Mossy Trails

As promised, it is time for me to debrief my trip to Portland, Oregon with you. Trails, trails, trails. So many wonderful trails up there. I'm pretty sure that you're not allowed into the state if you don't like hiking because even in their most urban part of downtown, you can see the forest waiting only five miles up the the hill. I'm so jealous of the trees and moss they have up there. I want moss... real bad. But, I don't think it grows on Palm Trees.

I hiked every day and ate a lot of really good food (like fried cheese curds and pancake bbq), and I could talk about all that, but it'd just be too much. So, I'll share my discoverings during my run up Tabor Mountain. That makes me sound way hardcore... and maybe I am a little, but it was only 4 miles total and Tabor Mountain should probably be called Tabor Hill. In any case, it was fun discovering Portland on my own. (Wellllll, that's also a stretch because my friend Jamileh was with me, but neither one of us had ever been up the "mountain" and we're both from California. So. There's that.)

I'm a big ol' wuss when it comes to running in unknown places. I get self-conscious: like people can tell I don't know where I'm going and so that means they're going to steal me. (But, who would want to steal a sweaty runner?? Apparently some guy in South Park for one. see post below.) So even though Jamileh and I didn't really know where we were going, we had each other and that was enough to get me on the road at least. So often I forgo running altogether on vacation because of my high wuss factor--a personality trait that I know helps my mom sleep a little better at night. (e.g. Every time we're in New York I tell myself that I'm going to jog around Central Park, but then once I'm there I can't get up the nerve even though the running paths are well trafficked and safe.)

Back to Tabor. We got directions from a friend and found the base of the mountain (just a regular mountain in a regular neighborhood...so Portland). We chose a small dirt trail and began climbing up and up. We walked a little, we swatted bugs out of each other's hair, I squealed when I ran through a spider web (I really really hate spiders. A lot.), we stopped and admired the reservoir, ran into a drinking fountain and had some water, passed a few people--but not many--on the trail, observed banana slugs (seeeeeriously gross) and then somehow found our way back down. All the trails we took had some kind of color coded signs for them, but we weren't paying much attention and couldn't figure out which direction the signs were pointing. (That makes us sound stupider than we are....) This (for me at least) made the run more stressful and less fun-adventurey. I like adventure runs--as long as I know where I'm going and how many miles it will turn out to be. (e.g. running 20 miles is one thing. Doing it unintentionally is another.)

I wouldn't have run at all without someone with me, and it got me thinking... what would it take for me to feel safe on a run by myself in a foreign city? Other than studying maps, carrying pepper spray, and a backpack full of clothing and nourishments, I'm not sure how to make a run relaxing and non-stressful in an unknown place. Which is unfortunate, because jogging around a new place is a great way to site see.

Punchbowl Falls in Forest Park, Oregon:

Thank you great outdoors! You're pretty.

Perv Alert

I just got back from a fantastic trip to Portland, Oregon--which I will debrief here in a few days--but, upon returning yesterday, I came back sad to hear that two female joggers in the South Park area were attacked by someone. The women weren't hurt, but they were physically assaulted. The weirdo attacked in broad daylight with other people around who came to their rescue.

It never hurts to be reminded every once in a while to be aware of you surroundings. Today is your reminder. Run with someone when you can, carry pepper spray when you can't and (as the police officer who "pulled over" my jogging friend the other day to warn her said), "If you're going to listen to music, only put one ear piece in" because it A.) Allows you to hear your surroundings better and B.) Makes you appear like a less easy target... like you might actually be paying attention to what you're doing out there.

Also, remember women, it's OK to demand safety for yourself. Don't give anyone the benefit of the doubt that they aren't up to something. If you're suspicious-- yell at the person who is making you feel uncomfortable. When I used to take martial arts as a teen I was required to shout "Back OFF!" consistently in order to get used to hearing myself use my voice that way. It builds confidence and self awareness. And besides, what's the worst that will happen if you shout this at another person? They might actually back off? They'll choose a different path? Even if you feel bad that you may have shouted at a perfectly innocent man, DON'T, because if he really is a good guy, he'll understand that you need to feel safe and he was encroaching on that.

I suggest you practice demanding your safety by shouting, "You need to BACK OFF!" or "Don't come ANY CLOSER!" or "YOU'RE CREEPING ME OUT! MOVE ALONG!" at your roommate, spouse, BFF, running buddy, etc. until you are OK hearing yourself do that. If you don't practice, you might not use it when you need it. Hopefully you'll never need it, but the first line of defense--as my dad drilled into my brain growing up:

"Always be aware of your surroundings."

