Presidio Golf Course. This turns into Park Trail.
-Follow Park Trail underneath 101 North and connect with Mountain Lake Trail.
-Follow Mountain Lake Trail/W.Pacific Ave across Arguello and connect to Ecology Trail.
-Follow Ecology Trail (and flour markings) to Quarry Road. Follow Quarry Road to MacArthur Ave. 
-Veer RIGHT onto MacArthur Ave. Veer RIGHT onto Lover's Lane.
-Reconnect with dirt trail and follow back to the start of the Epic Run in Julius Kahn Park!


Epic Run Course Map/Description/Cheat Sheet (3ish miles)-5/24/15

We'll run an easy 1/2 mile to Julius Kahn Park from A Runner's Mind. We'll do a few range of motion drills before starting the run. 

Epic Run 3ish Miles Course Map

-Launch from Julius Kahn Park. Follow dirt trail towards Arguello. Turn right on Arguello. 
-Shortly after turning right you will cross the street and veer left onto Bay Area Ridge Trail.
-Continue on Bay Area Ridge Trail (Look for signs and flour markings).
-You'll follow Bay Area Ridge Trail across Park Avenue. Roughly a 1/4 mile later look for flour markings on your RIGHT and continue following Bay Area Ridge Trail to Rob Hill Campground (it will be on your left). 
-At Rob Hill Campground, run on the paved path for a brief stretch and turn LEFT onto Washington Boulevard. 
-Run along Washington for 1/10th of a mile and cross over to Immigrant Point Overlook for an EPIC view! Turn around and head back the way you came until you reach our starting point at Julius Kahn Park!
-Head back to A Runner's Mind for Hint Water, Mamma Chia, BEER, and raffle prizes!