America's Finest City Half Marathon: A Letter

Dear Muse Pandora Station:

I'd like to start out by saying that I'm really sorry I was so pissed at you this morning (at 7am), when the gun went off, and you weren't able to "access my Pandora account" because there was no wireless signal at the top of Cabrillo. I said some things, and made some threats, that I ultimately didn't mean...and I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of other runners by calling you some things I probably shouldn't repeat ever again. I realize now you were trying your best and ultimately it made me appreciate you more when we got down to Scott Street at mile 4 and you started with "Uprising." That really meant a lot and made me say, "Fuck Yeah" out loud... maybe a little too loud... but I'm sure you remember.

Then at mile 7, when I got pissed again because you started playing an acoustic guitar song and I thought, "What the 'f'! This is a Muse station not f'ing Dashboard Confessionals bullcuss. But then it turned out to be that American Idol kid's rendition of Rhihanna's "Umbrella" and it was f'ing awesome. So awesome, in fact, I ran that mile at a 7:30 pace and danced half the time...which made some of the runners guffaw at me the way I used to guffaw at those dancing-running-idiots. Thank you for making me one of those idiots.

Last, I would like to thank you for helping me to 1.) PR 2.) ignore the garlic burps from last night's Italian dinner and 3.) not be bothered by other people's smells, sounds, and poorly-chosen-eye-offending running outfits-- all things that usually get me down.

Pandora Muse Station, you cussing rocked my world. Literally. So thank you.

Sincerely,

Asha

P.S. Maybe next time you can throw in a Queen song too. I'd f'ing love that.

A Little "Lady" on the Run

I got the new iphone. Finally. I went from a four-year old flip phone to the 4G. As my husband says to everyone, "She got her learner's permit and then went out and bought a Ferrari." It's true. I feel rich.

I also, for the first time in three years, went for a run with music. Nothing like a little Lady Gaga or Flogging Molly to get the legs pumping harder. In fact, I'm rather shocked by how much my time improved. Well...I guess it wasn't that much faster, but there were definitely advantages:

Advantage #1: The music kept me distracted from my loud huffing and puffing. I have a theory that hearing yourself breath heavily during a run messes with your head and makes you feel more tired than you actually are.

Advantage #2: The music distracted me from the heat and kept me positive... except for that one rap song that came on and used the "n" word...I had to stop and switch Pandora stations.

Advantage #3: 30 seconds faster per mile and didn't even feel like it!

Advantage #4: It's fun to pretend you're in a movie and the sound track is playing just for you and this run.

I know there are a lot of opinions out there about running with music vs. running "naturally." I used to lean toward running naturally, but that was mostly because I accidentally drowned my ipod nano years ago and couldn't justify buying a new one. And blah blah blah we all know that running with headphones is more dangerous because we're less aware of sounds around us like approaching cars, viscous dogs, and catcalling construction workers. (But, seriously, do keep the music low and be extra cautious people.)

I'm not going to pick a side on this issue, that's not why I'm writing this, although I will admit that I felt a little weirdish when I saw how much my time improved... Hopefully (barring any last minute bib-acquiring complications) I'll be running America's Finest City 1/2 Marathon this weekend. I'd like to PR. My best AFC time is a 2:02...and my last 1/2 marathon in...what was it...May? Was a 1:57 or 58...need to look that up.

In any case, even though the music feels a little bit like cheating, I'll get over it.... I have noooo problem PR'ing with the help of a little Lady Gaga if it inches me closer to qualifying for Boston one day.

Stonewall Mine

Mission accomplished for the month: I walked a trail I'd never been on before...and I'll be honest, it was a bit of a disappointment.

A girlfriend and I have been wanting to find some old ghost towns in the area--left over from the gold rush days. We thought that the old Stonewall Mine in Descanso, off the 79, looked promising based on what we read about it online. But, like most things on the internet, it proved to be misleading. The "mining town" is little more than a fenced-off hole in the ground. There were a few cool mining tools laying around (behind the fence) and we saw some people riding horses and the views from the trail were pretty OK, but all in all...it should not be classified as a ghost town.

If you decide to go to Stonewall Mine, don't go just to see the mine. You'll see it and be done "exploring" in less than 5 minutes. Go because you want to hike around Cuyamaca Lake or camp in Cuyamaca State Park. It's a calm, slow little place to get away from the rush of the city, and all the oak and pine trees and dried grass reminded me of Northern California. I will go back as a camper, but not as an explorer.

The Results...

I've now done the coffee ground "wrap" twice and actually think it's working... I'm going to do it a few more times before I make a firm decision about it one way or the other. But, I still feel like a tool doing it.

Tips to make it less messy and clean up easier:

1. Add olive oil to the grounds before applying
2. Lay down craptons of newspaper when applying grounds (or just do it outside)
3. Remove the saran wrap outside and use a garden hose to rinse off so you don't clog your shower drain (assuming you have an area your neighbors can't see...it will really freak them out seeing you partially wrapped in plastic).

I honestly think I can tell a difference around my knees: they seem firmer.
But again...we'll see.